As has already been said having a narrow pitch actually helps defensively. The issue we've had with spreading the ball has been down to our really slow PTB. It stops quick service to the halfbacks and in turn to the outside backs. It's all very well Crossley making 10m on a carry but if he ends up on his back in a tangle on the floor and takes 6 or 7 seconds to get to his feet the defence is set. I like Doyle and he's one forward that can hold his head high in terms of effort but I think he needs to work on speeding up his passing.

Anyone else noticed the slowness of Patton and Lilley in spreading the ball? They seemed to pause in midfield to try and bring in the defence before moving it wide. I can see the logic but it was executed at a snail's pace so lost any benefit. They were both guilty of passing the ball inaccurately too so the runner had to check - also helping the defence. They weren't helped by the fact that nobody ran any decent lines once Scott went off injured.

Other times we tried to move the ball wide before we'd earnt the right and ended up going sideways. In those situations you need to keep hitting the middle and make them crack and then run straight when you move it wide rather than running people out of space.

Lastly, the Fax game and the Barrow game saw us get totally done over by the the opposition offloading the ball in the tackle. It wore us down (not hard). Why don't we try and offload more? Our players are often taken completely unawares when we do manage it.

A lot of this comes down to fitness and attitude at the end of the day.

The narrow pitch excuse is utter tripe. Has everyone forgotten our last away game, on a 68 meter wide pitch, against a team with out a win all season (and still dont have 1 by the way) we only scored 1 try and not a single point in the second half.

Oh and the game up at Workington the week before that was dire as well.

Utter crap that from Lilley im afraid.

You have to wonder what the marketing team made of his comments:

Lilley is quoted as saying “It’s never going to be an expansive, really good game on here, it’s one for the middles”. And admitting the players prefer to play away from Odsal.

Basically if you want to see a decent game, your best chance is when they visit an away ground. What sad state affairs this club finds itself in.

Unfortunatley thats not true either, see my last post above.

What's the point of a wide pitch when your middles are that knackered the backs are carting the ball up the middle 50-60% of the time? By the time we get to the inevitable and lamentable 'Patton to Gill (yes EVERYONE) knows the drill' the backs are too breathless to get off the ground....

Fairbank Grade E referral to tribunal. Punching- sustained,repeated or violent.
Long ban coming for him.
Looked really bad at the time

Both angles fax tv and bulls tv show hallas striking first and blood coming from Fairbanks face , depends if you think the rules should be subjective or objective.

They had a clash yep but no need for Fairbank to throw the punch as he did but don't really matter what we think. RFL have watched the footage and decided it warrants a tribunal. Whether he gets a ban is another matter.

I think fairbank should be banned no problem with that at all , hallas should receive a ban also , if player welfare is paramount and the game is to be fair then that should be the outcome, if it isn’t it is setting the precedent of as long as it’s not seen I can break the rules , not an attitude I want to be seen in any sport .

It was like watching a game from the 80s. Traditional opening minutes of softening up. Punches thrown. We even provided some rotund forwards to add to the effect.

Maybe that’s why fairbank was sporting his sting from dune hairdo , crossley doing his best attempt at the batistuta nod after Beckham sending off in 98 .

The fact that a player called Fairbank was sent off added even more to the air of nostalgia.

Haha. Bongser recalls Karl Konkreet, but for a second thought of George Fairbairn. When playing for HKR at home in the early eighties, the latter absolutely chinned a young second choice Leigh half (think his name was David Dunn). The lad was flat out - no action taken. The game was on the box and the Beeb summariser said "In fairness, the lad was asking for that."

My, my (or in third person: His, his), how the game has changed!