A very good post Dave

as you rightly say Fev and ourselves would love to be playing in the middle 8s against the better teams, we are at home this afternoon against Barrow ,should be a decent crowd and hopefully a good game , but not what we wanted.
Fax have done great this season and exceeded all expectations ,though not from Fax fans I expect, however as a part time team and a low budget RM has performed very well.It's easy to want your team to win , but playing against even low end SL teams and the high end Championship teams each week is difficult.
Fax may not win a game in the 8's , but at least you are there ,good luck for the rest of the season.Charlie.

[urlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=27&v=1YoM_xVjHpQ[/url

Story of the first 2 games in the build up with an unforced error in good position followed by what can only be described as some of the worst defending we have seen from Fax for some time.

The players are done for the season. Imagine the amount of effort that it took for them to make the top 4. Then you immediately pat them on the back and say, "Well done, but now you need to do it all over again, only this time with a few SL teams too."

We are part time, of course we are out of our depth.

That is shocking

Hopefully a two week break will help recharge their batteries for the last lot of games, still a lot to play for.

I'm afraid it's damage limitation all the way....

That is unexplainable. If the U12's had 'tackled' like that on a Sunday morning you would be embarrassed for them. A two week rest though now and I'm sure/hope we'll see a different Fax.

Its a tricky one. Everyone banging on about how we should remember how we have done so well to make the top 4 which in reality is a great achievment but we end up in the middle 8's and stand a good chance of not winning a game for a second year on the bounce. Now last year despite making the top 4 we could not afford to improve the squad and talk suggests that it will be similar again next season but this year from a selfish point of view Leigh have fallen apart and Fev seem to be heading the same way so we should start the year with a good chance of making the top 4 again(if that is the structure).

Looking at Fev they did invest heavily in the squad and IMO were unlucky to lose both first choice half backs and would probably have made 2nd place if that were not the case so its very fine lines but we have to find a way to make the next step up and if that means making some unpopular decisions to lose players to bring in some quality then hopefully the club will do that.

As you say GFB it's a very fine line to be trod running a RL club. I note Featherstone have released/paid off Gareth Hock which is money down the drain and ludicrous for any club let alone a part time one. How do we get to the next step? I don't know but you would think and hope that having made the top four, and the benefits of that success, that we as a club are in a position to improve and build on the past few season's. Up The Fax!

Surely we can improve squad this time.We NEED at least 5 changes and it won't be a top 4 objective next year.

A whole new ball game these middle 8s, going from "knowing" they've a great chance to finish in the top 4 in the championship, to thinking there's little or no chance of finishing above the SL teams in the Middles, so must have an effect on mental prep. But keep plugging away, lads, and try to get a win under your belts.

Notice that Gareth Hock has left Fev. The guy is a total hot head but a great player at this level (he was a right handful against us in the Bash). If he's affordable, is he worth a punt, or would he upset the great bond in our team? (Despite being an on field hot head, he might be a great off field laugh. I don't know).

If the middle 8s have gone and its 1st v second I would spend money and go or promotion. I think Toulouse and Toronto will go up this year

Fuzzy duck. Gareth Hock, remember we had a guy by the name of Sam Barlow, great off field character, on field a liability despite being a 'quality player' do we really need to go there again?

Hi Charlie, good to hear from you. I hope all ends well over at Leigh and you are in there next season.

One more thing, be careful over here being so high up on the forums, don’t want you getting a nosebleed.

Hock I don't think Marshall would touch him with a barge pole although he would be cheaper than normal with Fev paying him off. Ridyard on the other hand I would be breaking the bank to try and take him away from Fev. It does sound like we are looking at a few Fev players but who we are looking at and who we actually sign could be miles apart again.

Stay well clear of Hock, total liability.

cannot believe anyone would consider signing him. especially fax, got there on the squad playing for each other yet hock is a liability on the field at some time in the game.

Love your optimism and congratulations for getting in the four but this is the reality of being the only part-time team in there.

