So disappointing to lose last night.   Although I feared it, as so often in back-to-back matches between evenly matched teams, the one that wins the league match loses the following cup match (or vice versa).  It happens so often.


The only consolation I can find (and it's not really a consolation at the time) is to see how far we've come in a couple of years.


Two years ago, in the first few months of 2023, we got stuffed by Leigh 0-32 (league, home), 12-40 (cup, home) and 4-30 (league, at Newcastle).  Compare that to this season, where we're pretty much competing with all the better teams.

Interesting post from Trinity Heritage too on twitter,  there was Biut 1300 fans at the cup game in 23 compared to 6100 last night. 

Highlights from last night. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18c4VfYvwz/ Rourke wasn't the only mistake and when we played we looked great. Just one of those things. Some ridiculous comments on FB from people who should know better. I spoke to Trueman. He said 3 weeks, though that could be just a stock answer.

Highlights from last night. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18c4VfYvwz/ Rourke wasn't the only mistake and when we played we looked great. Just one of those things. Some ridiculous comments on FB from people who should know better. I spoke to Trueman. He said 3 weeks, though that could be just a stock answer.

Well, a game we very much could and should have won yesterday. We gift wrapped 12 points and the game. But there were also key moments where we should have applied smart rugby and failed. 


Roarke had a good game but a terrible 2 errors that cost 12 points. Unforced too, however he should be afforded the opportunity to learn from that. 


Pratt on the break at 12-6 and a pass to TJ would have been 18-6. I’m sure he knows this. He will improve his decision making and sometimes you can’t be too harsh a young lad backing himself. I did think Armstrong put himself in position well though to defend it. 


After that 12-12 and we were camped on the line in front of posts. Lino should have been screaming for a drop goal with 14 minutes left but Hood tried to barge through 3 players to score. Not smart at all in knockout rugby. 


Finally, the players should be reassured by the fact we could easily for a bit more composure and execution have won that at the end by 2 scores or more. 


The worry for me is halfback. It wasn’t fluid at all today. Trueman is a big miss but Trueman and Jowitt even more so. 


Now with Trueman, Russell and Lawford out who gets to be in halves next week?


Can see Walmsley at 1 and Roarke at 6, Myers on wing maybe. At least we have options. 


Personally though I would give young Stevenson the halfback spot and keep Roarke at FB and Walmsley on wing. 


Griffin, Storton, Russell, Truman, Doyle, Nikotemo, Lawford, Russell all on the treatment table it doesn’t get easier does it.

Spoke to Nikotemo last night, he said he’s targeting the Cas game in a couple of weeks. Didn’t look to have anything on his wrist/hand so pretty positive. 

Pratt needs to keep his head held high after this game. He did two exquisite breaks against Hanley, who was very dominant last week. Pratt was also defensively solid as a rock. Yes he should have passed to Johnstone, but he’ll learn from it. 


Outstanding talent needs to be nurtured and not ridiculed like some of the stuff people have wrote on other online sites. We are playing really well with the players we’re able to put out. Leigh are a very good team who play very physical  


I’ve seen Hood play 6 before and he’s pretty handy, but obviously that leaves us short at 9. Robbing Peter to pay paul. 


Going to be very tough against St’s next week, with the only advantage being we’ve got 2 days extra recovery on them. Reckon we’ll have to get Gale signed back on at this rate!! 

Disappointing end result last night but cannot fault the effort as usual. Some mistakes and penalties hurt us and unfortunately really contributed to our downfall. 


We have some great players young and old and the best thing is that most of them will get even better with experience.


Last night we lost a hb well before HT and Matty Russell was smashed early doors what shift he put in given the rib injury.


Rourke, Croft, Scott, Ellie Russell, Ky, Harvey, Caleb, Isiah, Croft,  from last night's team along with those not there will grow in the roles.

To quote Stevo “he’s one tough Hombre” 

I would go with Roarke at 6 Though he was near to man of match till those howlers ,To say we played with just one half for well over half the game we did well We were the second best team in the first half, but we stepped up in the second half and should have won, it was  a match we through away.The more I see ov the pack the more impressed i  am And the same goes for Smith ,he could be a regular in the starting 17 next year if he keeps improving at the rate he is doing .Think we have not got the backs right yet, but it is hard to judge when you are swapping the spine every other game .After Mr Powell's comment about Truman back injury been down to a disc in is back ,and he is not shore when he will be back, and with Russell and Max on the injury list ,are they thinking about bringing in a replacement on loan .

Exactly that - Hood would be our obvious solution at 6 if Doyle was fit, but alas, we need him in the middle. I get why everyone loves Harvey Smith, but he’s really struggling to win collisions at this level. That will come obviously. 


So do we push Rourke up, put Walmsley at fullback and give Tchamambe his debut? Put Hood there and ask Smith to play 80? Put Pitts there, McMeeken to 13 and Faatili back on the bench? Or just throw Stephenson in at the very deep end? 


No brilliant option, but I quite like the first, just to see something new in what is a bit of a free hit next week. 

I think Walmsley to full back. Rourke to half back. Pratt to wing and Hall to centre.


Also ‘bring back the biff’ Caius Faatili on the bench instead of Cozza…. Lacked forward dominance in the middle…