Agreed. I guess because I havent been to many games lately it is hard to judge a performance on its own

I was disappointed how we lost more than anything and how some players just allowed to let their heads drop. The lazy half hearted tackling by some was for me not on.
I am yet to be impressed by our halfbacks. Thackray drifts in and out of games and seems to be more an opportunist rather than a creator for others. Handforth has a good kicking game but seems to not have a good creative game where he puts people through and comes across as a bit soft. I feel we lacked creativity and too much one man stuff. And that seemed to be the case against keighley. Plenty of good pressure with not enough creativity for points.

I said this at the start of the season regards your halves.
I have never really rated Handforth and for me was far too inconsistent during his time at Fev, tho to be fair, the Batley fans I have spoken with suggests they watched a very different Handforth to what we did.
ging dong described Thackery as a 'one trick pony', a description that has been repeated so many times by observers including fax fans since then. Remove the 'show n go' from his game and there's little else.
When fax failed to improve on their lead at the half hour mark, Leigh got a break - went down field and fax looked like rabbits caught in the headlights.
Thackeray went AWOL and Handforth went from controling the game to completely bizarre rugby.
It's not the end of the world and I know Karl has a lot of faith in Tiger. Expect it to be adressed immediately.


ps - just re-read this. Comes across a bit "ours are better than yours, so ner ner"! Not meant to be!

Peace n love

Comes across as exactly what I was thinking and to be brutally honest your 6 and 7 are IMHO way better. No need to be apoligizing. Thackray didnt even get to AWOL as he didnt even turn up for me and shouldnt get picked next week but then so should a couple of others.

totally disagree on Thackray.

He has pace, can pass of both hands and looks capable of unlocking defences.
The problem for me is where are is options, if he doesn't have runners off the ball other than a show and go or a neat kick what elso can he do?

The game plan last night was totally different from previous games (wearing down the A,B,C&D defenders then putting it out wide and punching holes) which I couln't understand.

I am far from panic mode but my expetations of the season has come down a peg or two, still think we will win everything tho'

We took a large number of wrong options last night, lining up one way andfor some reason going the other in to nothingness. Work on it and come back next week in the right frame of mind, we know we can go to Leigh and win IF we turn up ready, just turning up will not win games in this league.

Im sure well lose other games, but this was only one game, a bad night at the office, the better team on the night won.
This team will get better and well be there challenging for honours, lets not go overboard and over analyse a bad night too deeply.

Haven't had chance to post on this subject till now. I'm not going to read all 6 pages as I am sure everything has been said, everyone knows the problem and everyone knows the answer. All I will say is that I have never ever in all my time left a game early and surprise to say I didn't last night despite all our party going 10 mins before the end, I very near did, (that's how bad it was).but I didn't.
It was one of the most disapointing games I can remember.
I said I will not go to Leigh next Sunday as I am totally p""ssed off,



See you all at Leigh next week.
Come on, we are Halifax, when have things gone according to plan?
I promise you one thing, we will win at least one competition this year.
Keep the faith.

I'm not usually a "told you so" type, but Thackray has been stealing a living in this league for years. A good support player in the right conditions when your pack is on top, but nowhere near clever enough to give the sort of passes that can build yards and get you out of a hole.

That said, Handforth's kicking game in particular was outstanding when you forced so many repeat sets early doors, although I'm sure Harrison will have been disappointed to only score once from what must have been 7-8 consecutive sets of six.

well we were very poor but all credit to leigh.i do hope it was just one of those days when a lot of players under performed but i am worried at the lack of spark when we eventually move the ball.i rated handforth highly at batley and think he will prove to be a sound signing.am i the only person not overjoyed with reittie? yes he drives it in hard but we have other guys to do that,i want my winger to have a bit of a spark about him and get me excited when he gets the ball.he could never go the length of the field thats for sure.

Spare a thought for "Thirtysomething" They're losing heavily again tonight - St Helens this time. It's like our 2003 for them. Thank the lord I'm not going through that.

Would look at dropping handforth who was dire, i suppose i'm comparing him to branighan and holroyd who created tries for fun, but we just never looked like scoring. Bring in chandler for hesketh who it think has probably been our worst prop this year. Then look at doing something with the centres as neither really give much, paterson is better than both of them in every aspect of the game and maybe shift reittie inside and play worrincy on the wing

I would definitely want Karl to bring in Bowman next week, he may be a bit suspect in defence but you cannot doubt his attacking creativity.

Much like Bradford (although different circumstances) I hope this gives us a deserved kick up the bum and we react to it next week. A couple of tough games in a row and a reality check won't do us any harm.

I think the first 20 minutes showed how we can dominate a decent side and then the next 60 showed that theres still a ton of work to be done. I do feel if it had been dry we would have racked some more points up in that first 20 minutes but it just wasnt to be. End of the day we can afford a few blips so if it means us going out and putting things right next week then its all good. We wont have many collective off days this season so bring on the next game.

it was one loss! jeeez there are some negative people about on here! all of our 'form' players had an off day, the weather was shocking and Leigh to thier credit were awesome.

Beswick showed us up big time.

Bruised egos in the Fax dressing room, and a massive point to prove next week in what is no doubt a 'bigger' game.

get behind the lads, we're not bloody Australia!

arguably the week after is even bigger!


Exactly - I said the same after our unbelievable game v Sheff! It was one of only 4 league losses in just over two season - yet some said they weren't coming anymore!!!!!





ps - They were there v Cas!!

Featherstone should be sacking their coach today shouldn't they? This thread shows cleanly that some people still haven't got a clue about this game despite watching it for years. No-one has a given right to beat other teams easily - even those sat on the bottom. Get a grip and start enjoying The Championships instead of whining and yearning for Super League which, quite frankly, aint what it's all cracked up to be.

Nothing wrong with losing but its the manner we lost on Thursday. OK so you have a bad day but that doesnt mean you go in half hearted in to tackles like what did happen. Also Whilst I thing our pack has been strengthened and the quality is for me better than in recent seasons the halfbacks for me still have to prove themselves. All that possession and we did nothing with it. We have had a number of games where the Halves have struggled to create that much (Leigh, Keighley, Skolars for example). As you say no team has a right to win but you have to go out there with the right frame of mind and not get away from the game plan. Watching Thackray do nothing and Handforth run around with a ball like a headless chicken is reason to be frustrated and annoyed. Having said all that better to have close games and tough games than the non contests in SL. Well done Keighley and hard luck Swinton. No easy beats in this league

Its how you play on the day and for 80 mins - forget last thursday or the NRC Cup, or any other past game for that matter. As long as there is good rugby to watch, a decent crowd, good banter and atmosphere and we can show super doooper league what rugby is all about. (Good luck and may the best team win on the day - of course that hopefully will be Leigh as I am a leyther till I die).

If we want to win the league we need to improve and keep improving. Just like every other team in the Championship. On paper Fev and us are probably out in front.

but as we all know RL isnt played on paper is it?

this is the reason why we go to watch every week.

Bring on Sunday where we can put the mistakes right and hopefully get a draw with the big boys with a chance to make some ££££.