Too many games being scraped through by the skin of their teeth.

Time for the "were not settled yet" & "when we get players back" arguments to stop, we have [iThe Most expensive squad outside Super Dooper League [/i this team should be destroying allcomers in this league, no question.

We have the talent 'individually' & some times it clicks 'for 20 minutes' but I sure as hell hope it all clicks for the full 80 'every game' or we will look very foolish.

I'd be most worried about your discipline. Play like that in the middle eight and you'll get mullered.

You got out of jail today.

Discipline was poor today, ball retention was rubbish and James Child was just bizarre.

We spent the entire 2nd half defending our line and were down to 12 men, then 11, then 12 again.

Wish I had brought my binoculars for that 2nd half as play was entirely at the other end, and nearly all Fev possession too.

I think the team owe Adam Higson a pint or three as he pulled out 2 genuinely World Class try saving tackles today to prevent Fev winning that match. How on earth he stopped Fev scoring I have no idea. I have been critical of his defence this season but those 2 attempts were stunning and made him look like Jarryd Hayne.

Lastly, as poor as our discipline was, I have no idea how Fev kept 13 players on the pitch today whilst we had 2 men put in the bin within minutes of each other.

He pulled Griffin out to talk to him specifically on 3 or 4 occasions and yet never did anything about it. He went in with his knees on Rangi Chases head early doors and took a massive swing at Higham later on for starters. I expect he will miss a game or 2 once the video is reviewed.

Anyway, we were dodgy from the off today so to get a win with the sheer weight of possession and territory Fev had is a relief.

A great 2 points. Very hard fought for and ultimately deserved although I must admit I was impressed by Fev.

Dear Neil

A game is 80 minutes long. Please can you fix it for me to see more than 15 minutes of top class rugby and less than 65 minutes of dross.

Ps still can't believe we won that game today. Best team lost IMO today. They played more exciting rugby certainly.

2 points is 2 points.

True. But mistake after mistake within 30 of our own line and penalty after penalty (again) does not help with my stress levels.

Don't agree that the best team lost. I thought our steely defence at the end under constant pressure just about edged it for us. They scored 2 tries when we were down to 11 men which didn't help.

Higson saved our blushes today and was my MoM just for those defensive plays. Looked to be 2 certain tries until he came up with miracle tackles.

Acton was fantastic, best forward on the pitch.

Chase looked dangerous with ball in hand and tackled very hard. Twice forced knock ons when Fev had great field position.

Overall, more relieved that anything else. Thread title sums it up, FAR too close for comfort defending set after set at the end just 6 pts up was really nerve wracking!

I rarely have a good word to say about Fev but they were fantastic today with a young side out, fair play to them!

I don't often criticise Refs, but MrChilds came up with some very puzzling decisions today,how their No 8 didn't get sin binned or sent off is beyond me, he was searching the line to attack Mickey Higham,at every opportunity,again another game where we played in patches,we seem unable to score long range tries these days,the plusses ?Rangi had a decent comeback game, Higson me a couple of great tackles,one against 3 men,Lee Smith solid at the ba k and our Pack stood out again.
I thought Riddy had a quiet game,as did Liam Kay,it's never easy at Fev but they were the better team in the second half,Leigh games are never boring but it was a very nervy ending,bring on Batley next week , we owe them one.

Very surprised today with the Leigh performance. Our defence has improved massively this season but thought You played into our hands a bit by going up the middle. When you threw the ball out you looked dangerous but you hardly did it.

The Leigh teams we have played over the past few season have destroyed us with some fantastic expansive rugby.

Really enjoyed the game today even though we lost. Hopefully when we meet again we'll have something like a full team out and have a good go at you again

Managing to defend all these sets is great I suppose. But ask yourself, why are we having to do all this defending. How many times did we threaten the Featherstone line in that 2nd half. Twice? Three times? How many times did we have to drop out? Losing Paterson was a blow and Hock swearing at the ref for his yellow along with Actons yellow could have cost us the game regardless of whether one or 2 Fev players should have been yellow carded.

Does anyone know what Childs put on report just before a scrum in the 2nd half?

Heard a few people say that Rich Whiting claimed he had been bitten

If that's true then 2 games this weekend have had this. What is this world coming to when we can't feed our players properly

Apparently he put himself on report.

100% agree Demon. I am not defending our performance. It was sloppy, error ridden and undisciplined. The 2nd half today was ridiculous. We just didn't seem to touch the ball. Think we only got into Fevs half 3 times. Twice won penalties and took the 2, the other time we scored a try.

The number of repeat sets was ludicrous due to constant penalties. We would soak up all the pressure then as soon as we got the ball back we turned it over! Weston's daft offload, Kay's knock on, we just kept giving them the ball back time after time and then having to defend even more.

