With York seemingly securing top spot, it looks like we'll have to go through the play-offs. Unless Kear gets an improvement, we're going to struggle.

We've pretty disgracefully thrown away top spot. After the York debacle we only had to win our remaining 8 games. All of which we were huge favourites. When some of the games were against the likes of West Wales & Hemel we realistically only had 4 games we had to turn up for and couldn't manage it.

Lets be frank. Keighley aren't great. We had a man advantage for most of the game yet we spent most a lot of the game watching them attack our line. Yes we defended well but Keighley aren't a great attacking side. We've seen what a good attacking side can do to our "great" defence. Error after error after error. How many times have we messed the kick-off up this season.

The tries we scored weren't great team rugby league tries. How many tries did we score with great passing play to put the winger in? Same old get out of jail. Kick to Ethan Ryan, or a missed tackled from a tired Keighley player. Keyes eye catching breaks were great, but a Workington player won't miss that tackle. Our passing was disgraceful. Keyes threw 2 shockers. Against better teams, we would have lost today IMO we just don't seem to be creting tries and our passing is so sloppy.

Really frustrating. The players aren't playing bad individually. But as a team we seem to be lacking in a lot of areas. Individual plays can get us out of jail against poor teams like today. But against the tougher ones, we need to be playing a hell of a lot better as a team than recently.

Couldn't agree more BullMania, I posted something similar over on the game thread

We look poorly coached. Seems odd to say that with someone of JK's pedigree at the helm but it's true. Our attacking structure is simply non existent, and today demonstrated that perfectly - we struggled to expose a side playing with only 12 men for three quarters of the match.
We could barely even create an overlap, I think the one time McNally came in to the line as the extra man he passed it to Gibson. Pownall was outside him waiting for the ball and this idiot just kept hold and tried to be the hero himself.
We feel like a bunch of individual players rather than a team. I cannot think of a single set piece we have tried all season. Not one!
The only thing I can think of to explain this is the full time / part time hybrid scenario we have. Perhaps there just isn't enough time for them to train as a full side and actually work on their attacking cohesion and fluidity. I can't believe for one second that JK is happy with the rugby we're playing currently. I hope to god he isn't asking them to play this way because if he is, next season is going to be a tough watch irrespective of the division we're playing in.

You have to look at the whole picture in that there’s no way with the squad that Kear/Chalmers has built that the team should be anywhere else but in top spot. IMO for what it’s worth the team are playing defensive Rugby which is the John Kear style but we know that defensively we have players who can’t defend at this level. What happens when we go up? Wholesale changes because I can’t see us having a team to compete in the top of the championship as we seem to be struggling in what some have called the weakest league.

We need to be sharper and smarter on the front foot and cut out our consistent error count for certain. Not sure if this group of players are the ones who could.

Finally the penny has dropped for some of you.. When I wrote a piece a while ago about how crap we play as a team I got slated... interesting to see some of you have woke up and smelt the coffee now

We're going to miss out of promotion if we play like that unless this move to promote us automatically happens. Even then I fear it could paper over the cracks somewhat because if we played like that against any championship side we'd get well beaten.

There's still no cohesion in attack (albeit a new halfback partnership needs time to gel). Our forwards don't play with enough intensity and our line speed is far too slow. Our support play is sadly lacking at times too, players seem to be taken utterly by surprise if an offload is attempted. Only McNally seems to bother to back up but must wonder why he bothers sometimes.

Peerhaps people expected too much from these players. There's a reason why they are playing third tier rugby.

About 30 different players used this season. Lots loaned in and some binned off from the squad assembled at the start of the season by Chalmers. Given the rumours about incoming players I'd say Kear also has his doubts about many of our players.

One of the biggest factors for me is the lack of experience. Whenever we've come up against a more experienced side we get schooled.

Yes it's clear to me that in this division we didn't need a Chisholm. We needed to spend his wage on 2 or 3 grizzled blokes who've got the nous and experience to nullify the tactics of workington and to steady the ship in a horror show first half against York. I suspect Kear may have been delighted at the long-term benefits of our young squad, but would have dearly liked a few more old stagers to grab them by the scruff of the neck.

I totally get why there are question marks over the squad but going back to previous points, you can only beat what is in front of you.

I can forgive the York loss as they are a side filled with some very good, well drilled players. They equally have as many full time players as ourselves despite what anyone says. Whilst we could have started off a hundred times better, a loss for me was no disgrace.

Workington was a different story. We had the wrong team selection, we were out-muscled, outsmarted and on the wrong end of some quite frankly appalling refereeing decisions.

For me we have the guts of a good championship squad. Its going to need some fresh faces but its the first year and Kear did say this was not a quick fix. We have some young talent that need blooding and that will do us good in the long run.

If rumours are true next year, I'll be quite happy with the back line. Forwards need buliking up and improving though. A fair starting line up could look like...

