Where to begin? Well I agree with almost all of the comments so far but we must still remember that we were runners up in L1. Yesterday we were missing 4 props and so were always going to struggle to make ground. I thought it was a bit closer than the score suggested. York were the better team, I don’t think the ref was all that bad to be honest.

Our main problems are to do with our attacking play. It’s always more difficult if you’re losing up front but today we actually looked more threatening with ball in hand in our own half than we did when we were in theirs. We seem to lack any kind of attacking structure when we’re on the opposition line. The set of plays when we ended up giving the ball to Kirk twice sums us up. The halfbacks seem unable to organise anything unless it is a kick to Ethan Ryan. I think this lack of idea contributes to the brain farts we make in attack too like running directly into touch (Flanagan) and running over the dead ball line (Kraniqi). It’s frustrating because when we spread the ball we looked really good, especially on Webster’s side. The try to Pickersgill was excellent. Why can’t we be creative like that when we’re on the opposition line? When York were attacking us they had lots of runners and looked really organised. With us it’s the opposite. We hardly ever offload in the tackle, so much so that when it happens it takes players by surprise and nearly leads to us giving the ball away. This has got to be down to the way the team is coached. Is this a weakness in Kear’s coaching?


Defensively I think we started the season ok but as we go on I think coaches are starting to target our weakness around the ruck. Our lack of big lads meant York were on the front foot and too often we didn’t get numbers in the tackle and they were running at a defence that was back pedalling.

The lack of props means we’re not getting much impact off the bench either. I did think Storton added something when he came on but there wasn’t much from anyone else.

We really need Peltier and Bustin back. Keyes too since I think our halfbacks are playing too inconsistently. Both had mixed games. One minute you had a great kick the next they were kicking dead. That’s criminal with the 7 tackle set. Both need to get more idea in attack than just booting it to Ethan Ryan. What about forcing a goal line drop out?

Apparently Bustin is approaching fitness again, same for Wilson too. They can’t come back quick enough.

Thought we failed to win the game in the first 20 mins rather than lost it in the last 20.frustrating but it was an entertaining game.need keyes back to get the back rowers firing.some good attacking lines are being run but the halves choose to ignore them.

We’re definitely missing Keyes in attack. While he’s out I’d be tempted to play Minchella at loose forward so he can get his hands on the ball more.

Frustrating game to be honest. York probably deserved the points, for no other reason than any team which caves in, twice, through the middle doesn't deserve to win anything. The score flattered them somewhat though.

I don't think York were particularly impressive either and I can't see either of these sides troubling the top three or four, certainly not on yesterday's form. We do still have some 'big hitters' to come back though so all is not lost but we do need to achieve some forward dominance or we won't get anywhere. Getting Pelts and Bustin back may create the space to let Minnie return to his running form of last year. I also think that Jordan Lilley needs to be able to cut back on some of the tackling he's being forced into (ie someone else, preferably some big forwards, ought to be taking up the slack) as it's clearly affecting his running and distribution game when he's forced into being a tackling machine.

On a final note, I hope the young lass who was taken to hospital is OK. She was getting all the necessary care form the medical staff but still went off in an ambulance, hopefully it was just for checks and to be safe.

I'd throw both in for Toulouse. As others have said, we are desperately needing some players to provide some impact and do something. We have too many grafters in there. All willing workers who will tackle and take the BALL up all day long but nothing is happening. Hallas isn't going to create a try or bust a tackle so is wasted at 13 on a dry pitch against York. You want him there when it's going to be a slog on a small pitch.

Get Minchella at 13 to give Lilley and Chisholm more space. Bustin to come off the bench for a 10 min spell either side of HT. I'd throw Wilson in there too.

At this point I'd be looking to play Milnes instead of Lilley, and once Keyes is back seeing how Milnes and Keyes go together.
It seems as though Lilley's decent game against Featherstone was a one time thing - he's been poor since then.

For me we are too all or nothing at the minute. It's drive, drive...kick or 'Woah!! Weve bust a tackle we HAVE to score no matter what' We seem to lack the will to build pressure or maintain composure.

And though Webster was a stand out for me that 'pass'..... My daughter could have thrown it better so it seems our short burst excitability infects old heads joining us.

Ditto to other comments... Bustin, Peltier, Wilson and Green can't wait until they are available as we are really struggling with Kear's predictable tactics.

Spoke to Mikey Wood after the game and he looked sick as a dog to be missing out. Don't know what he's done wrong tbh... he's been played out of position since start of the year yet still done a reasonable job and defensively makes us better in the middle.

Whereas we have a fat knacker in Krasniqi who offers absolutely zero to this team (I mean how thick is the guy to run himself dead in goal?) and Hallas who I admire for his heart and passion but again is a 5/10 time player at best.

Storton did well when he cam on but again similar to Wood was being played out of position and as a prop. I can see the problem, others can see it but yet Kear seems oblivious. His interview in the Southbank after the game had me thinking if I was watching the same game as him!!!

Chisholm needs to start earning his wage as he's carried on from where he left off last year. Lilley is struggling on his own and is getting no help from either his forwards or half back partner. Keyes is back in training I think and hoping to be back next week so fingers crossed he can come in and shake up things at least there.