The pick of the bunch was after defending about 5 straight sets on our line, we finally got the ball back and Child bizarrely pulled us on our own 40 for an incorrect play the ball (out of the other 100 incorrect PTB's in EVERY game?!?!) and we were right back under pressure again for another couple of sets.

We had no right to win that game with a completion rate like we had today. It must have been around 30% in the 2nd half which is pathetic for a full time team, or any team really.

We can still score with relative ease when in good territory. We had far far less chances than Fev today but were pretty clinical near the line. We just never got near the line because we never had the ball.

Today we played some of the dumbest rugby we have played all season. Plus Child hammered us in the penalty count 2nd half as well as putting 2 men in the bin whilst allowing Griffin to attack people all afternoon without consequence.

5/10 performance at best. Must improve for Batley next week!

A serious question:-

How many scrum penalties do any of you remember seeing in recent seasons? (not counting the THREE awarded today!

) Every game I watch that he "controls", (and I use the word loosely) I seem able to remember so much of what he has done, and very little of what the 34 players did.

I thought Fev played well and we did in patches.

James Childs had a very poor game imo.

16 - 10 penalty count in Fevs favour apparently.

However much of a prick Child might be (and he really really is!) 16 penalties is completely unacceptable. Combined with our high error count and 2 men sin binned it is no wonder we struggled. Turned over way too much ball.

Seems odd to say after conceding 24 pts but our defence today (when it really mattered) was superb. Those last 10 minutes with a narrow lead we did nothing but defend set after set after set right on our own line and Fev couldn't find a way over despite hitting us with everything they had. Higson, Maitua and Smith all put in some crucial tackles when it looked for all the world that Fev were going to score.

Every side we play are 'fired up to the hilt' as if they are playing a Super League side....and the Ref's seem to react on 'reputations/last seasons disciplinary record'. We are the top scorers in the division by 58 points, and 7 points clear of 5th place. We can't do worse than last season in the 'middle 8s' so let's just 'wait & see' how it all unfolds....

Well played Fev. Really gave it a go today and were a credit to the town. However, like it or not, you failed to win. Leigh are a resilient team and are difficult to beat and deserve credit for this. Even with players sin binned they held out. Leigh are a work in progress even now, but a fact is that they have only dropped 3 points all season in the Championship. I don't blame our fans for being critical of some of our performances so far, but one thing that has not been lacking in the league is effort. How AJ saved that try when their winger ran clear from the Talapapua break I don't know. Also, first try excepted, our goal line defence worked hard. We shouldn't put ourselves in that position in the first place but credit to Fev, they played well today. A good game today for which both teams deserve credit. However, being a tad biased, I want to say well done Leigh. Resilience was the key today to victory.

Have I stumbled across an objective assessment by mistake?

Did chase get much abuse from the fev contingent ?

Yes!

One fellow just in front of me stuck 12 fingers up at him. Disgraceful stuff.



As a serious answer though, the 1st time he got tackled he was brought to the floor by 2 defenders and then Darrell Griffin came in late, 3rd man, and dropped the knees onto his head as he was lying prone on the floor. Lets just say it didn't look accidental!!

Rangi was spaced out for a few minutes but played on and did well. I expect Griffin will be missing a match or 2 for that one and I would expect that isn't the only offence he will be charged with by Red Hall.

As indignant as the Fev fans were about Gaz Hock today it was one of their own that truly lost the plot this afternoon and I would be stunned if he avoids a ban after his antics today.

A cracking game thoroughly enjoyed by all. I have had some reight stick all week fro my mate gingdong. I thought we'd get Tupped by 50... I was suggesting so to frank and Charlie in the top house.
To play like we did and to be within a shout of actually getting something out of the game just underpins the attitude sharpy has got from his team.... A club on its ar se after Feisal left us and the debacles that were Andy hay and in particular john Bastian.
It'll take some rebuilding but the effort yesterday was heartening even in loss.
Sh it loads better attitude than last year.....
And can I just put on record that charlie and frank Blackburn bought me a drink......






I'm making an assumption that frank's "interest rates" will be applied at leigh!!!!

For something to happen as a result of those "challenges" by Griffin, it looks like either the match officials, or Leigh will have to report them. This is the extract from the RFL's 'On field and Compliance procedures', relating to the citing of Championship players:-

[iIn relation to each round of Championship Matches, League One Matches, League One Cup Matches, Challenge Cup Matches solely involving Championship or League One teams and Matches played in limited age and non-first grade competitions, the Panel meet on the Thursday following the Round of Matches in question and consider any incidents that have been reported by Match Officials or otherwise brought to the attention of the Panel, irrespective of any on field action which may or may not have been taken. [/i

The ref appeared to see little wrong with the incidents, and I don't think the club has a history of citing players, so he could well have got away with the apparent fouls. Had it been a SL game, he would probably have been up on a least three counts!

S.L. refs should stay where they are an leave the championship to our refs.The S.L. refs cant make a decision as they are that used to the video official doing all the work for them