1. Pickersgill (McNally not recovered well enough from his injuries and not worth his spot IMO)
2. Hitchcox
3. Webster
4. Egodo
5. Ryan
6. Keyes
7. Lilley
8. Crossley
9. Wildie
10. New Prop
11. Minchella
12. Laithwaite
13. New Loose Forward

14. Bustin
15. Peltier
16. New Back Rower
17. Flanagan

Most of the top 8 sides in this division are more experienced than us.
The combination that does us in is: more experienced squad generally, some decent (league 1) quality individuals (or some decent SL quality loanees) and an inexperienced ref. That's caused us 3 losses.

Steve spent a good 2minutes yesterday talking to the ref to understand his decisions. Just move on, stop dropping the sodding ball, stay squeaky clean with regards to the ref so he can't penalise you and play in the right part of the pitch.

The main problem in my view with our attack from 20-30 metres out is the lack of depth. Players receiving the ball too flat and consequently the defence is on them before they can put anything on. The move used by most teams, two dummy runners with two players out back is never used or never comes off when we try it because of the lack of depth. This was shown yesterday when Keyes and Lilley both put in bad passes in scoring positions due to the lack of timing.

Spot on!

I agree. We don’t give ourselves a chance to execute simple catch and pass because we’re too flat. It’s also not helped at all by the painfully slow PTB and the defending side being well offside but that’s par for the course. We should be taking that into account by standing deeper. I remember we butcherd a try in the corner vs Workington by being too flat and overrunning the ball carrier.
I was taught that in attack if you can’t clearly read the number on the back of the player inside you then you’re stood too flat. Sometimes we’re so flat as to look like we’re defending. It’s not as if we’re offloading in the tackle so there’s no benefit for being so flat.

Spot on, and something I hope is sorted for 2019 whatever division we’re in.

There were some very bizarre decisions yesterday but I agree about “moving on”. Having a debate with the ref isn’t going to change his mind. In fact, getting on his good side is a far better policy. Yes sir no sir three bags full sir etc. I’ve never met a ref that reacted well to being moaned at.

Assuming we don't get automatic promotion I fear for our chances. The other four teams that will be in the play-offs will surely have learned from the defeats we have had inflicted upon us, whereas we seem to fall for the same thing time and again.

I'm sure now that automatic promotion has gone.

We seem to be wilting just when we ought to be coming into some form. On yesterday's performance I can see losing at Oldham in the league. I fear big wins versus West Wales and Hemel will not be what we need to sharpen up before the play offs.

In the play offs we'd be home vs Oldham before - if we win - probably playing Workington at home. Anyone feel confident about those games? I know I don't.

This is crazy because we comfortably beat Oldham earlier this season yet we seem, if anything, less cohesive now than we were back then.

I worry that Workington would do us over.

The amount of dropped ball yesterday was just a joke

Take flanigan and Ryan out of that team and ask yourself where we get our tries from

Keyes is always good for a break or 2.
Minichella & McNally/Pickersgill for the support plays.
Our experienced centres (Smith & Gibson) have always seemed to be good, defensively minded centres. Egodo though, he has acceleration & balance and is much more of a handful. Should improve week on week whilst he is training with us.

Well Egodo scored a hat-trick yesterday and the Minchella/Keyes link seemed to work as did Keyes scoring himself. At least yesterday we weren't just kicking for Ethan in the corner as has been for a few games.

I agree with the broader point about our attacking not being as slick as it might be.

I can think of a 2nd row/loose forward/stand off who’s scored 28 tries this season

Auto promotion has now gone, i also dont think the league re structure will happen, it will be voted out... Im dreading the play-offs as humiliation is a distinct possibility.. On a brighter note i think Egodo if we can keep hold of him will be massive.. Just wish we could get the ball to him more.... Do we ever use the right side of the pitch ? Too much 1 man rugby and reliance on chizzy to Ethan kick for our points.. and we have now been found out. another season in league 1 is where my money is.

Sorry I'm not knocking Elliott's try scoring he has had a great season. What I'm saying is if you take Ryan out then the up and under wouldn't be available. And flanigan with his quick scoots which put them on the front foot.. Elliot in all honesty would be a absolute perfect hooker with his exceptional backing up... hope you understand what I'm saying Roger

I'd still put money on us being favourites. Workington still have a job to do to actually get in the play-offs, they're remaining fixtures are Newcastle (A), Skolars (H) and Doncaster (A) at the moment they have an away play-off semi final. A lot of travelling there so hoepfully that and the effort in their last two games will tire them out



But still we need to draw a line in the sand now and start performing better as a team. Sort out the errors mainly. Kear should start plotting for those games, in particular Workington and have an idea of the correct line up to beat them (so no bloody wingers on the bench!) so he should start resting some tired war horses like Crossley, and maybe getting some players like Bustin match fit so when it comes to it, we are peak fitness for the game. Not having players like Crossley & Minchella fatigued and bringing on an not match-fit Bustin. Also he should make a decision on the 1/6/7 and run with it for the rest of the year.