Re: Batley (H) : Mon Sep 12, 2022 12:26 pm  

League Leaders’ Shield duly collected – congratulations and thanks to all 31 players whose graft has contributed, in greater or lesser part, to this second success of the season – hopefully not the last! Also a bit shout for DB, AL, CC, TC and indeed everybody behind the scenes.
Twenty-Five Championship games won on the bounce, no losses at all since a one score defeat that saw us bow out of the Challenge Cup back in March before this squad was completed. Phenomenal!

The Championship table sees us 5pts clear of the trailing pack having scored 1,306 points and conceded a mere 208. That points difference of +1,098 (damn Hooley’s conversion!) is over thirteen and a half times that of York – a fellow play-off contender. But it’s not a stupid system is it?

Many rival fans simply shrug at these achievements and say the words “Full Time”, well being full time has hardly helped Newcastle this season, has it?

By Bongser’s reckoning, Leigh have in all comps this season racked up 1,442 with at least one (hopefully two) matches to play (and again hopefully to win). It would be great to reach 1,500 whilst conceding 20 or less for a 5:1 points ratio for the season.

The reason Bongser keeps quoting these stats is that they laud the team better than clichéd superlatives.

Re: Batley (H) : Tue Sep 13, 2022 2:55 am  

Having just watched the highlights a couple of times, it is very clear that Lachlan Lam is really beginning to find his stride. He has a good eye for when to hold, draw and pass, or zip out a quick pass. He also has a very effective low, fast, flat pass, that he delivers with an overhand style that is very effective. In these highlights, Joe Mellor seems to be playing slightly wider than before, and has time to cause all kinds of problems when we are moving the ball the width of the field.
Then, on comes Ben R, and he send a lovely looping pass out right for a try and then does a perfect dink over the defence and follows up for the try.
Whoever pulls on the halfback jerseys in the playoffs, we surely have the combinations to create havoc.
I cannot wait for the playoffs !

Re: Batley (H) : Thu Sep 15, 2022 9:27 pm  

Bent&Bongser wrote:

League Leaders’ Shield duly collected – congratulations and thanks to all 31 players whose graft has contributed, in greater or lesser part, to this second success of the season – hopefully not the last! Also a bit shout for DB, AL, CC, TC and indeed everybody behind the scenes.
Twenty-Five Championship games won on the bounce, no losses at all since a one score defeat that saw us bow out of the Challenge Cup back in March before this squad was completed. Phenomenal!

The Championship table sees us 5pts clear of the trailing pack having scored 1,306 points and conceded a mere 208. That points difference of +1,098 (damn Hooley’s conversion!) is over thirteen and a half times that of York – a fellow play-off contender. But it’s not a stupid system is it?

Many rival fans simply shrug at these achievements and say the words “Full Time”, well being full time has hardly helped Newcastle this season, has it?

By Bongser’s reckoning, Leigh have in all comps this season racked up 1,442 with at least one (hopefully two) matches to play (and again hopefully to win). It would be great to reach 1,500 whilst conceding 20 or less for a 5:1 points ratio for the season.

The reason Bongser keeps quoting these stats is that they laud the team better than clichéd superlatives.

Indeed Bongser. The sitting in this champ is something I won’t miss.

Re: Batley (H) : Thu Sep 15, 2022 9:43 pm  

atomic wrote:

Indeed Bongser. The sitting in this champ is something I won’t miss.

Evening, A, not sure Bongser understands your post (actually he knows he doesn't). Hope you will elucidate.

Re: Batley (H) : Thu Sep 15, 2022 10:01 pm  

Ah! Got it now. Wondered for a while if you'd been stuck in the West Stand all season (Bongser has and that's where he'll be staying - standing for two hours is the "fun" of days gone by). Look after yourself, matey.

Re: Batley (H) : Sat Sep 17, 2022 2:32 am  

I was very impressed by the sporting behaviour demonstrated by the Batley team and their coaching staff after the game. They had just been tonked out of sight on the pitch yet stayed for minutes, in clearly uncomfortable circumstances, to applaud the Leigh team as they were awarded the League winners trophy. They had to wait for several minutes to do this when, I suspect, they would have preferred to just acknowledge their own travelling support and to then get the hell off the pitch as quickly as possible. I thought that their collective sportsmanship reflected hugely on Batley as a club. Hats off to them and well played.

Re: Batley (H) : Sun Sep 25, 2022 8:09 pm  

It is now to be hoped, Jack, that they feel honour bound to do the same around 20:30hrs next Sunday!

It feels a bit weird tonight and the analogy chosen will be this: Throughout The Cold War, all NATO attention was focused on preparing for an inevitable, massive and climactic tank battle in Eastern Europe. Then came the dissolution of the USSR and the secession of the Eastern Bloc countries. Then, following 9/11, attention shifted to desert warfare after the rise of Al Queda and later ISIS.

All season both Leigh & Fev have been preparing (along with the media) for an inevitable, massive and climactic fifth meeting but now we all find that Leigh will be facing a different Eastern foe!

Re: Batley (H) : Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:51 pm  

Yes, Bongser. Next week will be an odd one. The Holy Grail is within sight and within touching distance, well, within 80 minutes and one last good performance away.

Yes, all season it has been us and Fev and all the attention has been on one likely opponent in the play-off final. At the last it has been dashed away.

Let me make clear, I like Batley as a team. They have punched hugely above their collective weight this season. They seem to be run on nothing more than fresh air given their lack of support and lack of a monied backer. They have no money and whenever they get a good side together the bigger clubs come cherry picking their best players and coaches.

In Lingard they have a highly rated coach whom many who support Fev would have as their coach in an instant rather than the big SL reputation that was Super Mac - if their fans forum is any true indicator.

Batley will come to LSV next Sunday full of honest endeavour, no little skill, good organisation, a huge collective will and commitment and yet I fully expect them to be blown away. Next week it has nothing to do with Batley whom I will applaud now for their tremendous achievements this season but next weekend it is all about Leigh.

I almost hate to say it given the stakes involved and with absolutely no disrespect intended to Batley at all, next weekend's game will be an anticlimax, if winning the play-off final and gaining promotion in a record breaking season could ever be anticlimactic, but, it won't be Fev and in that regard it will be an anticlimax. The 'edge' that would have surrounded a game with Fev has gone.

This coming week I will look forward to the final but any doubt that I might have harboured about the likely result well and truly flew out of the window when the final hooter went at 80 minutes in the second semi. Next weekend will be a celebration and yes, the Batley team will be there again to clap Leigh as they collect their well deserved our winners medals.