Re: Cas Friendly : Mon Feb 03, 2014 11:40 am  

By sounds off it that was pretty much strongest team we could put out. Only one rested and not actually injured or carrying a knock was carvell afaik. Didn't think pack was a major problem yesterday tbh. Biggest issue was defence down addy/purtell/saltonstall side. None of those three would be first choice for positions they were playing yesterday IMO. Hopefully Blythe back before start of season to play Centre. Gaskell to fill in at FB allowing kear to revert to wing and sammut back in halves. Needs a big improvement in two weeks.

Re: Cas Friendly : Mon Feb 03, 2014 12:22 pm  

Bulliac wrote:

Thought we were poor to be honest. Not sure what Franny was hoping to learn from the team he put out and maybe there are solid reasons why a stronger side couldn't play.

That said, I had to laugh at a guy sitting behind me. He was clearly totally convinced that winning this game was the whole point of the exercise and after going on about what his mate "ought to be putting on his f***ing twitter" about charging to see this rubbish, he went to to say, "just look at Cas....they're f***ing treating it just like a training match....."

Bulliac my sentiments exactly. Being more of a glass half full than empty type of guy, im struggling to find any liquid at all. I really did not think Cas were tested that much. The sloppy tackling and the ease that Cas were able to score on the wings surprised me really. Bradford were never comfortable at doing anything.

Friendly or not it is still a humiliating loss. It is relegation season and while everybody is "somehow" expecting the team to be around 7, 8, 9th place come season end, well I would not put any money on it just yet .

I noticed Cas's body language as they came out in the second half, brimming with confidence. Bradford just capitulated. Get the leadership in order please.

[Pumpetypump]

Re: Cas Friendly : Mon Feb 03, 2014 12:53 pm  

Can I make a bland truism please? Clearly a friendly is not a hard and fast indication of the year to come but on the other hand we got a right kicking. In what years have we got a pasting pre-season and gone on to have a good year? There must be some bored stato out there....

Re: Cas Friendly : Mon Feb 03, 2014 1:02 pm  

Apologies I didn't recognise Sidlow. That was a fabulous chase back then for a prop forward. It was worrying how quickly the heads went down though. Noticed when Foster and Saltenstall?? dropped the bombs that not many other players went up and patted them on the back as is usually the case. Really did not look up for it most of the game. Still, only a friendly so no points lost or gained thank goodness. As bad as that was it was my first friendly so the first live rugby I have seen since the end of last season and it was fabulous just to be there.

[Pumpetypump]

Re: Cas Friendly : Mon Feb 03, 2014 1:11 pm  

Flip Flop wrote:

As bad as that was it was my first friendly so the first live rugby I have seen since the end of last season and it was fabulous just to be there.

Stop being so upbeat. Its creepy.

Re: Cas Friendly : Mon Feb 03, 2014 1:16 pm  

Flip Flop wrote:

Maybe, just maybe Franny did not want to give too much away before our season opener against them. I really hope so. Can only imagine that is why no sammut, carvell, sidlow, etc, he was keeping them under wraps. Please let this be right

But I happen to know that Powell had his team playing differently as he had inside knowledge of Franny's masterplan to play crap to lure Cas into a false sense of security. There's no flies on Powell.

[Bulliac]

Re: Cas Friendly : Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:43 pm  

tigertot wrote:

But I happen to know that Powell had his team playing differently as he had inside knowledge of Franny's masterplan to play crap to lure Cas into a false sense of security. There's no flies on Powell.

Ha ha, yes indeed!

Franny's plan to lure them into this false sense of security was pretty good I thought, though I suspect that after a point it, well maybe, becomes a bit self defeating. Cas played well, there's no getting away from that, but we didn't really give them anything to beat and some of our attempts to tackle were just laughable at times.

To be fair, I'll forgive the lack of penetration, given we never got any 'go forward' in the entire match it's hard to bag the creative players for not coming up with the goods.

One thing is pretty certain though, and that is that the pre-season game has nothing relevant to say about how the league game will go - and I'm certain that Powell isn't daft enough to think it has.

Re: Cas Friendly : Tue Feb 04, 2014 6:51 am  

Pumpetypump↓
Re: Cas Friendly
Mon Feb 03, 2014 1:11 pm
Flip Flop wrote:
As bad as that was it was my first friendly so the first live rugby I have seen since the end of last season and it was fabulous just to be there.


Stop being so upbeat. Its creepy.

It is a bit. Sorry. Lol

Re: Cas Friendly : Tue Feb 04, 2014 1:03 pm  

Flip Flop wrote:

It was worrying how quickly the heads went down though. Noticed when Foster and Saltenstall?? dropped the bombs that not many other players went up and patted them on the back as is usually the case. Really did not look up for it most of the game.

You can't have been wathching. Peurtell and Addy went to pat them on the back but they had both gone by the time they got there