I think if we want to be in that Championship Final we probably need to avoid another trip to Toulouse. To have any chance of 2nd spot we need to find a way to win tricky away games such as this.

It's been a bizarre weekend of shock results so far in Super League. Is this going to happen in the Championship as well? If so, I'm saying Bradford by 40!

Fish Zachwick anybody know much about this lad?

Sounded like last few weeks finally caught up with us.
Think the amount short term loans causing more harm than good again. Time to stop them and play some of the reserves. Think we could have been playing until next week and not scored.
Homes has been poor at full back last few weeks and coming up with too many errors. I'd put him in halves. Id start Ott at Hooker and bring Souter off bench who's in danger of being run into the ground.
Very disappointing to have been done 3 times by Widnes, Gilmore dominating us each time

Sounds like a lethargic display over at Widnes - after a tough run of fixtures and little rotation of players its not entirely surprising. Sounds like Gilmore ran the show for them again - he seems to relish facing us.

If Halifax find a bit of form and get themselves safe, I wonder if they'd accept an offer for Keyes? They aren't going to be in the play offs and we badly need another halfback.

I think that result pretty much rules out a chance of 2nd place.

sounded like we just surrendered the second half ... not surprising from the squad (too many loans and no cohesion) plus huge efforts against the top 2

also .. Lilley is having to do everything (our recognized halves are injured), we really need a half to take off the pressure

through suspensions, ive seen a few given from sin bins ... when did this rule come in to refer to disciplinary?

Why dont he play Holmes at 6 and Myers or Tindll at FB.

Terrible game from start to finish. Massive wake up call needed after a pretty patchy last few weeks. I felt that we'd have to get the basics right and capitalise on any chances that we'd get to come away with anything. In the first half we had some excellent territory but couldn't find the key to unlock the Widnes defence. We edged it slightly in the first half but my god that second half was painful. Dropped balls, stupid penalties, forward passes. You name it, we did it during that second half. A game to forget.

we've been on the opposition line many times and often failed to unlock .... lilley has been very consistent and is basically organizing everything ... but we lack a half to unlock. Robbie, put your boots back on haha ... or Paul Harkin, or (insert nippy halfback here)

I've said it on here before, but I don't think Tom Holmes has quite found his form this year. Which isnt surprising given the lack of proper pre season and all he went through. Not sure if having him with Lilley would solve all our weaknesses but it would provide another option.

When we had McGowan we had a bit of pace, but he wont be back now Robinson is in charge at Giants. You can almost see it now, Gaskell will return in a few weeks just start finding his form and then pull him hamstring again just before the end of season.

If we are to improve on last season, we are going to need to solve that issue.

The halfback options are:

1. Lilley & Ott - This isn’t working against the top sides and we’ve struggle to score points against the top teams. It seems to be EOC’s choice at the moment.

2. Lilley & Holmes - Holmes has been in poor form at FB and a move to the halves could hopefully see an improvement. Moving Holmes leaves a gap at FB now McGowan is back at Huddersfield. You are then having to move the wingers around to accommodate Holmes at 6.

3. Lilley & Gaskell - This is a nonstarter really as Gaskell is made of chocolate.

4. Lilley & Balback - Finley Balback has been named multiple times in the 20/21 man squad but doesn’t seem to get a sniff. Maybe now is his time to step up.

5. Lilley & Keyes - See if our wonderful neighbours down the road fancy letting us have young Joseph earlier than we agreed.

if im wrong ... 7 games to go and looks like they should all be winnable (apart from sheff away) ... as it stands and win all, I think we will still end up at toulouse away in the playoffs then wakey away

Gilmore outclassed us today. Sides were fairly even in the first half but even when we held Widnes to their own half Gilmore kicked them to safety. Compared to our end of sets which were punted too far to chase and caught without pressure. Happens time and again.

Second half it really showed as the past few weeks caught up with us. It was always coming and someone was going to take us apart. Onwards to Barrow next week

On Finley I think he was practicing his kicks before kick off. Nailed a few from the touchline too

What’s Sammut up to ? If we need an emergency half back?
The only thing I’ll say about Lilley is Widnes hit him late after a kick and injured him early in the game. Clever game management I suppose

I don't remember any yellow cards being shown?



Lilley is a durable little competitor but we are surely riding our luck expecting him to go through the season without taking a knock. I know he has his critics but lose him from this current side and the whole season could suddenly look a lot differently.

Shows where we are doesn't it? Without Gaskell we're lacking quality at halfback in terms of game management, particularly when it comes to the kicking game.

Not surprised Holmes is looking a bit tired given his health problems earlier this season. Even if he was firing on all cylinders he's a runner and it's a game manager we're lacking. Lilley always gives 100% but his kicking game isn't good enough (kicks to Gill aside). Ott is good defensively and can put a player through a gap but he's too slow for halfback and doesn't look comfortable there which is understandable since he's really a hooker.

I would maybe bring Balback off the bench rather than starting him in a key position at HB/FB away at Barrow. We know what sort of game it's going to be up there...

I don't think it would be a bad idea to blood some youthful enthusiasm in the forwards however.

It's a tough period at the moment but I think we just need to survive this, get the wins over the next couple of weeks, and then hopefully with Gaskell, Butler, Arundel, Baldwinson, Lawrence & D. Smith to come back towards the end of the season along with the suspensions, we should be pretty fresh going into the business end of the season.

I still think we'll finish third. We've played Wakey, Toulouse and York in the second half of the season, whereas Widnes have played Halifax, Dewsbury and Swinton. It's not only the likely win difference, but the amount of energy it will take out of Widnes playing those 3. We've just got to fight our way through the next couple of weeks and try get some energy.

Doro was a massive loss is he suspended next week. Is Tafua still suspended? How long we got Tindall?

Somethings got to improve. Need a player that can make a break i think. If we move Holmes to six and Tindall to fb we got run and pass threat still.

Tindall went off clutching his shoulder yesterday.

Yeah with Tindall too noticed that

EOC stated that Tindall has done his shoulder so likely to be missing for some time.

Who's on the wings this weekend then? Is Taufua still suspended? Myers is out isn't he? Looking thin in the backs.