Well the only words are utterly crap. Fans need to get out of Marshalls ass he had one good season last year his recruitment is poor. Changing the team week in week out is poor
Murrel is two slow and lazy for a 6. Half the team had no passion where is the spirit gone from last season as we look half the team we did

From what I've seen this season Murrel still has a great rugby brain but no legs but if RM doesn't give the others a chance then they will never improve. Get Johnno in and let him play off Moore fir a few games, if necessary put Murrell as the backup 9 for a few games.

Majority of contributors on here with their rose-tinted spectacles, we'll be back in it after a 4 point win over Oldham in front of 700 fans. UTF!!!!!

I also think the competition for places/squad rotation is having a negative impact, as these players try "too hard", making constant individual poor attacking/defensive calls, detrimental to the Team ethos.

Why is Sharp ahead of Saxton? His confidence is shot.
Why has Potts been dropped after 1 game?
Why is Greenwood's place never under threat after a poor game?
Has Grix retired or not? He is now back at the club.
Kaye is playing as he did under Harrison.

Manning, as usual, only player that has been consistently decent this year.
Followed by Tangata, then Fairbank. How many clean breaks does this guy make? Nobody ever backs him up!

I don't think there was much wrong with effort, some like Manning were superb, but at times the "team unit" was a shambles. A strong word but we looked like we had seventeen players all doing things as well as they could, but only remembering that there were other players around too late and no idea of what each other was going to do.

Why....well they are chopped and changed and can't work out or remember (most aren't that bright) what the other guys gonna do. Playing together not only builds team spirit it builds recognition of playing styles. When the Tinkerman, stopped tinkering he won the Premiership, our coach could do with sticking to a team and style....and he could get a number 9 who can move after ten minutes faster than a snail with hemroids.

Onwards to next week, but a season of inconsistency from an what his season is inconstant and indecisive coach.

The first half was shambolic. What was the game plan for playing down the hill? The Batley players must have been in themselves going in at half time in front after such an easy first half. Second half was a little better but still basic errors and lack of idea on the Batley line left us chasing the game. Once again we get beat by a workman like team when we probably have the 4th biggest budget in the league, its like watching Haven beat us year after year all over again.

As for team selection Im not sure there is much to say that hasnt already been said. We sit our best running half back in the stand for half the season, he really might as well leave because Marshall does not fancy him and will not give him any run in the team in his natural position. We bring in a lad who has not played for weeks straight in to the first team, what message does that send out to the players who got dropped from last week. Im neither a big fan of Smeaton or Connor Robinson but both had decent games last week and both missed out today along with Jonno.

We need to beat Fev twice to give us a chance of the top 4 and that at the moment is laughable. As Fax fans though we really should be used to the disappointment after the hype from last season, its what we do best.

Edit: I really should mention our fantastic marker defence on our own line.

Fax4life. re: The Grix situation. I thought he is back coaching the 2nd Team. Could he not put them.commitments aside to play in the 1st Team? as we could do with some Super League quality out there at the moment.

The guy was our marquee signing, and I would like some value for money for my season ticket at the moment.
(Widnes game doesn't count as it was pay on the gate)

Honeymoon period well and truly over for RM now and we are now in the reality phase of our season.
He will stand or fall by his decisons and selection etc .
Learning curve for him as well don't forget as Head Coach.
Time to make some tough selection decisions for the good of the team and the club.We can't please everybody in the squad so select your best that gell and get on with it. Stop tinkering-season is over half way through now.
Need to work a lot on goal line D and last tackle plays options on attack. We can all see that who go, week in and week out.
With Fev coming into form and Batley grinding out wins against those around them we are probably looking at a season of realising we are not as good as we thought we were.
Nose to the grindstone and lots of hardwork from RM and the players and suppport needed from us as fans to get us through it.

The main thing for me is we gift the ball back far too often, either by forward passes when in possession or penalties when defending.
We don't build pressure but invite it on ourselves because of the above.

League position is about right for the level we are playing at the moment.

Manning, Richard Moore stood out with a few others trying hard but we didn't pose enough of a threat as a team, throw in a couple more soft tries conceded and we didn't do enough at either end of the field to get the result today.

Marshall appears to lack the leadership to manage the larger squad and keep the team spirit we had last year. I hear that many of the players are very unhappy with the chopping and changing, and the way team selections are made. Seems to be a lot a favouritism with some players selected week in week out despite poor performances and others dropped at the first mistake. I suspect a lot of the quality players who took us into the top four last year will be leaving. Marshall need to get a grip quickly or we haven't a hope of regaining the season. Some of this is lack of experience but he needs to learn to manage the team better.
I personally would like to see the team that worked so well for us last year back on the pitch

Do you lads want Rangi? Free to a good home!

Bye Bye Rangi

I doubt that posting on an open forum that you've heard the players may not be happy is going to help. Especially if not true!

As fans we do feel we should be beating Batley, especially after last season. We won't be the last team who feels they should beat them but still end up getting turned over.

