Anyway, well done the Dons.
I think we need to tighten up our defence.
We are playing like Brazil used to do at football.
It doesn't matter what the opposition score, we will score more.
That's very good to watch, but it's a bit sloppy.
Meanwhile Workington have conceded just 72 points.
And although we have outscored them, there is next to nowt in it in points difference.
Gateshead exploited our left flank a few games back and Rochdale did the same today. I am not quite sure why they couldn't do it at Spotland, but thank goodness they didn't.
There is a problem there that needs sorting.
Even in attack the left side looks a shadow of its former self.
These are mere details because the lads are winning in style, BUT we were too sloppy today and it nearly went pear shaped so we need to look at it.
PS
I thought Lawton had a great game and has been terrific since he came back. He's an unsung hero.
Did he get MOTM today?

Yes think Lawton did get the MOTM, i also think Craig has been outstanding in defence and in attack.

have to agree about the left side great in attack but vunerable in defence,1 of rochdales tries early in the 2nd half showed how the defense is on that side,hope it was just an of day.but its great to see us as an attacking team scoring from anywhere.and we are not a 1 man show its a 17 player performance roll on next sun.coyd.

report in the star www.thestar.co.uk/sport/rugby-league

report in the star www.thestar.co.uk/sport/rugby-league

Certainly made me sweat

But a win is a win and a return from the bookies is sweet too.

Lawton had an excellent game and was a worthy winner of the MOTM award.

Also concur with the general consensus that the left side defence is a concern.

Bad news re Grant, hope it's not a season-ending injury as suggested in the press.

Thats because I was going on the score on Sky results centre, the time in Mexico was 10.50 am (6 hrs behind) and although the result had not turned red or blue or whatever colour it turns when its final, I was confident that given the time, that was the final score. Anyway you perdantic old sod



its still a damn good aggregate score against a team that has always given us problems in the past.

See you on Sunday when ther Keepmoat pitch will be as sandy as the one I am about to leave.

May be just me but I find it pretty hard to be critical of a side that is top of the league having scored.
286 points in just 7 games. At the start of the season the talk. Was about can we make the top 4. I would like to think were thinking about possibly winning it now.lets enjoy been the championship 1s barcelona.#bestteam# .and get behind the lads. c o y d

Read Tony Miller in the RL Express and you will find that even the coach was not happy about what happened in defence, and he said he would look at tightening it up.
Sorting that will make us a much harder team to beat and teams like the Cumbrian sides will look to expose weaknesses like that if we don't sort it.
There is nothing wrong with being good and wanting to be better.
That is what progression is all about and that must be our goal.

very profound SO - are these words from Star Trek by any chance ?

I don't watch Star Trek, but I thought their phrase was "To boldly go where no man has gone before"

terrible diction mate !

it should be 'to go boldly...' - typical yanks !

mustn't split your infinitives !!!



anyway,sounds yet another satisfactory display from the lads - how much influence is Mr Cooke having after all the pre season hype ?

COYD

Cookie just can do things that other players in our division can't, or don't even see as a possibility. The long pass to Hodson this week, the delicate grubber to set up a first half try are just two examples.

Also, it may or may not be down to him, but Fawcett has come on leaps and bounds this year for me

Just doing the MoM vote...can someone post the team so I can confirm I have it right

Butterfield
Colton
Cowling
Waterman
Hodson
Cooke
Fawcett
Castle
Kesik
O'Loughlin
Spurr
Lawton
Edwards

Emmitt
Powley
Spiers
Welsh

not entirely sure which way round Spurr and Lawton were on teamsheet but they were both second row

Cheers, thats what I had...just in a slightly different order!

I would think that playing with better quality players must rub off on other players - I know Steve Menzies has been inspirational with the younger lads at Perpignan for example - even Trent Robinson is in awe of the guy not only with his skill and experience but his incredible appetite for the game at his age

what's the expression ?

' form is temporary but class is permanent '

To watch cookie during the game. Urging .prompting.advising.praising.even consoling.let alone the individual pieces of brilliance.from the man.is a lesson to other players and worth the entrance fed alone.~ lets have more of it.

I meant fee ! Predictive is yank

Did you see the rollocking he gave someone when he almost played the ball to no-one after the turn over!

Had a good chat with a Dons leading light a few weeks ago about Paul Cooke. He has settled in really well, his attitude his first class and they are really buzzing about what he brings to the club and especially his efforts in bringing about a more professional attitude and responsibilty to the lads who have not played at his level. It does appear the the blokes influence is paying off.

Cookes vision is excellent. He seems to pick out players to pass to that others don't consider as being as part of the play.

And another thing about Sunday.
We lost the ball on about 4 or 5 occasions just taking it in on basic drives.
Now I know there is a lot of ball targeting nowadays, but I thought that was slack.
Apart from that and a tendency to want to fight and get banned, everything, apart from the defence issue, was just great.

Waterman was swinging punches. Did he get put on report?

It all went slightly pear-shaped discipline-wise but I suspect there was some needle in the tackle. I think the Waterman incident may have been as a consequence of his ragging one of the Ornits with a throw

. I seem to recall we got the penalty when Waterman had been throwing punches anyway, so it must have been as retaliation. I didn't see the ref signal on-report, but it was at the other end of the ground from me so....

As regards the ref, he should have yellow-carded players earlier to defuse the situation before it got out of hand. That
was the way I saw it.