Still devastated. Our league season finished on Sunday with the gamble of keeping our cards close to our chest with last night in mind....well that plan worked, didn't it? Maybe it was a deliberate ploy to not show off too much so that we've still got summat up our sleeve for Keighley?

I know this post will be controversial but here goes.

Last night was bad and we all know that but there are some things which i think would benefit the club.
I heard last night Milward was at a dinner with the BRADFORD chairman and the topic moved to him becoming new coach at the end of the season. Realistically this was always going to happen. Leigh was only going to be a stepping stone for IM to get another Super League job and now there are jobs on offer. Two and Two together....

Players, some players aren't good enough.

Nanyn has less power than a double a battery. Our wingers aren't good enough with the exception of Blythe.

BTW Stanton was fit last night but last Sunday he had some trouble at home so he was late for the coach for Batley so IM told him to get off and his punishment was not playing tonight.

Robbie i know was carrying an injury but i don't think he's good enough, he slowed the game down when we needed it faster so i'd replace Robbie with Keighly's scrum half, Jones. Him and Ridyard would be awesome to watch. 2 quality players playing together. Ridyard had a bad game last night but we all know he's better than that.

Some forwards aren't good enough. Armitstead, Mcconnel....
Chris Hill is too good for us, no wonder Wire are after snapping him up, i know he signed a new contract early in the season. But they splashed the cash for Myler didn't they, i could see that happening again. JT, RB and TG are the only stand out forwards to me along with CH. The others i'd class as average.

Maden isn't good enough, Donlon is getting past it now, Higson is agood in my eyes, he's got the build and the fire.

The DC's...

Unit wants to stay we all know that, so i'd snap him up. He's a good player so i think we should offer Saints what they want for him.

Mitchell and Mccarthy. We know how good these 2 are. remember how well they played against Fax at the Shay. Mitchell tore them to pieces. But now they are used to playeing with better quality players at Wire because they are in the squad a lot now. If we can get them then get them and get them playing at our level because they are good enough.

Why do we appear to have less moves in us than earlier in the year? Why are we not running the angles. The team needs to have a good look at themselves and get back to playing rugby.

still gutted even now and reading this board is not helping my mood.
but can someone tell me whats going on with the forwards they've gone from the meanest group in the league who beat everyone into submission to a bunch of powder puffs who are getting walked all over every week and i just cant work out why.

Well the pack started off like that last night. Then we lost our two second rows and Bibey was not fit. Added to that McConnell had his second bad game in a row.

but were not beating them up anymore like we were doing frank.
in the first 25mins of games this season weve beat the opposition forwards into submission which made the job easy for the backs...thats not happening now.

Have to say after reading the comments on here, I think some of you are over-reacting a bit. All clubs will have good and bad spells during the course of the season, we (Batley) were crap at the begining of the season, like early last season prior to Rhino joining, when you were playing well. That Barrow match at home, I think it was the first sky game this year and you were awesome, a class above anything in the division despite the draw. We have just hit a purple patch at the moment, I just hope it lasts at least until the final.

I wouldn't jump the gun, you have too much class in your ranks including coaching staff not to bounce back, and I'm sure you'll come good in time for the play offs. Best of luck for the rest of the season.

First off congratulations to Batley.
A first class performance from start to finish, good luck in the final.

Lets be honest here, take a breath and think back 12 months ago or even better think back to around September time.
We have been the most improved team of the season and have played some fantastic RL, Perhaps punching above our weight.
A NR final would have been great and yes we could've be classed as favourites last night but it wasn't to be, throw in Batley always having been our bogey side when it matters and things just didn't pan out.

If I thought our players had chucked in the towel or had massively underperformed I'd be annoyed, they however gave it there all but in the end got beaten by a better side on the night.
The calls for Millaward to go or Robbie Paul not upto it etc, etc are somewhat over the top.

If you'd have said after the Whitehaven home game last season that we'd be in the top half of the league and would be in a semi final of the Northern Rail cup i'd have snapped your hand off.

I'll be happy if we make the playoff's building on from last season, and if we do anything is possible as this team has already proved it can beat anyone on the day (with that all important bit of luck).
These are decent times to be a Leyther and sometimes we concentrate on looking too far forward with the glass half empty glasses on.
Things arn't all that bad thus far and I'm sure they'll be a few more up & downs this season, I'm equally sure Ian Millward and his squad will be taking us in the right direction.

Pretty much how I see things both with the match last night and the season as a whole Jenky

Just watching the match again and on the 55 th minute we have just done our 1 st offload of the night , this is where I feel we have been struggling recently as the offload has been a big part of our early success this season , something that has always been a favourite of Basil's teams

However Batleys very aggressive defence didn't give us the go forward to allow us to get the momentum needed , many times this year Duffs has got us through gaps from the PTB , and he was sorely missed last night


Ian has his work cut out to pick up a short on confidence squad at the moment if we are to be a contender for a GF place , I'm sure he will come up with the neccessary

Rugby League is a simple game and it comes down to confidence. We have none - the players had none in themselves or each other. Batley came into the game on the back of beating us and were full of confidence and it showed in the way they played.

We made a break in the second half and earlier in the season the player would have had two players either side of him ready to take a pass and score on Thursday there was no-one. Batley just wanted it more and had a faster energy about them that we couldn't match.

July is a tough month. We need everyone at full fitness and it was clear again on Thursday that half of those players making a return weren't fit in such a way that it would affect our performance.

Not happy but will still be there next game, supported Leigh too long and seen it all before.
Trying to be constructive I think the pack got hit pretty bad, how many cut heads were there, this couldn't have helped. I think there was plenty of effort just a bit mis directed. We need the dummy runners back and to pass to the left (where Nanyn is normally and he generally scores).

Looking forward to the next game, still plenty of games left and IM will sort it out.