what can we take from this game?

1) we are light in the front row power and aggression was lacking
2) Dunning probably isn't a Champ head coach (we knew this before the season stared)
3) out of 3 Leeds DR lads 2 were beyond Garbage and didn't want to be there (although who could blame them?)
4) As in most of last years car crash of a year Patton & Lilley doesn't work (both were terrible, why does Lawford continue to be 18th man?)
5) Keighley really do hate us and we should expect more of the same in the next 2 encounters we need to fight fire with fire.

That 1 result could be the beginning of the end for any play off hopes.

1. Agreed with the lack of aggression. We didn’t want it anywhere near as much as Keighley and tried to play around them with often comical results.
2. Dunning’s inexperienced at this level but everyone has to start somewhere I suppose. Up until yesterday he’s delivered clear improvements on 2022 (albeit a low bar to clear). I’ll reserve judgement a bit longer on the head coach for now.
3. Dual reg isn’t ideal. Ruan was anonymous for the second game now – that embarrassing chase after Webster was abysmal, especially when he was stretching his hamstrings afterwards (he’d done nothing in the game to get cramp). The selection of Roberts in this game was baffling. Not sure what Dunning was thinking. A young kid debuting in a blood and thunder derby who’s had no chance to train properly with his teammates beforehand. What could go wrong? We saw immediately from the kick off.
4. Not sure what Lawford has to do. Lilley is way better at hooker. Yesterday Patton was anonymous and Lilley’s efforts got more and more desperate as the game went on with some hilarious consequences at times but fair play for not hiding. Lawford deserves a run. He looked good versus Dewsbury and Acorn. He’ll not progress much in reserves.
5. The rivalry with Keighley should’ve been clear to coach and players beforehand. Even Mick brought it up with Dunning in the pre match interview. Clearly the players thought they could dial it in and still get a win.

Left the ground feeling pretty low after what i'd seen. Most of what I think has already been said before so not going to go over old ground.

However, what I will say is that up until the first two tries we were still defensively quite tight. For all the stupid unforced errors and lack of discipline, I think we had them in our pocket. Gill goes off and all of a sudden we start to let them run and our left edge just capitulated. It was a collapse worthy of the England cricket team.

Silly penalties too and I'm pretty sure a couple are going to be ending up with some bans... can I just ask what is wrong with Fenton Rogers and his brain fart discipline???

I can see him getting a few games for the use of the elbow. Don't know what is wrong with the kid but despite being a bloody good player, he must be thick as horsesh*t as he doesn't learn. Got away with one (Yellow) vs York Acorn and will probably sit out a few games for this one. Later in the game he did something similar by roughing someone up again with the elbow. Not like he hasn't got previous either as he ended up coping 5 games for a late high hit on Tyler Dickinson, saw red for a late hit against Cas reserves and a red card against Cornwall for a headbutt.

Then you have Roby losing the plot and trying to headbutt a Cougars player in the nuts???

I'm not going to jump on Dunning yet as I've said all along he needs a year with his own team around him, but on this showing I think there is still a long way to go and still some bad eggs in that dressing room!!!

As bad and as angry I am about yesterday's result, I think the flack on Dunning is unfair. He's coached us to two superb victories against against Toulouse and Sheffield who are currently second and third. We pushed Fev all the way for the first time in a long time at POR. He deserves the full season IMO when we'll have a better idea about his coaching qualities.

As daft as it sounds, if we had a Lawrence or Thompson on the field yesterday, I think the result may have been difference. As others have said despite all our brain darts and Keighley being camped our line for the entire opening quarter, they had nothing to show for it. If we just smashed out a few completed sets and made them come out from their own try line, I think it would have demoralised them. Instead we had no on-field leadership and imploded and energised them.

Two of our three defeats have been a result of us beating ourselves. So I still think this squad is good enough to have a successful season. But these games need eradicating as they're starting to become a habit.

Just watched the highlights and I need to amend Butler’s rating. He’s had a shocker. Shot out of the line twice. First it was for Keighley’s 1st try. Was in no mans land. 2nd was for Keighley’s last try.

Then he missed two tackles for the two break away tries (Gibbons and Gale).

He used to be a centre so there’s no excuse for him really.

I knew this was gonna happen, I wish we could predict the EuroMillions so easily we'd have a new stadium in no time at all...

As soon as we lose Lawrence and Thompson we have no grown up left on the park, no communication, no team work, people throwing paddies, people trying to do everything themselves.

Dunning's made great steps but needs to get more steel/grown ups in the team

Holmes looked like the only one giving the team some stick. Making them accountable. Thought we’d have seen more of that from Flanagan and Patton tbf.

Spot on is that. Flanagan snr was captain on the day. Is that the best we can do when BT and ML are out? Bit of an indictment if so.

I’ve a feeling Flanagan is aware of his reputation and dialled it back a little to avoid giving the ref a reason to penalise him. But he loses the edge that he needs to be effective.

As I said before, the squad is short a winger after we didn’t sign the png guy in preseason. And I’m happy with Tindall. But Ruan & Roberts especially were poor. I’m sure if MD could do it again, he’d play DFJ instead. But, Gill held that left edge together for the first 25 minutes. There were a succession of things that went wrong. Anyway, we put our 100% record to the test at home this weekend, then our 0% record away to the test at Fax…

Dunning's problem is when it's going wrong it goes to bits seems too rabbit in the headlights has no ability to change it.

He's got an assistant coach in Lee Greenwood surely he will be giving Dunning advice during games