I'm sure Richard and the boys are as frustrated as we are but give them a chance - last season we didn't kick on until after the summer bash. Also, remember there is a bigger picture - the club is being rebuilt to be more of a SL prospect - hard I know when you miss out on the capital from the top 4. Look what happened to Sheffield when they went full time!

There's a lot of rugby to play yet

I hope there is a contingency plan in place for next season because at the moment we do not look like we have a hope in hell of making the top 4.

You are only 2pts off Fev and Bradford.

What is your run in like? I know you still have to visit the mighty Fortress that is the LSV but surely if you can get a win against Fev at the Summer Bash it is game on again for 4th spot?

In theory we could be third in two weeks time. But we don't look anywhere near our form of last year. How many times did Tangata break the like last year compared to this? As great as he looks now, he is not being used as effectively as last season.

The body language of the players does not show the confidence of last year. Yesterday every one of those Batley players wanted the ball. Last week against Widnes - every Fax player went looking for involvement. I didn't sense that yesterday.

Perhaps the inconsistency reflects the tactics of The Tinkerman? Are we trying to play too technical? Too much like a SL side with a big squad? This is a more simpler league than SL, perhaps the simple, tested tactics of a coach like John Kear is necessary for this level?

its no fun losing and less so to Batley. However, I know this wont bring much comfort, but if we had beaten Swinton and Batley at home which I feel we should have we would be sitting 3rd league and we would all be crowing how great we are.
Its a tougher league this year, yes we have our own opinions on who should be playing where and when in the team but we are in the mix for a top 4 spot and I am confident we will get there again. UTFAX!

we looked a little jaded yesterday and a cup hangover was to be expected imo ( we went to sheffield and lost after wakey in the cup last year)

reading some of the posts on here you'd think that defeat had put us into the bottom 2

a lot of rugby still to be played yet

Richard Marshall had one good season now everyone is worshiping him. He is not a proven coach and needs to learn and fast.

Scott Murrell needs to either start and then be swapped with johno or move to 13. His fitness his poor and as no pace and keeps getting caught out each week in defense.

What did connor and Johno do wrong to be dropped after last week. Can see them both leaving at the end of the season.

Sharp as improved and as deserved his spot FINALLY

Can not see us getting top 4 or going full time next season unless things change. Changing the team each week is leaving players unhappy.

30 points probably needed for top 4, possibly 28, but it would probably be very tight and possibly on points difference. That means we can only lose 2 games (possibly 3) out of the remaining 10 to be in the top 4. No more time for tinkering with the team make-up, we need somehow to recapture the form and enthusiasm that saw us win the last 9 games of last season.

1. Marshall is a good coach, but has alot to learn especially at this level. However I feel he is the right man for the job and is thinking long term rather than short term. It makes me sick how fickle a number of people are. Every coach we have calls for he is clueless and we are rubbish etc etc. Who else shall we get as coach? Nobody that we can either afford or has the passion and understanding of Marshall. Maybe we can give the guy a bit of a break, instead of constantly over expecting and then moaning! Its rare you can get instant success and we need to build to get where we want to be. Sometimes we will go back-like much f this season. But maybe the team needs this to go forward and see and learn that rather than last year.

2. Probably we need understand that we are not as big or as good as we think we are as a team or club. We have little money and we have no money man. We have a fan base just over 1000 or so. The team itself has been at a similar level to Batley and Featherstone for the past 5 years. We are no bigger or better than either of them. Batley are no lesser club than us as some comments have been made. Last years finish probably has seen us think we are better than what we are. Top 4 was always going to be tough and we are still in it. We got extra money, but wisely in my opinion stayed Part time. The club has wasted money before pretending we are something we are not. This time the club is rightly looking long term and not using DRs- what most if not all want. The results of the long term strategy will be seen in a few years time, not now. The quality and quantity to go FT is not there- look at Sheffields struggles!

3.Personally I am not a fan of this rotation system. I understand players do suffer from tiredness and injury etc. However we need to have a constant team that knows what the others do and what the weakness/strengths are. I think we are struggling with confidence. I feel some players are not good enough and others have maybe not really been great signings for whatever reason.. I feel the team has got caught up in the hype of last year and is trying too hard to get it back. I feel the players/team are looking for gamebreakers and over doing things and forgetting the basics in both defence and attack. Its a fine line at times between getting it right and getting it wrong. I feel the team needs to go back to playing basic rugby and cut the silly offloads and mistakes out and build a platform in attack. I think we are wasting too much energy in defence, because we are making a number of silly errors in attack. If we learn to control the ball in attack and put better kicks in, then it helps us in defence. Control and stability needs to return in the games if we are to improve in any great measure.

A great post but i think most people are just really disappointed we have failed miserably to move forward this season on the back of last seasons achievement and financial reward,rather than seeking a new coach.

Batley's team cost 150K
fax won 750K

How have we not got a team capable of beating them

Leicester's TEAM cost less than 30m.Manure have 4 players who cost more individually...there's more to it than money.