So anyhow, Widnes.

I think we may struggle with our back line, looks as though our centre partnership will be salter and blair. Not sure how much ball our wingers will get with that.

With that back line, we have to win the forward battle, If we struggle with that then I think we will get beat.

Widnes will come at us quick hoping to capitalise on our slow start and build some momentum. I'd be starting with Mulhern, Masoe, Lunt. But I don't think we will

If we can not beat Widnes we want shooting

hmmm, still an hard place to go there. A couple of bigger teams have only just scraped victories, and like i say with a back line of blair and salter our creativity will be reduced. Now they are confirmed for middle 8's as well that kind of pressure release they may throw it about more. Tough tough game, but it's one if we play well in we should win.

Many making the trip across? I am still!

The stuff of legends wasn’t it? Best. Meltdown. Ever.

Just 10 players unavailable this week, Vaivai, Shaw, Heffernan, Minns, Jewitt, Addy, Lawler, Marsh, Johnson & Wardill so one of our strongest line ups of the season.

What's happening with minns?

Not in our hands.Will have to see if his mitigating circumstances cut him any slack? Unlikely imo. A real shame all round. What went wrong tonight?

: bad ref and injuries

Just had a peruse of the match thread. No shame in losing to the Champion's elect. Lots of injuries again and maybe a ban? Normal service is resumed mid table chaff

Yes it was magnificent. Still hasn't found his dummy i bet. Probably still under the sofa.

.....or still in orbit

Gutted not to be there today 4th away game I've missed this year. Hoping the robins make it three

Job done. Fridays game looks tasty

Carney "hobbling off" according to the HDM, don,t like the sound of that. Hope it,s nothing much, but we can,t afford to be losing our better players now. Missed any commentary, what,s up with Tomkins and Lee?

I hope Carney does not get another contract with us he’s far to injury prone as good as he is on the pitch I’d rather see the over seas spot used some where else

Cramp I think? Looking a little short in the backs if Shaw is long term?

Harsh.

He’s been rushed back to help the team and deserves more respect. However this probably tilts his mind further towards retirement at the end of the season.

When he’s played he has been top class for us this season, and having met the bloke I can confirm he is a genuinely decent kid.

Awful game in suffocating conditions.

Justin Carney looks like 4 weeks off again. Lee injured during warm up Tomkins a late withdrawal.

We won and although the top 8 remains unlikely Salford need a miracle to catch us now so at least 4 home games in the qualifiers. Today was a timely reminder that any away game can be difficult that extra home game could be so important. Ourselves and Leigh are the only super 8 relegated teams both with just 3 home games.

I'm old enough to remember the start of Super League everyone played night matches during June/July/August to avoid the heat we haven't had a summer worthy of the name since so that was forgotten. This game was a reminder. It really would have been a higher quality game in cooler conditions.

Four Super League games unbeaten though, just 2 more to beat the record of Justin Morgan's 2009 top 4 team.

Played the best side in the comp with a team half filled with kids. Pretty amazing we were winning with about 20 to go but they ran out of steam

by half you mean 4 -

miloudi
logan
abdul
turgut
matongo
downs
lane

All young and with barely any SL experience. Good experience for them though

Joined Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5 (now 6) apparently.

miloudi hardly a kid at 25 although he does still get the odd backhander off radders for losing his ball

I suppose when these players are all in together of course they will find it hard against the likes of saints , this is what happens when you load up the top end of your salary cap and they get injured you cant have it both ways.

See this is where I think F.C (and some other S.L teams) are coming unstuck. It was O.K for F.C to sign the likes of Kearney, Swain, Berrigan, Fitzgibbon, Sing, Blacklock and other oversees players who played 20+ caps for Australia because they were able to supplement the squad with GENUINE quality academy players who were on relative peanuts compared to the above mentioned (according to Josh Hodgson's recent article), players like Yeaman, Houghton, Washbrook, Cooke, Rich and Graeme Horne, Scott Wheeldon, Paul King etc.



If you compare to todays F.C squad list, barring Shaul (who is 26 now so not a youth) the gulf in difference is huge, they have nowhere near the quality to suppliment the huge earners in the squad.


Rovers had a lot of caching up to do from promotion in 2007, and i think we have more or less caught up with the majority of Super League in creating a conveyor belt for kids. We still need more in my opinion, but from what my 15 year old neigbour tells me Castleford are signing the cream of the crop in the East Riding district.

Anyone else think rovers might pop into the loan market before the deadline? Probably need some cover in the backs