news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 487547.stm Also Rochdale have 5 first teamers banned for the game at Workington ... they must be feeling confident now! These Cumbrian teams are a bit crap! They've lost their last 5 games.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 487547.stm Also Rochdale have 5 first teamers banned for the game at Workington ... they must be feeling confident now! These Cumbrian teams are a bit crap! They've lost their last 5 games.

It's not getting beat, it's the coming back from a good distance behind with not long left and not keeping the momentum which I found most unusual

Yeah, that's a real shame.

Sorry, I'm gloating and setting myself up should we lose at the Skolars.

We have had plenty of warning shots now having seen Barrow and Workington slip up, we have to learn from their mistakes and know that losing is a very serious possibility. We need to pull out the A game!

We need Paul Cooke to enjoy himself and throw plenty of his trademark very short and very long passes.
We need Craig Fawcett to be adventurous and brave and go for the line himself whenever it looks on. He is the kind of bloke who when he believes in himself can make all the difference to the outcome of games like this.
We need Kesik to be cheeky and try his trademark burrowing tries.
We need a tackling performance of Alamo proportions by all the team. Because London will try to batter us.

We should not forget that we have won twice as many games as the Skolars and they have lost three times as many games as us.

But they have only lost at home to Barrow and Workington and that is impressive.

It's all in the mind to be won or lost. We have the better players, they have to believe that and play for each other as a team and never stop trying.

The rewards are phenomenal if they succeed.
The traveling fans would go bananas!

Cheer the team to victory you lucky lot who can make it.
Never stop singing!

if the Dons turn up.....we win .

by giving up the booze they will turn up no need to worry about that , skolers siz could be there downfall nippy players like fawcett hodson and sanderson will be too quick for em

I think the only thing that can beat us is nerves , we are a much better team than London , concentration from the start, right attitude , the rest should fall into place.

Indeed.

But we are at least the equal of those teams ... the league table tells us that.

Also a look at our away form suggests we should be good enough ... yes we lost to the other three promoted clubs away (but against the lowest placed of those we picked up a bonus point). We have beaten all the other play-off chasers home and away.

London have improved and are dangerous opponents on their own patch but we have the players and the form to complete the job.

COYD!

Defence is key IOM, and we have made really big efforts in that area this year. Fully expect The Skolars to go at it hard in the first 20. Our penalty count has been pretty good this year and that again could be a key area, deny them yardage with easy pens, I guess frustrate them. We do have enough to unlock them and score. As been previously said it will be damned hard and they are a good side on their own pitch. Pressure is on them for that 6th spot as much as it may be on us for the title. Has the makings of a cracker.

You haven't seen the Skolars at home this season I guess!

I know exactly what Donny hkr means, and sometimes would agree with him, but Sunday, I would quite happily take a 1-0 victory for the Dons (I know it probably won't happen like that), Skolars have an excellent home record this season, and whilst I feel we should respect that, at the same time, I hope we come out to show that we aren't top on the back of our fantastic home record, but that we can also do whats required away from home.

Lets hope its a good game, but hopefully, we can do it.

I think the RFL would prefer Skolars to be promoted ahead of Oldham

Neither will be promoted .

indeed... the play-offs has nothing whatsoever to do with promotion this season.
It's time Geoff went to some games and caught up.

Though I have great respect for Skolars' achievements this season, I would be very disappointed if we don't come away with the victory on Sunday. I tend to think that our only enemy will be complacency. I'm sure, with Paul Cooke's experience, that will be guarded against. If I'm honest, I would expect us to win by at least 10. Provided we keep our shape in defence and don't try to give the scoring pass to Lee Waterman in every attack, we will win

I also hope we dont waste good chances with a view to getting Lee another try, whilst we had the game won against Wales, 2 potential tries went begging for that reason.

London are the most improved side this season, but we didn't bring in the likes of Cooke etc to not win,...with the amount of players we have signed on for next season, this team not only needs to beat London but a hell of lot more clubs next season who will be far better equipped.....

PS if Worky finish 3rd who do they play in play offs? As read in papers last week they did not want to play us at our place....

PPS where is the play off final held this season?

If Workington finish 3rd they'll play whomever finished 6th at home, then the winner of 4th v 5th at home, then the loser of 1st v 2nd Away (assuming they keep winning)

Warrington again IIRC

You do recall correctly, it's at the HJ again.

well after 9 trips to donny,3 to cumbria,2 to wales,2 to lancs ,1to gateshead, (more miles than olympic torch i reckon) our league campaign comes to an end in the capitol, heres hoping for a happy ending, give it to them lads coyd

Best of luck for tomorrow Dons

Skolars have no doubt improved as the season has gone on. The key to Sunday's game for me is how well the Dons defend.

Skolars are able to score points and on bad days we can leak points. I'd hate to think it's going to be a 60 points to 50 game

as we score planty of points too.

Keeping Skolars to less than four tries should do the trick. If we let them over more than that it could well be a very tense afternoon for us all.

I'd back us to get at least 20, even with the pressure on. Three Skolars tries would keep them under 20. That should be good enough.

Good luck to all the lads. You deserve massive credit for the way you've played this season. Think about the defensive effort at Rochdale and a repeat of that will set us up nicely!

Good luck to everybody tomorrow, team and fans alike.

I can't go as I work a lot of Sundays and I choose to attend
home games but I will be there in spirit (and in Twitter).

Let's hope a little bit of history is made tomorrow afternoon.

Good Luck COYD.

I will be in attendance at the HJ for the finals, need another primrose and blue team to support



Can someone please give me the full play-off rundown..1st v 6th etc.. cheers

Just been looking through some old shirts and found the promotion winning shirt, as worn at Batley that day. Surprised too I can now fit back into it. Just wondering whether to wear it tomorrow so to invoke the same carnival spirit of the day.

This game is starting to suggest it might potentially have the same party spirit.

Lets all cheer with pride and passion, and guide the lads home.

(Just as an aside though, funny how 2 buses can get filled tomorrow, compared to hiw we couldn't even fill mini buses to Barrow, Wrexham and Whitehaven.