I know its only four games in but this 5 drives and a kick only works if the forwards can actually win the arm wrestle... and on the showing so far they are no where near!!!

Spot on, I agree completely.



Agree with all that. Can't believe Wood wasn't in the side. He's a big lad and can play long minutes. When we were without Magrin or Green in the 17 I couldn't believe Wood wasn't picked. Krasniqi is a waste of space and if I was Wood I'd be wondering what I'd done wrong to not get picked.

Storton for me offered more playing at prop than Farrell did in the second row.

Chisholm had his usual mixed bag of a game. That's what you get with him. It does put pressure on the other half back and I thought Lilley had a better game than he's had for a couple of weeks. He ran a lot straighter and his kick and chase in the second half to force the drop out was excellent. He did also come up with some ordinary plays in the opposition 20m. When we get there we seem to lack ideas.

I've a feeling 5 drives and a kick is the Kear way. While we scored a heap of points last season it was more down to us wearing teams out than slick attacking play. Against tougher opposition we're being shown up as a bit one dimensional. It's frustrating because we see glimpses of better things.

So frustrating, it must be down to Kear`s tactics. With a fit rosta of props that style of play would be OK but with our lightweight forwards at the moment why not change things to accommodate our lack of size. Our defence from PTB is at times abysmal, York made yards virtually every play. Farrell is all heart but like Hallas isn`t big enough and never breaks the line. Pickersgill cannot beat a man on fielding a kick (if he catches cleanly). Chisolm to me is coasting and pinching money, he is a quarter of the player from when he was first signed for us. The three-quarters are more than adequate, in fact Ryan must be the best winger outside SL. Hopefully Kear will change tactics against Toulouse or we will be beaten again.

The only reason I'm going to watch the Toulouse match is to see Jon Ford in action. Easily the best half outside of SL, and if he's on form he could play in a dinner suit and cause us no end of problems in the process.
Something's not quite right with Toulouse at the minute though, they shouldn't be losing to Leigh and scraping past Swinton if they are serious about pushing for promotion.

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll click into gear next Sunday

Just watching back on the "highlights" footage. A few things I picked up...

Firstly is it just me or does Ethan Ryan score a perfectly good try in the corner in the first minute? For me he grounds the ball and its a decent try? The TJ has a brilliant view and he has had a nightmare there by not giving the ref the correct call.

Next up the Massive "try"... Pickersgill doesn't ground it, but then again neither does Massive. Another wrong call.

That said we get a huge bit of good luck (another bad call from the ref and TJ) with the Ethan Ryan try just before half time. The ball from Chizzy is a good 3m forward and not 100% he actually grounds it.

The main thing that stands out for me is when the ball goes through the hands we looked dangerous and shows that we can do it but just aren't been given the freedom to play (Kear to blame for me).

I've been a big critic of Chisholm on here and in the past but maybe Kear's tactics are actually stifling him and goes to demonstrates that Rohan Smith was very willing to let the team play what's in front of them

With the first min try I thought at the time the TJ looks to be heading for the corner of the dead ball line which I think means he is happy and the ref has a poor obscured view and gives no try straight away without reference to his assistant

With Ryan's 1st try I think the ball hits the flag while he has hold of it I don't know if that is classed as out of play or not

Flag doesn't matter now if the player is in possession of the ball.

I thought Ryan's try just before half time was a bit dubious so I suppose getting it cancels out the 1st minute try that wasn't given.

These things tend to even out over the season.

Pretty sure the the flag is still classed as touch in goal if the ball hits it whether or not in a player's possession and the 'not touch in goal' rule only applies to body contact with the flag. The corner flag is still defined as 'touch in goal' in the laws of the game.

I think if the ball is kicked and hits the flag then yes, it counts as being dead in goal. But if a player is in possession of the ball then the flag is essentially ignored. Bit of a weird rule but it makes sense in my opinion.

That's my understanding too. Anyone got a rulebook?

Yeah, that's how I understand it.
Coming back to earlier points, on the disallowed 'try' the touchie was clearly going to the corner, which is the signal that he has no problem with it, but before he got there the ref came steaming in and said no. He clearly had a different position to view from so he obviously saw it differently and he thought it wasn't a score. On the 'forward pass', yes I thought it was too, however there were a number of 'forward passes' throughout the game and none were pinged so why would they give that one?

Forward passes are a bit like being within the 10m at the play the ball. It happens quite often but his rarely penalised

I think the ball touched the base of the flag and the touchline simultaneously. Which I think is touch in goal.

To be honest, it's difficult to say EXACTLY where the ball touched from the replay. So far as I understand it though the current rule is that if the ball is in possession then the flag is out of the equation.

I've actually stopped bothering about 'forwards'. With the speed of the game and players playing to the line there are just so many close ones in the average match you'd go mad if you let it get to you - they invariably go both ways so who cares?

Watching the highlights of the game, I think the referee got the Ethan Ryan no try decision completely wrong, and the Pickersgill ground in goal is inconclusive from the video footage.

Already been said many times but the two barge over trys were shoddy and frankly unforgivable. We won't win many against the good teams defending like that.