What are the chances of getting another point this season??? I cannot honestly see us even getting a bonus point v Crusaders or Stags never mind winning either of them.
I am staying in Hemel, with my cousin Martin who is a Sports Psychologist and Union player(!), and we went to the game v Stags on Sunday. It looked OK at half-time going in only a couple of points down, but the second half was typical of what I have witnessed this season. The second half was, as usual, dreadful. Capitulation!
Although my cousin has only seen one game he puts it down to a number of players who keep making critical mistakes and he thinks this is down to tiredness, both mentally and physically. Some players seemed to be struggling even in the first half?? If they are injured and cant manage a full game put them on the bench and bring them on as an impact player later on.
One or two players do however seem to give one hundred percent for eighty minutes such as Sean Morris and Shaun Robinson. I must also say we were impressed with Andrew Hoggins when he eventually got on. I dont understand it as no sooner had he come on he seemed to influence the game with some crunch tackles and then he scored. Why leave such a good player on the bench and only give him fifteen minutes? Is he injured?? We were also impressed with the new player (curly blonde hair) who also put in some crunching tackles. Looks good. Where did he come from?
(Some) Must do better. Do they only turn up for the beer? I know our strapline line is ORL Inspires, but not yet!

yes mate RL is played over 80min and not 40min, and yes some of the player have been playing at this level for some year and should take the new player in hand and help them. As for the training it must be a problem with half the team up north (senior player !!!) and the other half down south so can not see much training as a team, The training is like amateur RL training were you got 8/9 player at training so can you work on your game plan and then on match day 18/20 player turn up.

I think for next season the club need to look at less two times a mouth all the player training as a team, the club can come down on a saturday before we play are home match on a sunday, I do think this will help ORL in the club bid to move forward. ((what you think about that))

As for London match i so want ORL to win as it will help the club and RL in Oxford.

I do agree that the North/South divide causes problems, but, at the moment, we definitely need the experience, BUT we need them to be fit. I understand (but don't approve) at the start of the season some may not be fully fit. The Directors are paying them 'good money' to play so they should do everything to ensure they can repay them.

You rightly say the game is over 80 minutes but we still think it's over 40 minutes, but the coach seems to still play the same players. If they cant play for the full 80 don't put them in the squad. Give a younger, more enthusiastic, player a chance. If he happens to be from the South sobeit! Just because he is an experienced player from a team 'up North', to me, doesn't entitle anyone to play. The coach needs to be brutal. I realise he has probably sweet talked a lot of them to follow him to ORL but they have got to 'cut the mustard'. Possibly next season he will 'crack the whip' and demand more, including fitness, from his 'experienced' players.

After all that would like to see us 'thump' Skolars (even it's by one point)!!

we do have some very good young player like Jack Briggs who training with ORL but have been playing with the Oxford Cavaliers and is the cavaliers top try Scorers and in one match he got 5 trys, you also good play like John Connaught and Ruailri Lynch and Sean Morris, be good to see then get some time out on the field, I coach an i aways try to play the player that will give me 100% if they was in the first team or not and it makes all the player work hard and the regunlear first team player train harder and there fitness goes up as the know they need to fight for there places.

But i am not one to tell the head coach his job. Tony is a good coach with lots of work to do, he got half the up north and the other half down south. (like he run two teams)

Mark, you may have hit the nail on the head! Are they actually two different teams playing together??

I am so encouraged when watching them play the first half but normally depressed in the second! Do they have two different half-time team talks? One side told to 'take it easy, pass the ball like a little girlie and not to tackle, and the other side to play their little socks off?? It really doesn't make sense. I don't wish to paint everyone with the same brush as some do give it their all but some players, in the second half, stand out like sore thumbs but the coach seems to be happy with them and leaves them on to play (or not as the case may be).

PLEASE prove me wrong on the 1st September!

Well, I dont mind admitting I was wrong! It was an excellent game and we deserved the win. There were some cracking tackles and good play all round. I will hopefully be able to stay with my cousin and make the playoff game on Sunday. If they play like they did against Skolars then I pity poor old Hemel.