Even Stevo said that halfbacks can't play behind a beaten pack - tonight during Mondaaaay Niiiight Fooooooootbaaaall.

So there, and he's an expert.

So [ithat's[/i his momentum rule!

I have given it a couple of days to come around from Sunday so that I can be slightly more objective than I probably would have been. It will take me a bit longer to forgive Rettie though because his actions hurt the team.

Handforth didnt have his best game like probably 50% of the team ; thats why Batley beat us.
What I could see watching Handforth is that he desperately wanted the team to win and like us was becoming very frustrated with people not stickling to a gameplan and doing plain dumb plays. He is there to execute the coaches plans and then people kick the ball dead on the oposition line at 16 each rather than passing to him.

He got loads of stick from Batley with the "went for the money" chants , then probably looked on here and got more stick. We felt a bit down, I wonder what he felt like on Monday morning?

He is our player and I think we ought to treat our players with a bit more respect. He isnt a quicksilver half back, we all know that but given half a chance behind a pack doing their business can control a game.

On to Swinton and if he plays I am sure the Hx supporters can give the guy some encouragement to play well. If he does I am sure our very short memories will erase last week and we can all move on.
Up the Fax!

Well said intercepter, couldn't agree more. I too have held back while the dust settled on a disappointing loss that we could and should have won.

The thing is, batley deserved to win, blacky was destined to have a say in it and our ex batley lads were going to get stick from them. Why they then get it from us is hopefully driven out of frustration and nothing else. Handforth wasn't the reason We lost, he was part of a team beaten by a side that were more determined to win.

That said, we have no god given right to beat anyone. The posts stating how inconsistent we are maybe need to remember twelve months ago. We were certainly consistent then when we couldn't buy a win and were bottom of the league early on.

This season we have lost two games and are top, got seven points from the three hardest away games and apart from the Leigh game have done pretty well, handforth and all!

Those calling for blacky, however much in jest or frustration, need to think back to why rhino wanted someone like handforth. I loved watching Ben but we are top of the league

because of this set of players and not in spite of them.

Give the lads a break, the sending off cost us but in the heat of a game things happen, thats sport so get over it, go on Friday and back the team.

God knows why I stuck a blah in there, ignore that please!

Think thats a pretty fair post Fax Forever, Handforth is a quality player and whilst he and Rettie came in for some stick which I personally don't agree with they will play well and good luck to em.

Was frustrated by Handforth again tonight in the first half and was lucky to stay on the pitch after his stray arm. After Rhino's half time roasting of the team, he was a changed player in the second half.

I thought he was instrumental in driving the team on to a hard earned and very close fought victory. His attacking play and running was much more noticeable and when Penky went off injured, he stepped into that role and tore into the Swinton line in just the same way Penky does.

He has taken a lot of stick so far this season, but if he can consistently play like he did in the second half tonight, I am sure the criticism will turn to praise.

Well done Handforth on tonight's effort.

he looked very dangerous from AHB after Penly pulled up.

Yep i think penky getting injured will bring the best out of handforth, all the plays will npw go through him, he needs to be the main man and was very good in the second half. Not quite sure what he was playing at with the cheap shot in the first half though.

Tiger is proving a big disappoinment I must admit I thought he would go better for us BUT I think he is trying too hard and having to cover for the hit and miss Thackeray who is just too lightweight at this level, he will come good we have to give the guy a chance me included!
Whats going on with Penky? He is playing very poor for him he has always had that blast pass failing when he throws it at the runner to hard like the pass to Aizue, he is a forward they don't do passes like that Penky!

Then why dont you give him a chance rather than saying he is lightweight? In what way is he lightweight?

Halifax are crap.
This is the worst team I've seen since 1984. Penky is crap. Handforth is crap. Ambler? What a load of rubbish. Everything is rubbish. Sack Karl and bring back Ross Strudwick. Swap the half backs for Peter Coyne and that fat guy we had three year ago. Get rid of the board. Kill everyone. This sucks.

Thing is.. if the players were at the top of the league they wouldnt be getting this stick.......oh hang on...

Some people deserve f*** all of a decent rugby team. I've never read such a whining pathetic bunch of cretins that post on here.

Pizz off and go and watch Widnes.

Did you go last night?

Talking of absolute crap - Steve Ganson and Widnes.

Handforth is no where near as crap as these two.

Calm down dear ... calm down.

Get a grip, fans put their hands in their pockets week after week and the hardcore ones which go to every game (which you don't come across as doing) have the right to criticise players and the team if they don't think they're performing.

Personally, i don't think Handforth has being great doesn't spread the ball and bring his second row and backs into play enough. For example from scrums, which has nothing to do with playing behind a beaten pack, he constantly gives a slow inside ball which slows everything down doesn't even attempt to ask questions. The deficiency of our HB partnership will be shown by the amount of tries Fieldhouse scores which will be nothing compared to Royston when Branighan and Holroyd were putting players over for tries for fun. As shown this season, without quick play the balls which bring Penky into play we are rather clueless

With littlerich on this.

I seriously wonder what people watch sometimes. We have people saying Penky isnt playing well.

Tbh i just about stopped reading there and then we have somebody comparing the amount of tries Shad scored to what Fieldhouse will score yet Shads were scored in what was a pretty poor league if we are honest compared to what it is now.

you should of kept hold of Black he's a better player than Handforth

Probably better comparing Black to Thackery and Jones to Handforth. Thackery is almost a younger version of Black and Jones isnt a patch on Handforth.

I have a feeling Mr Handforth may have afew of you guys eating your words when the season gets to the business end. i certainly hope so.

Rhino didnt sign him because he was crap did he?! and is this not the same Paul Handforth who took us apart many times in the past on his own?

For thoses of you who went to Swinton Tiger went off with a head wound that required stitches after about 8 mins, then to come back on and were 12 nil down!

he didnt have a stormer but he created Bowmans try on his own which in the end up proved massive in regards to the result of the match, if we hadnt of scored there i think we would have lost!

give him a break and get behind him! jeeeeeez.

we won and are top remember - some people never happy.

Superb post, actually I think it's a stupid, harsh topic. Lets look at the origional post.

"I haven't seen a worse display from a Halifax half back for many a year. What does he bring to the team? Everybody claims he is the onfield general organising everything; today we had absolutely no organisation! We cannot have a halfback who is scared of taking the line on. I feel for Thackery as he tries and tries but every other play has to go through Handforth and it is always slow and the defence can see it coming a mile away!"

"Haven't seen a worse display from a Halifax half back?"
Not been watching many years then.
Lets get behind our players, if a player has a bad game, encourage. I am sure Karl will take that player aside and tell him where he went wrong and what he expects in improvement. I hardly think he will sit him down and call him a crap player because of (in the origional posters mind) he had a bad game.

Just like Karl will, lets judge our players at the end of the season after we have won the Northern Rail Cup, The League and the Championship.





Disclaimer to Batley, Fetherstone and Leigh bloggers, no disrespect intended.

I hope so mate, like I said he is trying too hard and dropping off the game plan, we need his kicking game to start working and yes he will come good, he did look good at hooker though!