Milking? He clearly got hit hard in the head by Wheeldon, then two players jumped on him, I'd bet most players would would have stayed down after taking a hit to the head off a prop, it should have been 10 minutes.

Nothing to do with Connor, he was doing it all match, as soon as we went 20 points in the lead in the 2nd half, they gave up playing rugby, the ref took too long to get involved and we stupidly got dragged in.

Connor does need to control himself a bit at times though I agree, as he is getting a reputation and will be targeted my refs, he has been sinbinned twice recently and if it had been another player they would have just got spoken too.

Any other game though and Connor wouldn't have been sin binned last night. He got a yellow for a push, after sticking up for his team mate who just got dumped on his head. Holmes pushed first and Connor just pushed back. Understand why he was sin binned,the ref was just trying to defuse every situation,but under normal circumstances Holmes would have been binned for the throw and Connor given a bit of a telling off.

Reckon we're gonna be having an academy v academy derby next week, and I don't expect it will be a match that neutrals are now planning on sticking around for.

You see the issue with that?



On simulation, I was impressed with Carney saying we have to admit that it exists in our game and it has reached a point where the players (and by extension their coaches) have to decide where it goes from here, not the refs.

Nearly every tackle the players are looking to the ref for a decision, chucking themselves on the floor, or holding while claiming they’re being held, and the like. It doesn’t make for an edifying or entertaining spectacle.

I do haha. I was ignoring the COHA and meaning the players who have come through before the COHA was introduced.

When the ref fails to protect players they will only take so much before responding . On connor if he put as much effort into his game as he does his mouth what a player he would be .Onto the derby do you have any half backs we can borrow , looking forward to a lot of local lads playing for both sides and as Radders said last night the ones who get picked will be bouncing !

Harris

I agree. You see it regularly in every game and it's starting to get ridiculous.
Powell was practically advocating in his post match comments last weekend.

Some of it seems to come from a lack of confidence in the officials so the players over egg things to try and make it obvious. As such I think 2 refs would help to clean it up to an extent. What else can be done I'm not sure. Start penalizing simulation? A recipe for even more controversy to be certain. Stop penalizing anything so it becomes pointless? Chaos ensues.
As you say though it's ultimately up to the players and coaches. A collective decision needs to be made on how we want to play the game.

Limiting the role of videos refs would help. Players are staying down cause they know it will give the video ref chance to look at it again, and also the on field official will see it on the big screen.
Let video refs check for try or no try and that's it. At a stretch let them check who shuttled a ball out of play (drop out or 20 metre restart) but they shouldn't be allowed to look at things themselves and radio down to the on field official telling them to change their decision.

The COHA is an intresting one, Hudds have had injury problems and have been playing the Senior twins who are 17. In the COHA there is outstanding halfback who is 17, I'm guessing as he isn't signed to either team then he couldn't play first team rugby?

Can't see it, registered with Donny and not sure w could fit him under the cap.

I'd think we'd look at Smith at Saints if Sneyd is out for the season, but I expect Radford to to stick with what we have.

Thinking about it some more, as fans we have to take responsibility too, and think about the point at which we don’t want to win ‘like that’.

One of the highlights of 2017 for me was when, defending a narrow lead vs Widnes, we held on in the tackle conceding a worthless penalty and wasting a few more potentially crucial seconds. Now, my joy arose from a very particular previous event and it was about laying a ghost to rest and showing that we could be hard headed. I remember it almost as fondly as Shaw’s long range try. But I was celebrating a professional foul, no two ways about it.

I think everyone thought the same about that professional foul

It was a hugely cathartic moment. But I imagine to Widnes fans it just looked like bad sportsmanship.

The thing with simulation now though is the amount of it - it feels like we’re well past the thin end of the wedge, and maybe even the point of no return, because it seems to work.

We did loads at the middle 8’s away game at Leigh too, and it showed we had learned a few lessons from 2016. Derek Beaumont saw it slightly different to me have to say.

Anyway back on topic. Our injury list appears to have been miraculously halved due to the intervention of the faith healer that is Gareth Westmorland. Everyone is apparently cured apart from Flash Flanagan.

On the flipside, Hull are so decimated that Radfords yet to be conceived grandchild is lined up to play half back. Our chances of avoiding humiliation are once again in tatters.

Obviously the HDM invariably goes with the Hull FC narrative nowadays. However, in fairness, after 429 consecutive derby defeats stretching back to 1754 (numbers are approximate), I suspect there’s an element of them just trying to drum up interest.

We’ve got to keep going up to August and the middle 8s now. The games until then still matter and it’ll hurt a little when we lose and it’ll be nice if we can pick up some more wins. They just don’t have any wider meaning, and to cope some degree of emotional disengagement is probably advisable.

That’s easier said than done when you are sat in a 3/4 empty stadium watching us take another beasting and all you have to amuse yourself is to add up how much the weekend just cost you.

Whenever I'm feeling down about the last couple of seasons I watch that documentary from the 90s in disbelief that our club was really in that bad of a state it makes me realise things aren't so bad after all on a side note I see Mrs B is going into overdrive on the injury front

Aye, I’m sure - and imagine being Hudgell and Crossland!

As NH said, the fun went out of it a while ago. Just about loyalty now. And that is easier for me, given my more limited time commitment, I readily admit. Think of me sunning myself in blissful ignorance as Hull run in their umpteenth try, won’t you?



I must say though, I just watched Sheens pre-match interview for the Wigan game, and I do prefer being responsible for my own expectation management. Used to start watching Sandercock’s thinking ‘with a fair wind, we’ve got half a chance’, and by its end ‘let’s just get it over with’. Other way round with Sheens.

Here’s to a better, or at very least more fun, future!

Have to agree with you there, I have a lot of respect for our management especially NH who I suspect was like a lot of fans but was fortunate to have been successful & had the chance to do something about it & many thanks to him. I suppose the reality & politics of the game take the glamour away from the dream. I am happy that we have Tim Sheens unlike the disaster Sandercock he has the team with him & is looking ahead as this squad with a couple of additions & all fit will be a different proposition next year. I only expect our team to do their best tomorrow! If that is not good enough then so be it. next week will be interesting for both clubs but we are in a different stage of development than the squad at FC who must feel cursed after the steady improvement over the last few seasons.

It’s amusing to a certain extent, but like a vintage comedy on Dave, you have heard all the punchlines before and know how it turns out in the end.

Crikey, Timely boosts, Cockle. Old posts dredged up from 12 years ago to score imaginary points. Same every Derby week. Work on the principle 4 or 5 of the supposed unavailable players will step out for both sides and you won't be far wrong.

wouldn't surprise me if 2/3 of our walking wounded play, taylor,paea,tuime,

I suppose a lot depends on any possible further injuries against the Pies tomorrow. Either way magic will be interesting.

The last derby she made a big point of Maguire and Lunt would definitely play and Houghton definitely wouldn't even though Radford said he would she's the queen of spin typical woman can't be wrong