There are plenty of excuses for not putting on 100%, and I think we could've won if we'd cut out a few stupid errors. Like using the overlap correctly.

Didn't look down to fatigue to me, just some dumb rugby (Doran never fails), some daft penalties and failure to take chances when they came your way.

Vikings 4 ever sums up the game really well.I think once we get everyone fit onto the Park and start to gel, i think we will be a force.We missed a big front rower like Haggerty who would punch holes up the middle.Hopefully Heckenberg will do that once fit.His stats are impressive on average yards made, so i am looking forward to seeing him play.We need to complete our sets more often, and the kicking game needs to improve.

He does fail at playing the dumb rugby quite often. He's been excellent for us this season and has stood up well during the injury crisis.
Didn't really notice anything too bad from Doran the other night either considering the constant sillyness going on in the tackle whenever he and Gannon were put to ground. In fact I thought they were restrained.
Not sure he can be can be blamed for being tackled when he and Webster made the break either.. Webster came back inside after giving it Doran and it made sense to me for him to look for more support.. He was never going to make the line himself.
By the same token.. Dave Allen's attempted pass to Flynn was worth a shot to. If it had come off it was a certain try and fair play to Allen for trying something a bit different.

To be fair.. I think he has a point.. Fev certainly didn't look a top of the table team on the performance of Friday night and to suggest otherwise would be delusional. They currently find themselves in top spot and for the rest of the season just gone they might have looked like the Australian Test side but on the evidence of the other night they did look very ordinary.
I was expecting something different to back up your league position but I was gutted not to have come away with the points after fearing a landslide against us and was disappointed that an error strewn performance from Widnes gifted you the win.

You've obviously been firing on all cylinders coming into this match and I'm not sure that the tragic circumstances of the last week might have had an impact.

As for the dirty bit.. I'd argue that they weren't... Leahy did his best not to talk to the Fev players despite awarding quite a few penalties for holding down and offsides. When he eventually did send a player off, deservedly, it was almost like he thought that had wiped the disciplinary count away for Fev and they were allowed to get away with two more incidents which equally could have seen the player sit out 10 minutes. The first involving Ainscough and the second involving Doran.
Featherstone worked out that they could get away with a fair bit with that Ref and played according to that level.. the problem was that our players didn't and let tackled players spring up and lay on the ground like upside down comatose sharks when tackled themselves.

As for the away fans.. superb most of them.. a few seemed intent on starting a riot at the end walking down the stairwell.. but generally.. they were okay.

I have just watched the dvd and to be honest Leahy got most of the calls spot on, it was a propa rugby league arm wrestle and great game. I think Rovers have been badly effected by the events of last week but Widnes looked a very strong team. The decision at the end to give Rovers the penalty at the scrum was spot on, he warned Widnes once that they were packing down without a loose forward, so they then went and packed down again without a loose he was nowhere near the scrum. Dont know who your loose forward was but blame him not the ref, brainless and stupid it was

Harsh decision IMO. I can see Widnes packed down originally without a LF, and Leahy pointed this out. However, Gerrard was on his way to the scrum to pack down, but Leahy called the scrum to be formed for the second time before he got there and you put the ball in, imo Leahy could and should have waited around 1 or 2 seconds to allow Gerrard to make it to the scrum. He was literally a few yard away making his way to pack down.


THE HOOF

I can't read anywhere where anyone has suggested that Chris. We found Widnes hard to beat on friday. We've done the fancy stuff, the subliminal stuff and the outrageous stuff at times this season so far. On Friday we had to grind out a result and find a way to beat the Vikings - which we did - just! Sometimes when a team is begining to establish a run together, other teams raise their game because they are the team to catch as were Barrow last season, and IMO will still be this season. Widnes were hard, and I'll repeat, the best team we've played so far this year - by a "country mile"!!!!!

We had to dig deeper than we've done at any time in the league this year. But we did.

But I'm sort of getting used to the criticism now - "we're cheats", "we're not good enough", "we're not top of the table quality", "we're lucky", "the ref is on our side" etc etc. Again it's something I'm happy to live with as long as the run continues. However, I am under no illusion we're a defeat away from reality - and that will come eventually this season.
But for now at least I'm happy with the fact my team are so far the most consistent of the championship sides, have scored the most points, have the best points diff have a straight eight start to the season. I'm not sure what else could be done to warrant being considered 'deserved' top of the league so far.

As I said, we might lose our next five and then you'll be proven correct eh??

But just to bear our the comment - how would you define a team that tops the table and has the league results fev have -[u SO FAR!![/u I'm mindful not to get into any Callandesk bowlocks here! I've watched rovers for far too many years to predict world domination!!

Keep smiling chaps

Robin.

That's when you play the mighty leythers

aye, happen!!



We haven't beaten Toulouse yet eh???



One hurdle at a time!





I'm lovin it for the mo tho!! I've seen enough of the cak days - it's nice to have a bowl of the good stuff for a change!

Enough Zappa for now - now it's the Stone roses - I love Bank Holidays since I took the community role on! Sod shifts at the Happy factory.

We get this attitude every time we win a game – every time, every season!

There’s just the one fan on here who has said this about Fev, and he’s admitted to being bitter. I’ve seen far worse written about Widnes, by Fev fans, on their Total RL board.

You deserved your win and you’re the best team we’ve played so far. I was just happy that, despite a disjointed performance and a weak looking pack, we aren’t that far of the best in the league. When we get a few more bodies back we will be even better. Our youth are also looking good too. So I left the ground far from bitter.

Actually it as WVRL Matt that brought it up and Chris B who thought he may well have the point and agreed with most of what Matt had written, tho I accept this is only the opinions of 2 people! However, if written by 2 or 52, I have recourse to counter their comments, even if they are in a substantial minority and don't represent the majority of fans. - I don't accept the BNP. Even tho they are a minority I will speak against them - if this is a suitable analogy!

We're not used to being top Pepe!! It's been a while so when I read criticism, I'm quick to react, especially if I believe it's misplaced!

You shouldn't be bitter. I'm expecting Widnes to be in the mix at the end of the season.