Re: Parker and Hardaker : Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:53 am  

knotlaknight wrote:

I have seen fev a few times this year and I know they have beaten the better times this year in the championship but I still feel Barrow, widnes and Halifax and possibly Leigh will come out on top in the championship this year and that fev will slip and as far signing there players after a game against Keighley i suggest some fans sober up quick,

On what evidence do you base your hypothesis???
If Fax end up in the top two I'll show my @rse on Cas market!! How many times have you seen them this season?? They're ok against bottom teams - and even then they struggled v Keighley at times. It was 44-4 at our gaff!! Not exactly close wouldn't you say???
We've beaten Barrow on their own turf. Score a hatful of points for and few against, whilst not conceeding 1 bonus point against us and have won 7 from 7! I''ll sing fev's praises based on watching them over a season and observing the manner of their victories so far.
Yes, I'll concede we're only a couple of defeats from reality and Barrow are now hitting some serious form - and are still the main threat for me. Saying that, Leigh are deservedly 2nd. - that's "2nd!!
I'll accept opinions and feeling - but at kleast give your statement some credibility by stating why you feel that way! Otherwise your comment looks a little futile!

Re: Parker and Hardaker : Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:58 am  

Fully wrote:

Not really.

Cupsets happen all the time in sports. Even their fans were good enough to acknowledge that if that game was played ten times, they would probably only win two or three times.

Having an injury crisis and a weak squad with a few people who hadn't got back to full fitness and losing doesn't mean anything. I'd love to be still in the cup but it's once less competition to worry about and gives us a week off in two weeks time to get a few players back and into fitness.

Lets look at the players that were missing: Owen, Shenton, Sherwin, Higgins, Widders, Ferres, Massey and a loan player Tuson. We also had Dixon and Evans returning from injuries in their first ever game.

League is more important at the moment.

What amazes me in these cup games where super league teams take on championship teams, is its always highlighted how many players the super league teams are missing, Barrow had a few players out at the weekend, same with our game against Warrington it was all about who they had missing, never once got mentioned we had Tonks and Saxton out

Re: Parker and Hardaker : Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:02 am  

knotlaknight wrote:

I have seen fev a few times this year and I know they have beaten the better times this year in the championship but I still feel Barrow, widnes and Halifax and possibly Leigh will come out on top in the championship this year and that fev will slip and as far signing there players after a game against Keighley i suggest some fans sober up quick,

A Cas fan from Knottla, the only Cas fans i know from there are the social out casts and the T totalers, but thats another story. I bet you wouldnt put much money on any of those teams finishing above us, the only one who might are Barrow, they are hitting there straps now. Halifax are awful at the min, Widnes arnt much better Leigh will push us but i think on present form we will beat them

Re: Parker and Hardaker : Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:09 am  

rovers wrote:

What amazes me in these cup games where super league teams take on championship teams, is its always highlighted how many players the super league teams are missing, Barrow had a few players out at the weekend, same with our game against Warrington it was all about who they had missing, never once got mentioned we had Tonks and Saxton out

Yes but I bet Barrow didn't have their first choice full-back, centre, scrum-half and two key second rowers missing, all of which would be in our 17.

That, coupled with our low morale and confidence, meant that as soon as Barrow scored our fragile confidence that we had built up during the game broke.

You see it all too often in sport. Look at Leeds Utd in footy. On TV against Yeovil, they were cruising at 2-0 and looked comfortable. But because of their poor form, as soon as Yeovil got their goal Leeds collapsed and were lucky to cling on in the end.

Barrow deserved to win - there's no doubt about that and that is a fact I won't shy away from. But they took advantage of a very bad situation at Cas that needs rectifying ASAP.

Re: Parker and Hardaker : Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:17 am  

Fully wrote:

You see it all too often in sport. .

Yes you do, but it's very rare in rugby league!
Saying that, yes Barrow did take advantage of the situation, and did it well. My comment is, given the value of the whole squad, and the monies made available for development compared with a championship team, Cas should have in all reality, still beaten them. They didn't, and of course the world hasn't exploded and Cas will still go on in SL for the next 18 months at least - beyond that is speculative at the mo!
C'est la vie.
Now the thread was about Parker and Briggs. In your side at the weekend would the result have changed any??? Possibly not - and that as you say is a confidence thing.
Are Parker and Briggs SL class?? Not sure yet. I'll tell you at the end of the season!

Re: Parker and Hardaker : Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:21 am  

It's hard to judge NL players and whether they can make it. For starters, you have to take into account the quality of the opposition and secondly, whether they have the physicality and attitude to hack it in SL. With the right nurturing and coaching a few could make the grade but I think most of the talent is snapped up as juniors and transformed that way.

Re: Parker and Hardaker : Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:29 am  

and broadly I'd agree. Richie Whiting, Danny Kirmond and Jamie Rooney are three that have stepped up but to clubs that were hardly dominating SL at the time of transfer - tho again, the cup has at least provided them with a show case to go at!
I think Parker is at his level - top championship - poss SL, Crusaders stuff - on form he's cracking but I just don't think he has the pace for SL -AT THE MO! Again, I'll know better in September.

Briggs - inconsistency has been his problem in the past - not so this season. He has a natural step, good hands and decent pace for a 6! Can he dominate a SL team lke he has done so far in the championship?? That's a big ask and I don't know the answer. If pressed I would say Probably! He's a good lad and might be worth a SL club taking a 'risk'! - tho again, he is tied into a deal - so it's divvy up time if any SL club wants him, and/or if he wants to go full time - which isn't always the case!!!

Re: Parker and Hardaker : Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:47 am  

It reminds me of Anthony Thackeray. An absolute diamond in the NLs for us but sadly things didn't work out in SL for him.

Re: Parker and Hardaker : Sat Apr 24, 2010 12:13 pm  

Fully wrote:

It reminds me of Anthony Thackeray. An absolute diamond in the NLs for us but sadly things didn't work out in SL for him.

He didn't really get a chance did he, he was at the wrong club to develop into a super league standard player.............add him to the list eh!

Re: Parker and Hardaker : Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:02 pm  

bootie wrote:

Why thankyou, have you spent your giro yet loser

Yes, and as you are obviously a hardworking tax payer, I'd like to that YOU personally for my gift of stella, richmond SUPERkings (you are generous) and a roof over my head and sky+hd...