Enjoyed that. Felt we were in control of the match even when Oldham had spells of pressure.
Still one or two moments of self destruction but it was a massive improvement on previous few weeks. Challenge now will be to maintain some form and string a run together with some winnable but potentially awkward games coming up:
Widnes (a) - usually a tough game Halifax (h) - just seemed to have found some form again and will always lift for Bradford Doncaster (h) - inconsistent side but can trouble any side on their day Sheffield (a) - struggled this year but pushed us hard at Odsal
We need to win these games to give ourselves something to play for when Toulouse visit.
Hooley/Keyes/Holmes has to be our spine going forward. Thought Holmes straightened our attack much more than the passing sideways we've had the last couple of months. Hopefully them playing every week now will see our attack improve.
Wasn't convinced by Lilley at Hooker. Didn't think his distribution was great. He kept taking a step to take the markers out before passing, but it slowed our attack down and allowed the defence to be on top of the receiver. Once Souters 100% fit again think Lilley is more of an impact Hooker to give us energy late on.
Still far too many self-destructing errors. Against better sides, we get punished as we've seen recently.
The ruck was the slowest I've seen for a long time. Thought our defence as very good to be fair.
Hopefully a confidence booster but still improvements needed. Widnes and Halifax will be tighter games IMO
To borrow a phrase from the inimitable Alan Partridge: we’ve bounced back! Friday's gritty and composed performance saw us overcome an in-form Oldham side in a match where we needed to be disciplined and show smart game management. On paper, this looked like a serious test and I felt we rose to it impressively.
We made a strong start and took an early lead, which we managed to maintain with control throughout. I was particularly impressed with how we handled Doro this week. His second spell off the bench brought fresh power and energy at a crucial moment in the game, just as Oldham were threatening a late push. Souter’s introduction in the latter stages also gave us renewed momentum against a tiring Oldham defence.
Am I alone in thinking that Oldham were dreadful around the ruck? They seemed intent on dragging us into their familiar dark arts and off-the-ball niggle, but full credit to our lads, we kept composed, stuck to the plan, and ground out a well-earned victory. Our strategy to go up the middle proved effective, especially with Rogers and Scurr laying the platform early on. Doro’s impact was significant once again, and both Lilley and Keyes put in excellent shifts. Holmes looked threatening in possession and added a spark whenever he had the ball in hand. PLT’s running game is outstanding – he only needs half a chance – but I thought we managed him well and closed down the space well.
A crucial win, full of determination and grit. Here’s hoping Barrow and Featherstone can do us a favour this weekend and keep the momentum rolling in our favour.
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