A friend of mine couldn't make it yesterday, so I kept a few notes to send him a match report afterwards. On 29 minutes, Tom Carr had the ball on the wide right. On the last tackle he put a high bomb across field which Foggy caught on the left. He passed inside to Liam Welham, who passed it onto Alex Gilbey to score under the posts. That's probably as near as we got to a score from a kick but as Jemmo says, we didn't look like a one trick pony, and that certainly bodes well for the future.

I hope we get some news of Zac Braham getting signed up. We don't want him going anywhere else.

On a different topic, I read a match report on Featherstone v Hunslet from yesterday. Matt Carbutt had to go off with a suspected broken jaw. Let's hope it's not broken and that he's okay.

Oh yes there was that one. Although that kick came off more through luck than judgement

Considering that the first thing that the team has had to do is get used to each other and that in a situation where many are just filling in gaps for missing team mates, I think the progress has been remarkable, it's tangible, plain as day.

Yes we were playing a middling team from our division, rusty themselves and away from home, but even so ....I am very impressed.
From halfway through the Hull game they started to click and in the space of only one and a half games they are starting to look the business.
Remarkable.
That team are gonna score a load of tries.

I am starting to worry now, it is just going all too well.

I agree with everyone re Braham, however I'd also like to add I'd like to see that Williams trialist sign up (can't remember if it was Reece or Alex) thought he looked just as devastating as Zac tbh.

Another area to work on for me was our fielding of short kick offs, but as with everyone else I am very enthused by the variety in our play so far we look very good and as has been mentioned we seem to visibly improve during games.

I also liked the way the players swapped roles on the fly when called for. At one point in the first half Sheriff was at dummy half, so you think ok we will be down one of our pivot's for this play. Nope. Cross moved to half back and Hedges and Carr moved along with seemingly no detriment to our organisation in attack.

Ps if we get those trialists signed I think cover looks excellent, especially at hooker where I think Kes might have a fight on his hands for the first time in a long time tbh.

While I don't mean to sound rude or offend anyone I do think people are forgetting that yesterday was a very poor Oxford team that never really put the boys Under much pressure and at times when they did they did panic. I don't think many of the players that were sat in the stand yesterday will be too worried about their positions being secure. I can't see Matty welham getting much game time as I think he seems as though he will make a lot of errors. Cross looked ok but will only ever be an injury replacement. Agree with the majority though Zac needs signing up!

Yes we were only playing a poor Oxford team but we showed a lot more creativity than last season and the win will be confidence building.
Cannot agree with Dons 11 about Matty Welham he looked good to me and will push for a place in the starting line up.

The first team I've attended for the best part of two years and was thoroughly entertained. Played at a very good pace, quick play-the-balls, very little one-up rugby, creativity, not a little flair and kept it up for the full 80 minutes. Yes, Oxford were limited, but we did what we had to do and did it very well indeed. Given that we have several players out injured, that was an excellent performance. Look forward to the NWC game.

I don't think we're getting carried away with the win against Oxford. They had their obvious limitations. We showed a lot of positives in the match to give us encouragement that we're heading in the right direction. It's certainly given us hope that we're not going to have a horror season like last season. Quite how good we may be, only time will tell.

From what we saw on Sunday, it seems clear that we're certainly going to be in the top half of the league and not the bottom half of the league. Tougher tests will tell us whether we're likely to be top four or top eight.

I agree with Weighman that Matty Welham could well be pushing for a place in the starting line up. He made some mistakes but he showed some very good qualities too.

Believe me if I could find something to moan about with our new side I'd have found it.
Yes we are far from the finished article and we have only beaten Oxford.
But let's be right ... we thrashed Oxford, and a granted stronger Hull side than that that faced us thrashed HKR and only put 46 by us with Pryce bossing them about and plenty of good players on show.
I can't see Leeds thrashing us, because we have improved SO quickly and we can tackle when we want to and score tries.

Matty Welham is going to be seriously good if he wants to apply himself.

This team WANT to play not like that sorry lot last season who largely went through the motions, because they didn't have the skill or class.
These lads are different, they are willing and have the skill levels required.
In fact the weaker ones among them came from last season, the newer ones are definitely better and will not easily be ousted on this showing by the old guard.

I was wary because I am not keen on wholesale recruitment of relative unknowns and dubious YouTube clips as proof of pedigree.
But Thornton has got it right, given if truth be known, a very tight budget from our Scroogely masters (I'm guessing here of course -based on the farce of last year and leopards not changing spots).
So the guy is winning me round and so is his team.
Not felt so good about a Dons side for ages.
COYD

Something wrong here, this is not the type of post to merit a reponse that triggers

We will have none of this on here thank you

Was thinking about this game at work today and thought it must surely be unusual for a winger to get a MOTM performance without actually scoring. Off the top of my head I can't think of any matches this has happened.

Is it really that rare or is my memory just not that great?

Not sure wether i like s-o new found positivity or wether it scares me! it's now looking like he will get to at least the 3rd or 4th game before calling us rubbish and vowing never to return

Your rich told me today your going soft in your old age but i didn't believe him! looks like i owe him an apology

interesting point that! Yes I would suggest it is indeed rare