Expect so and a load of juniors playing (which is a great thing btw) but inflates the crowd somewhat. It could be pretty dismal versus Fev on a Monday night on tv. I'll certainly be sat at home as it is a lot easier to flick a switch when they come with the same attitude and tactics. But we know they will probably be much improved against a side they're unlikely to beat. It's the sides around us we seem to save our worst efforts for.

Lilley is in the T and A talking about how hard it is to play expansive rugby on a narrow pitch - which is of course true. But it's like he's never heard of offloads, short passing, running off the shoulder of the ball carrier or any kind of support play in the middle of the field. It's either one up or touchline to touchline.

Lilley needs to go to dummy half and keep at Doyle at 13. Against Workington in the League 2 play off final Lilley played at 9 and his passing was outstanding. Short, quick, runners both side and we killed them. Doyle is fantastic player but I'm not sure he's a fantastic hooker.

I like Lilley, think he's one of the few players that will be genuinely hurting at the moment. But maybe someone in the club needs to help the players in what they say in the media as whatever they say, the disgust among the fanbase right now will turn the comments back on the players.

In all honestly I'm fed up of hearing about the pitch and it's a BS excuse. Would I like it wider. Yes. But it is what it is and we have to adapt. We could have an excuse for most grounds in this league. The pitch is too small at Dewsbury. The slope at Batley. Mud bath in Cumbria. 4g at Widnes.

The small pitch didn't stop us scoring a belter of a rugby try against Leigh a couple of weeks ago when we went from one side of the field to the other with quick hands. Also fax had a player down so the small pitch should have felt bigger to us than them



We've spent the last two games with a man advantage for a total of 100 minutes out of 160 and lost both games.

Without been too critical, given the players you have at the moment Im not sure trying to play expansive rugby would benefit you at the moment. On the tight pitch against 12 players a lot of the Bradford players looked out on their feet, having to cover more ground would not help them in the slightest. I think Lilley is clutching at straws and I think he is one of the main reasons that bradford did so poorly against us Friday night. Maybe he is following instructions from above but like I have just posted on the Fax site, his whole body language for most of the game can't have inspired confidence in his team mates. Dropping a goal, taking the 2, the grubber in to touch with 10 mins to go, the back slapping of his players that had no response. Its like his own team mates don't even believe him. Playing against 12 players can you imagine the Fax dressing room at half time after Bradford dropped a goal, they must have been buzzing that even bradford didn't have the confidence to think they should pull away in the game.

Wasn't the drop goal in the last minute before half time?

If Lilley has had to take 1, kick the ball out etc cos we are goosed I’m not sure he can be to blame for that?

I'm certainly not blaming Lilley. He's a good player who gives his all but it points to a total malaise in the dressing room and a group of players who haven't a clue what to do.

When he put the ball into touch for the scrum late in the second half it was an admission that the side was more knackered than 12 man Fax. That and the penalty goal (an admission that their defence was too good for us) must have given Fax more encouragement. Poor tactical decisions. The one point was ok though as we got some points with little time on the clock.

Give or take a little yes. But......to me that screams a total lack of confidence and no doubt gave Fax a boost.

With a minute or two left of the half. 8-8. You take the drop goal to go in front. If you had a penalty in the same situation you’d take the 2. So why not the 1, it still means the opposition has to score points to get even or in front. Plus after failing last week numerous times to go for the drop when it was tight, this was one decision they got right!

Taking the two however, when they did, suits your statement more. As it didn’t put us in the lead as we already had it. And it didn’t impact the scoreboard much at that time. If there was like 5 mins to go then fair enough as it eats up the clock. But at that time, in front of the sticks, already 7 up (I think), you have to put pressure on 12 man Fax at that point.

If its a penalty in that situation then you are kind of forced in to going for the 2 points where as taking the 1 point screams that its going to be a tight game and its a concious decision to put that point on the board. I guarentee that will have been a topic of conversation for the Fax players at half time and used as motivation where as two from a penalty with not long left probably doesn't even warrant a mention as every team would be taking the 2 points there. At that point in the game the Bulls should not have even have been thinking about it been a tight game but that decision would certainly have been in the Bulls players thoughts and would have given Fax a boost.

Agree with the above about the bizarre decision making. The drop goal was the correct decision as mentioned but the ‘extra two’ to take it from a 7 point lead to a 9 point lead was bizarre and would have given fax a boost that we were admitting we couldn’t break them down.

