Between now and the end of July, we travel to Bradford, York and Hunslet (they have something in common other than being in Yorkshire). We also entertain Oldham.

If there isn't some sort of dramatic improvement, the play offs will, by then, be a distant dream.

Then the Keepmoat will be more like the Mary Celeste.....

It is a good job we have over 600 season ticket holders .

It appears the club and Carl seem more interested in trying to get a World Cup game at the Keepmoat than what is going on on the pitch currently. I just can’t see us anywhere near the playoffs at the end of the season the way things are going.

Marie Celeste ...
But in mock Japanese you're right ... we are 'crewless'.

Let's try and put some more meat on the bones and see what we're probably going to have to do to make the top five.

We're exactly half way through the season. The 5th placed teams have 16 points from 13 games. The fifth placed sides have won 8 and lost 5. It's perhaps fair to say that 16 points from the next 13 games has got to be the minimum target to stay in the top five.

The Dons fixtures are as follows:

Bradford A
Hemel A
York A
W Wales H
Hunslet A
Oldham H
Coventry A
Skolars H
Whitehaven A
Newcastle H
Keighley A
N Wales A
Workington H

So, we've got to win 8 and lose no more than 5 to reach the 32 point target. Assuming we lose to Bradford and York, that would mean we could only lose on three more occasions.

Hemel, West Wales, Coventry, Skolars, and North Wales are must win games.

The key games, of which we might be able to lose three and still finish fifth, are: Hunslet (A), Oldham (H), Whitehaven (A), Newcastle (H), Keighley (A), and Workington (H).

If other results go against us (ie Bradford and York drop points to our rivals) then we might only be able to lose two of the above.

If we lose to Hunslet and Oldham, we probably then couldn't afford to lose another game.

For me, the York game is critical. Beating them seems unlikely given our present form but we must come out of it with respectability and more self-belief if we're going to get back towards our best for the challenges against Hunslet and Oldham.

We need a settled side between now and then with our best 17 in the team. If we can get back to playing like we did in the home game against Newcastle there's no reason why we can't do it. If we can't get back to those levels, we're clearly going to struggle.

We need five of the following from Hull in our squad between now and the end of the season: Miloudi, Harris, Osborne, Bienek, Jordan Lane and Jez Litten.

Thirteen games left & 26 league points available
Wins
Hemel A
W.Wales H
Coventry A
Skolars H
Newcastle H
N.Wales A
Workington H

At the end of the normal league season this would give us a total of 30pts

We need to pick up some extra points in the remaining 6 fixtures against
Bradford A
York A
Hunslet A
Oldham H
Whitehaven A
Keighley A

The games against Oldham,Whitehaven & Keighley look like our best chance of wins but Oldham is the only home fixture of those three games

Wanderer (Gary) can we make this remaining fixtures -play off scenario a separate thread? The discussion is very valid and not one IMO to get lost in the Workington debacle topic.

Thanks Al

As you state Al, well worth it's own thread.

Done.

Unless we break the current drop in form/confidence, call it what you will, the wins highlighted by Geoff may not include North Wales away and Newcastle at home. The players have to start giving it back, I am at a loss to explain where on Earth the form that saw them take Whitehaven to the cleaners at home has disappeared .

The coach is now public stating what SO told us months ago that the 'middles' are failing to compete with their counterparts. No platform has a consequence and under the cosh. RH must have an idea by now of his best 17 given of course the injury situation and the availability of Hull players.

I really hate coming out with this but it just seems that yet another season is drifting away. I hope to goodness that I'm wrong.

PS

Wanderer

The losses to Hunslet, Oldham and Workington were drubbings ... let's be honest.
So away at Bradford, York, Hunslet, Whitehaven and Keighley will be losses barring accidents.
So best scenario is 8-0-5 ... a mirror of the first half of the season ... except the Keepmoat is not a fortress is it?
So slip-ups are possible as well.

