Leigh and Featherstone finish in top 2.Bigger clubs,more support,more funding,better players.Is third place really that bad ? Halfway through season i was advocating a change of coach like most others.However in the last 9 games prior to sunday KH won me round.The rugby was good and the players were showing pride in the shirt and togetherness.Changing the coach now doesn't feel like the right time with probably half of next years team signed/re-signed.I await the backlash.....

A good post but it begs the question, should Leigh and Fev, given all three club's past histories in the sport, be bigger than Halifax?

I don't mean this in a Bradford Bulls, we won something once so we have a divine right type of context but in a straight forward way. Should Leigh and Fev be bigger clubs than Halifax? When and how did this happen?

The crux of the matter is the has fallen out if the club and we seem to be happy to settle for a level even below a realistic level for the club. How do we get above Leigh and Fev? Sundays result makes it all the more difficult but something needs to be done whilst the will is still there amongst the fan base

Take away the bonus point and we are 5/6th and only just recently escaped the relegation fight. If you want to talk about the budgets of Fev and Leigh then you also must talk about the budgets of all the teams we have lost to, drawn with or struggled to beat. I can guarantee we have spent a lot more than them. There are no standards by which you can call this season a success. Regular season aside I haven't spoke to anyone who believes we could win a play-off game let alone win the play-offs themselves, we just don't have the special edge.

What concerns me the most is the gap between ourselves and the bottom club's is getting less season by season. The problem for our bod is if Karl goes who can we replace him with?

As I said on the other thread Chris Chester, Glen Morrison, Paul Cooke, Richard Agar, Francis Cummins. Anyone would give the fans more hope for next year.

Someone who could ignite passion for playing for this club, I'm sorry but not many of the current team offer that like we had when Matt Calland was here, Did he get the team playing for one another with passion and Pride, Absolutly he did, Did he attract the right players, ( including Ausies ) absolutly, I dont care for this BS of local lads playing for a local team as clearly it doesnt work. He dismantled a great team and replaced with mediocre, he changes the team far too often and takes away players confidence by saying in the media poor this and bad decision that by players and then naming them. I'm sorry but if rhino cannot get this team up for a game like sundays then he has no chance. Inside ball after inside ball is just e, the centre's aren't getting the balls to the wingers, and Peter Fox has been brought in and not given a bloody chance.

We have lost this second spot due to complacency in the team losing time and time again when comfortably in the lead, the last 10-15 minutes of games we look dead on our feet, so whilst we are at it, get a new conditioner, next year with more games against harder opposition with less funding than the 4 teams above us i can see this restructure sending us further down not up where we should be. i honestly do not see us in the middle 8 next year.

This club really knows how to let itself down in these big games whilst under Rhino's command.

Absolutly spot on, Season on season things have got worse, i see no glimmer of hope on the horizon either, I am away for the next 2 games and am not really that bothered about the playoffs now either, It was all about 1st and second, I await the off season excuses of " we dont have the money of other clubs " etc etc, We bloddy would have done if we learned to play for 80 minutes, Clearout needed im afraid.

We are third in the league and have just been on a good run of form (sunday aside) I was on one of the people who was pleased when Rhino was appointed. But there does seem to be a lack of enthusiasm at The Shay on match day go back to 2009-2011 there was a buzz at the Shay a feeling of excitement which is lacking somewhat - Sunday was a big day and where was it marketed? Summer Holidays no bring your kids for half price or any activities for them , no band (although the singer did well). 3022 was a good crowd but what happened to cashing in on the sucess of the World Cup game at the Shay?

You can't rely on Twitter , Facebook and Word of mouth they only go so far nor can you rely on fans to put up posters in their own time , noticed we dont even put sponsors in the corporate boxes anymore - Next season see's big and needed changes to the game what are we doing to market Fax for 2015????

Agree with all this.My biggest fear for next season is not who the coach is but why everything at boardroom level has appeared to have stopped.

I have heard rumors that Mr Abbot is withdrawing himself and his money from the club due personal problems and that if we had (do) finish second that money would have gone to Mr Abbot and other directors who are wanting some of their invested money back.

As I say rumors and 'Im sorry to say I have nothing to write to back up what I've written but I believe quite strongly that it is true.

After attending the Fax v Leigh earlier in the season , I was very impressed with your Hospitality and the way your Sponsers are treated , along with the Facilities you have , they are definatly a match for what Leigh have on offer .Your ground and Fans are for me Superior to Fevs , maybe Karl has got some things wrong this season , but you are still in the mix , maybe not as favorites , I think the season may be a disappointment to you , but its not all been bad , personally I think if you show maybe around 6 of your current squad the door at the end of the season and recruit well you could still challenge for the Top 4 next year , obviously it wont be easy , but it wont be easy for anybody .

