I think we do underperform in big games.
2014 Challenge cup final.
2017 Grand Final (and let’s remember how lucky we were to beat St Helens in the semi-final too).
2018 semi-final at Wigan. We were nilled. Never looked like scoring.
2019 play-off game against Salford. Again, nilled. Again, never looked like scoring.

We do lose the big games.

When did we move to an 11 team superleague......or are saints that good they are in a league of there own ?

He's done better than OK, but for some b2b Challenge Cups at Wembley cloud their view of just how good a squad he had, and has for this coming season. Too many FC fans would see a top 5 finish as success. The majority, however, believe we will challenge this season, every team has cheerleaders and doom mongers.

So has Radford, he took over a average side and won us two major trophies with 4 years. He has made mistakes recruitment wise, but seems to have learned from that, think our best signing in the off season could be Purtill, think an experienced assistant is exactly what Radford needed.

Dont Cas spend the same as Hull, so dont get your point, our facilities are good, but financially work against us.

Clearwing leads the way with an intelligent analysis and most agree.....Picked this one out as it is very telling when it comes to the possibility SL will go to 10 at some point. Certainly not to 14 again. Worth remembering next time some people start constructing fantasy leagues.

In the previous thread we had for 2020 predictions. I’m sure I had Wakefield second bottom. However, in light of the injury crisis they are going through (even though the season hasn’t even started!!!) I would like to revise my prediction and put them bottom

i’m gonna go;

St Helens
Warrington
Wigan
Leeds
Hull
Catalan
Castleford
Wakefield
Huddersfield
Salford
Toronto
Hull KR

You are nothing if not predictable.

We already have about 8/9 players out injured. I would like to revise my prediction and take us out of the top 5 and put us about 9th

Its a joke now.

It does make you wonder whether too much is being asked of the players.
More and more games and the international program or World cup, at the end of each season, meaning a very short off season for so many players.
It's no wonder that so many are busted
It's certainly time for the Easter fixtures to be changed but, I'm sure that we'll get back to that one nearer the time.

It does seem that more and more clubs are getting more and more injuries

Yes you are right but and I know it’s been said before but did the players years ago not work and play rugby league and more games then now so maybe it’s the speed and training that’s to blame it should be looked at to see

Exactly what the reserve teams are for. Rotation.

To be fair, I just think that the game is quicker and more physical and with the higher number of rotations/ substitutions in the game, it's just unrelenting.
Back in the day, it was a tough sport but, the gain line was 6 yards away and not 10 metres and although players can run from deep (regardless of how far the defensive line is set), there is absolutely no doubt that, generally, players are bigger, faster, stronger and the game much, much quicker - notwithstanding the wrestling and laying on that didn't exist all those years ago.

Easter fixtures have changed haven't they?

About time as well but, the point still stands, the game is so much quicker.
When I first started watching seriously in the late 80's Fev had a huge prop, Brendan Hill, who I believe was 18-19 stone.
If you compare his physique to that of Walmsley or Hill or perhaps the Burges boy's, you can see the difference in fitness instantly.

Back then,a typical centre was 12/13 stone but nowadays, they will be 14 1/2 - 15 stone.

And the rest! Absolutely filthy as well. One of the last of his kind thank god. I saw him towards the end of his career on a sloped pitch, they played him downhill but sensibly didn't bring him out for the second half.

Did Brendan Hill play for Featherstone?

I remember him at Bradford, Halifax and latterly Keighley.

No he didn't but there were plenty of fat 20 plus stone props in the 80s and 90s.

Maybe getting mixed with Jeff Grayshon?

Although Grayshon (and many other of those big blokes) had more ball playing skills than the vast majority of today's halfbacks....

Jeff Grayshon had a long career at the top as a top class muscular International forward, his son entered the game but didn't quite have the muscular physique of his dad and was more a Brendan Hill shape. Ian Van Bellen was a large barrrel of a man. His son Gary didn't quite do as well.

Somehow Number 8's were of a kind, huge but immobile. Les Tonks was another one at Fev. I never got what he brought to the team....

When Les played at Wakefield the in joke was how many shirts he would get through in the season, many a time players would end up ripping the shirt of his back due not being able get a good hold on him, what he did bring to the game is weight in the contested scrum and a virtually unstoppable lump on the attacking line, it did come at a cost as he was slow and struggled to keep up with play similar to pauli at the beginning of last season who came back from the break in worst condition for a professional modern rugby player

Quite right, my mistake


He was akin to the bad guy in wrestling, like Giant Haystacks, the pantomime villian.

And so it comes to pass. The inability of Radford to halt a turn around poor performances costs him a job. It all started so well in round one, but he simply doesn’t know what to do when his team loses a game.

Dave chisnall was another , sidestep like brett kenny, throw a dummy like thurston and a belly like jocky wilson but a great player

Very light on his feet was Dave.