We're definitely weaker at Scrum Half compared to last season. Gale's been good for Cas this season and has thrived in a team with a dominant pack. Apart from that I think we have a better team than last season and we're playing with a lot more confidence, which is so important in any sport.

I also think the whole team is better this year. Gale and Kearney are the exceptions buy a fit Mullaney pushes Kearney close and don't forget he was also prone to long spells out injured.
I think our pack is equal to Wakey but our backs may be quicker and at least as experienced.
I expect a close win on Saturday - but I can also see a convincing win if all goes well. It is very difficult to predict this game but we all said Wakey are the team Leigh and ourselves really do need to beat.
My mate somehow managed to record their game at the weekend on his laptop and I thought both teams didn't look great. They are beatable if we play to our best ability.

I've also watched Salford v Wakey and I thought it was 20% quicker than our game. Some of Wakey's defending in the opening half hour was hopeless. Then out of nowhere Smith and Miller combined really well, fashioned a couple of tries, Morley went off injured and for all the world they looked like they were going to win. Chase broke away and nobody got within a mile of him.

I think it's all about the arm wrestle in the middle. Get into them and make them kick out of their own half and there's not a lot going on. Give them ball in our 20 and Smith will open us up. If we step up again then I think we'll do it.

Speed of the game depends very much on the referee and, sad to say, you're not going to get quick games with championship referees. On Sunday, Thomassons steely determination to keep the game to the level of the slowest team was outstanding and well in line with what we've had all year.

This cuts both ways, of course, and if we're slower than the SL sides we may be glad when we've got a championship ref....

Ben Thaler referee Saturday

Thaler reffed the Kr v Leigh game and the ptb's where very fast (compared to what we are used to) which caught Leigh of guard I think a few times, get some runs by O'brien or any one from dummy half and we could make some metres there.

Not sure who should make way for Neilsen but i think id say Blythe didnt have much impact against Shef and i think Henry/Purts did enough to warrant a place on sat, if we lose Mullaney id put Mendeika at FB his support play is better than Shaws and maybe id have Walshaw on the bench, either him or Halafihi (depends if O'brien will do 80mins)

No seen the other appointments but I wonder if there is a policy of an SL ref if an SL club is involved and a champ ref for all championship games.

I feel the same as regards Leigh V KR.

It's difficult to change from playing all year in a league, where you can make a very safe bet the ref will allow holding down, virtually until the defence is set, to suddenly having to make the ten in defence. This could hit us too if we're not careful, hopefully we've trained at that kind of pace - even though we've seen very little of it on matchday.

It's all just an impression, I suppose, but to me, I think we train not to hold the opposition down unduly. Certainly most games we are on the wrong end of this, although it is possibly self-inflicted as you'd theorize that if we played to slow the PTB like most Champ clubs, then we'd get similar leniency. But it's a hard habit to get out of, and if you suddenly have to change from slow PTBs to Sl-stylee fast PTBs when you're not used to it, then that will use a lot of petrol. So in this department i think we have a definite advantage as we are used to jumping off and letting the oppos get on with it.

The club has been waiting all year for a game done by a super league ref.

The telly games will all be SL refs. The champ refs will get the lower profile games

Mr Thaler will have the pleasure of reffing us on Saturday let's not hope he follows Mr Cobb rule when reffing his home town team.

Thaler comes from Normanton which fwiw is nearer Castleford than Wakey, both Normy and Cas come under WMBC. known as Wakefield and the 5 towns. If he chooses to give us a leg up I'm sure there won't be any complaints from us.

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