Anyway we will finish in a position where we have next to no chance.

So for me it is done!

Time to ask bigger questions about just what it is that Horne brings to the party and why we have little idea what constitutes a well balanced side.
And why we keep buying turkeys when it ain't Christnas.
And why we claim to have money when we clearly haven't.
The end!

When you think about how it all started ... the goodwill, the anticipation surrounding the Dons.
That has ALL been dissipated and that goodwill will not be there at the start of next season even if they do the cheap season ticket offer again.
They have little substance and don't deliver ... unlike pizza takeaways.
A house of cards.
Smoke and mirrors.

Now where did I put my Pro Plus Pretty Potent Positivity Pills?

It is a good point is that about the goodwill. I call it smile back on your face, the optimism, the upsurge in confidence regarding the team and the season. I hate the thought of grumbling and being dragged back into the negativity, but one thing is certain. it is down to the selected seventeen not us on here. I posted at the start of the season about Doing it for Don. What happened to that because the bloke deserves have a season dedicated to him to remember and certainly not one were we finish just above the emerging clubs.

The erosion of my positivity towards this season started with the Lane/Litten on loan for the season to oh there dual reg now and the whole Albert brother fiasco.

The sale of Harris to Hull was the final straw, despite Carls comments that it was the best deal for the club.....I can see no evidence it was on the pitch.

While RH is "employed" by both clubs his loyalties are going to be towards whoever pays him the most...ie Hull FC. Though I cannot blame him fully for the current situation it has been proved over 3 years now that low investment in the team and an over-reliance on DR doesn't work from DRLFC.

It didn't work for Paul Cooke
It didn't work for Gary Thornton
Its not working for Richard Horne

I cannot see us making the playoffs this season, if we do by some fluke it will only be a fleeting visit, maybe then Club Doncaster can review there the entire policy regarding DRLFC and we can actually be realistic about our aims and recruit accordingly rather than promises of "jam tomorrow".

Every season that passes without gaining promotion does threaten the goodwill of the fans. There's no doubt about that. It becomes harder to sell a vision if you've not succeeded with a similar vision previously.

What happens this season is still in the players, coaches, and club's hands. Are we good enough to get in the play-offs if we have our best 17 players on the pitch week-in, week-out? We should be! We looked much better than Whitehaven at the start of the season, Newcastle were much inferior in the cup game, and we could have beaten York in a close game. We can do it. It's obviously harder to do it when the pressure is on, or when you're seemingly out of form, but that's the challenge facing us now.

It's time for everyone to show some grit and determination, not to feel sorry for themselves.

Yeah but the players know they ain't going anywhere.
I suspect.
If we do ... they do.

I agree with Double Movement the best team available has to play.DON'T use squad rotation it doesn't work

I totally agree that we should be playing our strongest 17 week in week out... the problem is Horne has said repeatedly that he won’t pick any player if their not 100% fit or even carrying a slight knock. As the season goes on most players will be carrying some sort of niggling injury or not be 100% fit so be interesting to see if he sticks to that policy.

Horne said recently he would play the strongest side with no unnecessary rotation.
So presumably that side that went to Worky was that!
He must have cringed if that was his strongest team of those available.

And now further injuries to a couple of our more consistent players to contend with.

Crucially Cross is a halfback ...
So I predict freefall ...

Some positive news from Jason Tali from the Free Press:

“Hopefully I’ll still be at Doncaster next year as I’m really happy here but it obviously depends on the club,” he said.

[urlhttps://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/bradford-bulls-v-doncaster-rlfc-jason-tali-relishing-trip-to-league-one-leaders-1-9219049[/url

That tranlsates as 'if they offer me enough dosh I will stop.'

It also translates into, 'I'm not unhappy playing for Doncaster or Richard Horne and would like to commit to the club for next year."

Or could be I’m happy to stay at Donny until Hull have some injuries in the centres and then I’m off there.