Re: The Road to Avoiding Relegation 2017 : Sat Jan 21, 2017 9:13 am  

Sensei-Bull wrote:

I can't even begin to try to predict the outcome of this season's games until I know what our team is? Only Leon has been confirmed. Until I see a competitive squad on paper then I'm assuming that we'll lose every game.

Yeah, that would help better estimate our odds.

As I said on another thread, we've got at least 6 new names to add to the team so let's wait for that and see if any white knights come charging in to save us from a relegation scrap

Re: The Road to Avoiding Relegation 2017 : Sat Jan 21, 2017 9:24 am  

With the players who have not left and will presumably resign we will not win games. The current group of players hardly offers a pack of forwards. I'm hoping that new, quality players will come in, I hope that is why Toovey signed up. So if we keep the current crop and don't add significantly we will struggle in every game. I remember Swinton pushing us all the way in the tin pot shield last year in a side including Chisholm, O'Brien Welham and Moss

Re: The Road to Avoiding Relegation 2017 : Sat Jan 21, 2017 9:31 am  

I think the thing that could stand us in a bit better stead is the fact we have Championship hardened players nto SL prima donnas who expect to walk over part time teams. From the list, Campbell, Mendeika, Roche, Magrin, Foster, Macani all played extensive games in this league. A couple of ours will have had a good couple of years to adapt plus Phil Joseph is a rough and ready player. A lot of the time in this league for clubs in our position (meaning staving off relegation) its about the fight, if what has been said about Toovey is true that players will run through brick walls for him I think a few of our current squad will be more equipped than our previous to deal with the fight thats going to be needed

Re: The Road to Avoiding Relegation 2017 : Sat Jan 21, 2017 9:31 am  

Bulls Boy 2011 wrote:

I think the vast majority of us think we will stay up. Be pretty funny if we beat KR first up though! ...

If we beat KR first up I'll give you the shirt off my back

Re: The Road to Avoiding Relegation 2017 : Sat Jan 21, 2017 9:41 am  

We can beat anybody, but we need to have see consistent results and not just one offs. That will be up to the coaching staff to get that out of them.

Who would have thought Oldham would have turned KR over, Dews over us, Toulouse and Leigh.

Re: The Road to Avoiding Relegation 2017 : Sat Jan 21, 2017 10:55 am  

I do think people have to come down from the euphoria of actually having a club, and inject a bit of realism into our plight.

When Leon was on the RHP show the other night he said that this was by far the worst pre-season he'd had in 20 years, in fact it had been like having 'no pre season'. His assessment was that 'we are miles off' - by which I took to mean that the fitness levels, skills, set moves, conditioning etc were way, way short of where we'd expect to be at this point.

Some people seem to be expecting us to run HKR close and then start winning against Rochdale the following week. I just don't see that happening. I think HKR will - and, frankly, should - absolutely annihilate us, and I expect us to lose to Rochdale and Swinton in the games that follow.

Rochdale are a well-drilled unit who will have that early season fervour of a newly promoted team. They'll target the game at Odsal as a mini Cup Final, from their viewpoint, and I fully expect them to play out of their skins against 'former WCC winners the Bradford Bulls'. By contrast we have lost almost all of our better players, and any new players will need time to gel.

I hope that, should we still be on -12 after four of five games, people won't panic or - even worse - start turning on the team. It's going to take time. I expect Toovey to pull it round as the season progresses, but it won't happen in three or four weeks.

Re: The Road to Avoiding Relegation 2017 : Sat Jan 21, 2017 10:58 am  

paulwalker71 wrote:

I do think people have to come down from the euphoria of actually having a club, and inject a bit of realism into our plight.

When Leon was on the RHP show the other night he said that this was by far the worst pre-season he'd had in 20 years, in fact it had been like having 'no pre season'. His assessment was that 'we are miles off' - by which I took to mean that the fitness levels, skills, set moves, conditioning etc were way, way short of where we'd expect to be at this point.

Some people seem to be expecting us to run HKR close and then start winning against Rochdale the following week. I just don't see that happening. I think HKR will - and, frankly, should - absolutely annihilate us, and I expect us to lose to Rochdale and Swinton in the games that follow.

Rochdale are a well-drilled unit who will have that early season fervour of a newly promoted team. They'll target the game at Odsal as a mini Cup Final, from their viewpoint, and I fully expect them to play out of their skins against 'former WCC winners the Bradford Bulls'. By contrast we have lost almost all of our better players, and any new players will need time to gel.

I hope that, should we still be on -12 after four of five games, people won't panic or - even worse - start turning on the team. It's going to take time. I expect Toovey to pull it round as the season progresses, but it won't happen in three or four weeks.

Agree with this, especially the bold bit bear in mind they went to Tolouse and won to get promoted, Tolouse had to have a second bite of the cherry

[Pumpetypump]

Re: The Road to Avoiding Relegation 2017 : Sat Jan 21, 2017 11:00 am  

paulwalker71 wrote:

I do think people have to come down from the euphoria of actually having a club, and inject a bit of realism into our plight.

Some people seem to be expecting us to run HKR close and then start winning against Rochdale the following week. I just don't see that happening. I think HKR will - and, frankly, should - absolutely annihilate us, and I expect us to lose to Rochdale and Swinton in the games that follow.

I hope that, should we still be on -12 after four of five games, people won't panic or - even worse - start turning on the team. It's going to take time. I expect Toovey to pull it round as the season progresses, but it won't happen in three or four weeks.

I agree with all that. People surely need to get their head around the unpalatable truth that as it stands we are probably as good as relegated. If we put the 150-0 loss at rovers behind us and nick a win against Rochdale then we can perhaps start to entertain a vague hope.

Re: The Road to Avoiding Relegation 2017 : Sat Jan 21, 2017 11:04 am  

thepimp007 wrote:

Agree with this, especially the bold bit bear in mind they went to Tolouse and won to get promoted, Tolouse had to have a second bite of the cherry

Added to that they have made some very shrewd signings for this level. On Swinton, if any of the lower clubs can challenge what you would now expect to be a top 5(KR,London,Batley,Fev, and Fax) I would expect it to be Swinton.

Edit: Probably should have said top 6 with Toulouse but it all depends if they can match their home form or somewhere near when away.

Re: The Road to Avoiding Relegation 2017 : Sat Jan 21, 2017 11:22 am  

Greg Florimos Boots wrote:

Added to that they have made some very shrewd signings for this level. On Swinton, if any of the lower clubs can challenge what you would now expect to be a top 5(KR,London,Batley,Fev, and Fax) I would expect it to be Swinton.

Edit: Probably should have said top 6 with Toulouse but it all depends if they can match their home form or somewhere near when away.

Definitely, with how Sheffield are recruiting this has to be the strongest the championship has ever been, with Totronto to come up next year too only going to get tougher