The fixtures aren't kind either - pitching you in against the two teams just above you away from home.

I Think there needs to be some monetary realism. If the club has broken even this year it will be the first time in god knows how many years. 2015 /16 everything was blown They have achieved a managed budget this year by clamping down on the playing budget and maximising revenue streams , so what ever decisions they make breaking the bank to get Ridyard sounds like previous management by rainbow dreamers decisions not current hard nosed business decisions See how Sam Wood goes at half back before signing anyone and try get Muzza and Simon grix fit in the off season lets face it Muzza didn't score until the summer bash which tells its own tale. If Scott Grix is a signing then problem solved . Ridyard always has been class but he comes at a very premium cost . It has to be the right player at the right price. its such a shame we couldn't cling on to QLT because he altered the whole shape of our attack making it so less predictable giving the halves that extra yard cand we probably wouldn't be having these discussions . Moss might be quick but he doesn't seem to be able to lose the first defender like Qlt . Or split the defensive line.

You can only get someone fit who wants to be fit, other wise they are a liabilty.

Wasn’t it you who wanted to sign Jake Mammo? Probably on double what Ridyard is on. When’s Sam Wood going to be playing half back, that one confused me.

What income streams have increased out of interest? I can’t remember any significant rise in either crowds or sponsorship and I heard their were a drop in sponsorship this season. How about your fav the shop? Expected to turn a loss this year with the over purchase of goods and the need to sell off cheap just to try and recoup some of the outlay.

It seems you have been doing too much of that rainbow dreaming listening to your wannabe mates. Whatever happened to them anyway?

i cant and i wont take anything away from the achievement of this year, we've had an incredible season and we are where nobody ever expected us to be.

BUT jesus christ its frustrating watching the team in the 8s so far. i know we're outgunned, part time/full time, budgets blah blah but come on. We were 5 minutes away from being nilled 2 weeks in a row.

We do just seem to be missing that little bit of quality - Toulouse have everything that we don't, flair players across the park. Would i trade all that flair for all of our team spritit - probably not, the way these lads play is brilliant to watch BUT we need a bit of balance. Their 1 - 7 players ooze class. ours ooze grit - which will get you further?

i like moss but a fullback he aint. his distribution is good but he looks like he s***s himself every time he needs to make a decision. I did see that 1 champ team is willing to offer QLT a deal and i just hope that its us. Moss can slip out to the wing for me, no doubting the lad can finish he just isnt the extra pivot that we need to break play.

cant really see a great deal of forwards that would be better than our own bar somone like Canet and maybe a couple others on A LOT of money so they all seem certain for next year.

again i dont want to knock the team but from a progression point of view, we need to add some flair.

Are scoreing as been poor all year hence the points difference. Its ok aving the best defence but points difference cost us 3rd/2nd and its showing in the 8s. Torronto were there for the taking but we have no clue near the line or no star man to break down the middle. We lack pace etc

Sport is all about opinions and I get all the different ones on this topic. The fact is we are at where we are at and our attack was never suddenly going to magically become capable of bursting open top Championship sides at will in the 8's. We shall see how they go on against SL sides defences shortly!
We do have players who look dangerous with ball in hand in Butler and Moore for example-one out wide and one through the middle. Moss is a finisher and if our offload game and break capability was better we would see the benifit of his strengths in pace as he constantly looks to back up the ball carrier.
Our older players give their all and I am sure are experienced enough to know their limitations.
Toronto annd then Toulouse away was always going to be a tough start and Salford flying high won't be much easier.
It is what it is now and we can only learn from the experience and finance permitting, plan for next season.
I am sure RM and his coaching team have clocked all that we see and will try to improve.
Let's see how we do in the next 5 games and what close season recruitment looks like.

Scott Grix isn’t the answer at halfback neither is Sam Wood. Anyone know what’s happening with Christian Ackroyd? He’s definitely worth a look.