As you Faxers know I like Fax and want to see you challenging Fev , hopefully we will meet in this years GF , and stage a great game at Leeds , and then make plans for next season .Keep the Fax faith .

Charlie, what's wrong with a Fax v Fev Final? Leigh still have to get the monkey of their back and win a couple of play-off games to get to the final



Seriously I see where you are coming from, in that you can argue that Fax haven't had a bad year, but I can feel the frustration coming out of the Fax camp too. I don't believe KH is a bad coach, but I also don't think he is a great coach. He did an okay at Salford on limited resources and a greadt job at Batley on imited resources (resources relative to the teams around him). And maybe this is the issue at Fax he came to a team that had relatively more resources (3 years ago) than the other teams around him, but he has been unable to take the team forward from that position, where as DP & PR have done that at Fev and Leigh. If you think that Fax are underdogs next year than maybe he is the man to take Fax forwards, but it is difficult to see how that will happen if he has lost the support of the fans.

For me I hope that Fax can turn the corner either with or without KH and that Fev can also steady the ship so that next year all three clubs (Leigh/FaxFev) are compeating and winning that middle 8. How great it would be if we could get the 1st 3 places in the middle 8 and see the likes of Bradford/London/Widnes/Wakefield, etc. having to play in a 4v5 game to be the last team to make up SL in 2016.

Roll on next year (not that this one is done yet).

True - Rhino can only work with the money and resources made available to him by the board - if it wasnt for people like Roger Harvey investing in Fax dont know where we would be - My concern is Fax could get left behind in 2015.

To put it in context not a bad season really. We dont appear to be spending what Leigh, Fev and Harrison even stated Dewsbury as spending more. Let too many quality players go Beswick, Penky, Black, Barlow to name a few. I would like KH to change the style and be more fluent in attack. This 5 drives and a kick will not attract the fans.
Need more quality in outside backs for next season IMO. Ben Kaye a disappointment for me this season.

Dave we at Leigh have a dismal record in the Play-offs but I think we will change that this year , I think Stanley Unwin must be leading the Fax team talks this year

, is it possible to have a Fax v Fev GF ?WHERE would it be played Fantasy Island ?

I completely agree regarding Ben Kaye his speed from hooker is woeful at times and I wouldn't personally play him I would much rather have holden there instead IMO

To put the season into context.... We've been poor, again..

The fans know it, The Board should know it, Karl should know it, The Players ought to know it..

The last hope for us now is to get to the Final and generate something positive. Can we do it ? Yes I suppose we can.
Will we do it? hmmm there's no indicator to suggest were going to do a Sheffield..

Well done Mr T Hall on probably the most balanced post over the last two days. I know we are all disappointed but the level of vitriol posted on here over the last couple of days has beggared belief - mainly I note from people who never post after the winning games. Anyone would think we were facing relegation not 2 points off second place. Given our budget was the 4th largest this year, if we achieve 3rd we have batted above our weight. And to those of you making a stand and staying away from games - I am actually not interested. Everyone is entitled to do as they like, but I will continue to support my team like many others through thick and thin. The season has not finished and we need to get over this an get behind the lads

B*ll*cks, take away everybody's bonus points, we're still 3rd. Funny how people spin things to fit their argument. We are 3rd in a very competitive league, yes we've played some pretty gruesome rugby this year, however, why would you sack a coach who has got the team into a fairly competitive position with what is reputed to be a much reduced budget.

Can't really compare until you lay out all finances, sources of income and benefactor contributions of all clubs. Relatively speaking we may be punching well above our weight with the finances available. Fev may have been expecting to walk the division with theirs and so may be disappointed that Leigh have stolen their thunder. Leigh may be sinking benefactor cash over the next three years in the hope of self sustaining returns.

I don't think Fax have the cash to splash in order to push into that top four next year.

As long as we're in the top 5. Trophy time in third 8 league! Bring it on.

Never thought when I started following Fax and watched the glorious Preston, Bentley, Schuster, Austin, Anderson and Eadie moments that I'd be understanding of us settling for being one of the best of the third bests!

What on gods earth happened to my club?

Brook's money ran out.
Gartland knew how much SL would cost
The game got too expensive. Bradford are testament to that. Gotta be careful with the cash.

Mr Gartland was there on Sunday , let`s hope it fired him up to want Fax back at the top.

Don't see how to be fair, didn't even fire me up to spend 15 quid for the next game.

Was he really? Wow!! I thought he'd slipped quietly away down South somewhere? He must be knocking on a bit now.