Worst point being that, we didn’t even use the full minute when taking that 2 pointer.

Given we got arguably the most experienced coach in the league, why are we doing things like that?

I understand the points about the narrow pitch but it winds me up that we don’t learn to use it to our advantage given we play on it every other week.

Last season we seemed to kick out on the full most games. Other teams kept it on the island. We’ve got a crap lot, but let’s at least try to get the most out of our crap lot. An away side, coming to odsal once a year shouldn’t be using the pitch better than us.

Against Leigh and Fev, understandable, against a full 13 Fax, understandable. But (no disrespect)
Intended) we need to be doing better against the others

As has already been said having a narrow pitch actually helps defensively. The issue we've had with spreading the ball has been down to our really slow PTB. It stops quick service to the halfbacks and in turn to the outside backs. It's all very well Crossley making 10m on a carry but if he ends up on his back in a tangle on the floor and takes 6 or 7 seconds to get to his feet the defence is set. I like Doyle and he's one forward that can hold his head high in terms of effort but I think he needs to work on speeding up his passing.

Anyone else noticed the slowness of Patton and Lilley in spreading the ball? They seemed to pause in midfield to try and bring in the defence before moving it wide. I can see the logic but it was executed at a snail's pace so lost any benefit. They were both guilty of passing the ball inaccurately too so the runner had to check - also helping the defence. They weren't helped by the fact that nobody ran any decent lines once Scott went off injured.

Other times we tried to move the ball wide before we'd earnt the right and ended up going sideways. In those situations you need to keep hitting the middle and make them crack and then run straight when you move it wide rather than running people out of space.

Lastly, the Fax game and the Barrow game saw us get totally done over by the the opposition offloading the ball in the tackle. It wore us down (not hard). Why don't we try and offload more? Our players are often taken completely unawares when we do manage it.

A lot of this comes down to fitness and attitude at the end of the day.

The narrow pitch excuse is utter tripe. Has everyone forgotten our last away game, on a 68 meter wide pitch, against a team with out a win all season (and still dont have 1 by the way) we only scored 1 try and not a single point in the second half.

Oh and the game up at Workington the week before that was dire as well.

Utter crap that from Lilley im afraid.

You have to wonder what the marketing team made of his comments:

Lilley is quoted as saying “It’s never going to be an expansive, really good game on here, it’s one for the middles”. And admitting the players prefer to play away from Odsal.

Basically if you want to see a decent game, your best chance is when they visit an away ground. What sad state affairs this club finds itself in.

Unfortunatley thats not true either, see my last post above.

What's the point of a wide pitch when your middles are that knackered the backs are carting the ball up the middle 50-60% of the time? By the time we get to the inevitable and lamentable 'Patton to Gill (yes EVERYONE) knows the drill' the backs are too breathless to get off the ground....

Fairbank Grade E referral to tribunal. Punching- sustained,repeated or violent.
Long ban coming for him.
Looked really bad at the time

Both angles fax tv and bulls tv show hallas striking first and blood coming from Fairbanks face , depends if you think the rules should be subjective or objective.

They had a clash yep but no need for Fairbank to throw the punch as he did but don't really matter what we think. RFL have watched the footage and decided it warrants a tribunal. Whether he gets a ban is another matter.

I think fairbank should be banned no problem with that at all , hallas should receive a ban also , if player welfare is paramount and the game is to be fair then that should be the outcome, if it isn’t it is setting the precedent of as long as it’s not seen I can break the rules , not an attitude I want to be seen in any sport .

It was like watching a game from the 80s. Traditional opening minutes of softening up. Punches thrown. We even provided some rotund forwards to add to the effect.

Maybe that’s why fairbank was sporting his sting from dune hairdo , crossley doing his best attempt at the batistuta nod after Beckham sending off in 98 .

The fact that a player called Fairbank was sent off added even more to the air of nostalgia.

Haha. Bongser recalls Karl Konkreet, but for a second thought of George Fairbairn. When playing for HKR at home in the early eighties, the latter absolutely chinned a young second choice Leigh half (think his name was David Dunn). The lad was flat out - no action taken. The game was on the box and the Beeb summariser said "In fairness, the lad was asking for that."

My, my (or in third person: His, his), how the game has changed!