To be fair.. I think he has a point.. Fev certainly didn't look a top of the table team on the performance of Friday night and to suggest otherwise would be delusional. They currently find themselves in top spot and for the rest of the season just gone they might have looked like the Australian Test side but on the evidence of the other night they did look very ordinary.
I was expecting something different to back up your league position but I was gutted not to have come away with the points after fearing a landslide against us and was disappointed that an error strewn performance from Widnes gifted you the win.

You've obviously been firing on all cylinders coming into this match and I'm not sure that the tragic circumstances of the last week might have had an impact.

As for the dirty bit.. I'd argue that they weren't... Leahy did his best not to talk to the Fev players despite awarding quite a few penalties for holding down and offsides. When he eventually did send a player off, deservedly, it was almost like he thought that had wiped the disciplinary count away for Fev and they were allowed to get away with two more incidents which equally could have seen the player sit out 10 minutes. The first involving Ainscough and the second involving Doran.
Featherstone worked out that they could get away with a fair bit with that Ref and played according to that level.. the problem was that our players didn't and let tackled players spring up and lay on the ground like upside down comatose sharks when tackled themselves.

As for the away fans.. superb most of them.. a few seemed intent on starting a riot at the end walking down the stairwell.. but generally.. they were okay.

I have just watched the dvd and to be honest Leahy got most of the calls spot on, it was a propa rugby league arm wrestle and great game. I think Rovers have been badly effected by the events of last week but Widnes looked a very strong team. The decision at the end to give Rovers the penalty at the scrum was spot on, he warned Widnes once that they were packing down without a loose forward, so they then went and packed down again without a loose he was nowhere near the scrum. Dont know who your loose forward was but blame him not the ref, brainless and stupid it was

Harsh decision IMO. I can see Widnes packed down originally without a LF, and Leahy pointed this out. However, Gerrard was on his way to the scrum to pack down, but Leahy called the scrum to be formed for the second time before he got there and you put the ball in, imo Leahy could and should have waited around 1 or 2 seconds to allow Gerrard to make it to the scrum. He was literally a few yard away making his way to pack down.


THE HOOF

I can't read anywhere where anyone has suggested that Chris. We found Widnes hard to beat on friday. We've done the fancy stuff, the subliminal stuff and the outrageous stuff at times this season so far. On Friday we had to grind out a result and find a way to beat the Vikings - which we did - just! Sometimes when a team is begining to establish a run together, other teams raise their game because they are the team to catch as were Barrow last season, and IMO will still be this season. Widnes were hard, and I'll repeat, the best team we've played so far this year - by a "country mile"!!!!!

aye, happen!!

We haven't beaten Toulouse yet eh??? One hurdle at a time!

I'm lovin it for the mo tho!! I've seen enough of the cak days - it's nice to have a bowl of the good stuff for a change!

Enough Zappa for now - now it's the Stone roses - I love Bank Holidays since I took the community role on! Sod shifts at the Happy factory.

I was frustrated at the end of the game but i have to pay respect to Fev on how they played under the circumstances. They controlled the speed of the game very well and the kicking game was better than ours. We spilled to much ball in key positions of the field and on the night the score was deserved for Fev. When we get some consistency player wise we'll be right.

Netherton was busy and i was angry that Toa didnt see more ball as he was to much to handle for the young Fev centre.

Big games coming up which we need to win though before we lose touch with Fev and Leigh.

i would have thought a win v leigh is a must or the top two will be all but out of touch.
However, as pepe pointed out, there's nowt for being top in may or even august.
All the final positions determines is the route through the play offs! By then, the widnes team could well be a lot more settled and consistency should have been addressed for a real go in the play offs.
Fev finished 6th last year and almost made it to the GF!

Too late for that. They're a far better prospect this year than Widnes or Fax that's for sure.

There's nothing bitter about my post Rob...
I think if you re-read it you will see that I agree with WVRL Matt on one issue which is that I thought Fev looked ordinary on Friday night. I certainly didn't agree with the cheating bit. I didn't comment on the rest of the season as I haven't otherwise seen you play.
On the back of your league position and in terms of where we are currently with our squad I was expecting to take a battering...
That didn't happen and an error strewn Widnes performance was nearly capable of taking the points.
In the past few seasons we have seen a few teams turn up with the wind in their sails and the difference with how they played compared to Fev is noticeable. Fax, Barrow, Cas, Hull Kr all played a lightning quick game with forwards that came to smash us wily halfbacks that broke our line repeatedly and I think if any of them had played against us on Friday night we would have taken the hammering I expected.
If you want to argue that you didn't look ordinary, that you looked a classy outfit and that your performance was comparable to any of the top teams from past seasons then please feel free. You need to to justify your bitter comment.

Time for a group hug folks