Yesterday was a shocker. Truly awful.

A player went from making team of the week to looking terrified of getting the ball. That player also made an incredibly poor and costly decision to put in a shoulder charge. He deserves to be dropped for that performance.

The damage was done before the injuries. Paul Cooke was completely marked out of the game.

The team panicked and started to play one out play down the middle of the pitch. Our lightweight and inexperienced pack got absolutely hammered. This is why the injuries were picked up.

Joe Arundel and Lee Waterman (who I thought had an outstanding game) were our biggest threats. They didn't get enough ball. Halifax wee vulnerable on their left flank but we only exposed this once (our only try). Instead of playing down the middle the ball should have been spread out wide towards the threats.

What this game shows is that we desperately need to sign some big props (especially if Castle is now out injured again)

I worry now about the confidence level of the side. Paul Cooke has got a real job to raise this again. This is the biggest test he has had in his coaching career so far.

Will be interesting to hear PC assessment of the game. Perhaps needed to sleep on it before going into print.

Photos - r82photography.photoshelter.com/ ... q.CnbDN4.I

Photos - r82photography.photoshelter.com/ ... q.CnbDN4.I

From a fax fan, whist I think we were on top by the time you got the injuries, they probably prevented you from any chance of getting back into the game. It was clear some of your guys really needed a break 10 mins into the second half and normally you would have been able to rest them, but you had no replacements. So it’s hard to really judge either teams’ performance on today. I was pleased with how we took advantage and kept our discipline in our attack, but I hope we don’t get carried away with it, just as much as I don’t think you should get too disheartened either, that’s how the game goes sometimes. Hopefully your injuries are not long term fand you can stay in the mix.

We have a game plan to beat the big 4 teams in this division; however it is a fragile one which relies on a number of things all coming together. It is based on a strong defence which requires every player leaving the pitch breathing out of their backsides, and using that base to gain constant field position and take chances when they arise.

The problem is, if players can't get the breaks when needed the defence will suffer. And when we don't have the ball enough we aren't going to force the ball in hand field positions needed to get the points. It's a house of cards which doesn't take too much to disrupt.

I am not saying this as a criticism, it is fantastic given our budget and squad that we can even comprehend getting results against the likes of Featherstone, Sheffield etc. But sometimes it just isn't going to work, they have a better group of personnel on the pitch as a whole and that will be enough a lot of the time.

A day where nothing much went right.

3 injuries (including a teams Scrum Half) in the first half hour where none of the players are able to return would be a big burden to any team. That said we missed too many tackles and our last play attacking options were very poor. Not interested in naming names but there were some very poor individual performances.

However, a chance for a confidence booster next week assuming nothing is taken for granted and the selected 17 apply themselves professionally.

Its coming to something when the opposition posting on here has more positive to say than us...

We have had a tough start to season.

Workington Away - WON
Dewsbury Home - Bonus Point
Batley Away - WON
Fev Home - WON

In between we had a brutal match with army where we picked up even more injuries.

We only really have to DR options in Pitts and Arundel and to be fair if all our team were fit I doubt these guys would get much game time (albeit 2 cracking players)

Players out -
Edwards, Kez, Waller, Nicklas, Cunningham, and in recent weeks Castle, Kelly amongst others...

Ok so Tuffour needed replacing sooner and losing Ward was another blow, so squad is thin and needs addressing.

But last week we were hailing the lads, so bit of a reality check.

I know its frustrating but when your scrumhalf isn't fit and your main man is clearly going to be marked out of game its not going to be easy against a team like Fax. TBH I thought a BP would have been a great result there but hey ho.
God knows lads confidence wont get any better if they read some of the stuff on here...

I trust Cooke and his Twitter post on Sunday Night clearly showed he knew that we had been seriously schooled...

Onwards and upwards and hopefully we can find some players out there looking for a team...Just a pity we didn't get Trout on loan..

As always just my humble opinion..

A lot of sense in your humble opinion , the score line on Sunday was a big shock as was the performance . We didn't get the breaks with injuries & a big decision from the ref just before half time , I thought the Halifax player should have been sin binned for an off the ball tackle when we threatened the line.

Lets all get behind the lads on Sunday , I am positive they will bounce back.
I think that if Grant Edwards is fit he should replace Mike Emmett who was out on his feet Sunday .

COYD FANS NB reduced prices Sunday , collected 6 tickets yesterday including one for my nephew from Dartford !

i thought he would have rested Emmett for the army game.
Maybe he will rest him this week

he runs his blood to water every week.
He always gives 110%, not that the other haven't been.

I think there is still a concern that everything is not quite as it should be post-surgery for Grant. However, it may be the case that he and the Club will only truly know if he's given another run-out.

Agreed. With a number of forwards injured he would have been an excellent acquisition (and he already knows the players / coach etc.)

I'm not sure that 'the lads' would be bothered with anything written on here.
Nobody by name has been slagged.
Our observations would have tallied with their experiences I should imagine and those are that injuries have caught up with us and we couldn't cope and we looked a bit tired, not surprising given the defensive stint against Fev.
That's it really and so Fax met us on a day that suited them.

What more is there to say apart from it's a good job we have Hemel on Sunday and not another Championship side (or above), since we are struggling for players.

I don't think you can read much more from Sunday, things like that happen ... York walloped us last season and we bounced back.

It's all about fit players.
COYD

Like all sports fans, we probably all have a tendency to get a bit too excited when the good times happen and a bit too pessimistic when the bad times happen.

The truth is usually somewhere in between.

The remarkable achievements we've made have been based around a great team spirit and work ethic. I suppose we're all now a little worried that work ethic and team spirit can only take you so far, and on the back of the heavy defeat team spirit could be affected.

We've made a great start to the season but we're probably also aware of the injuries piling up and the thinness of our squad.

I'm sure PC has got everything in hand the best he can and we should be reassured that we've got a great coach in the making. I'm 100% sure the lads will bounce back and their team spirit will shine through even more brightly.

I remember that before the season started a few of us were worried by the lack of cover in the prop department and hoped we might get some reinforcements. None of us could see poor Brett being out for the season, and Cas having problems too. Both are top class players for me in this division.

I hope PC can get someone in to cover here because it's hard to win matches if your forwards are on the back foot.

Slightly off topic but does anyone else think that if Dave Scott is going to be the regular full-back that Mick Butterfield might be worth a go in the second row?

Was saying last season that he should be a second row forward.
He is chunky and determined.

What a better time to see, this sunday.
I think he might do ok