I just have to say my piece.
Yes, I can acknowledge the frustration of us fans for the embarrassing defeats we’ve all experienced just lately. And whilst Carl Hall can try and patch us fans back up with a video.. but did it really need to come to that? The communication on Doncaster’s behalf through social media regarding player injuries/ fitness and anything regards Donny is lifeless. Other teams within this league communicate with their fans regardless if it’s to share inside knowledge I.e injuries for other teams info.
Anyway…
Because I say what I have to say, let me start by saying I appreciate every single player that puts on that shirt week in week out. As I know first hand how difficult it is at times to balance the lifestyle of a semi pro rugby player having to go to work then training not getting home till silly o’clock’s at night. Then not only that having to balance between family time to. It’s difficult to say the least. But the frustrating part for me is knowing them lads against west Wales was short changed.
I doubt Doncaster as a club will take the blame, instead the players will! They were late to the ground, leaving them less time to warm up. Then for those who had made the trip up there would have seen ten minutes into the game one of our key players got brought off Matt Beharell, why? He wasn’t injured?! You could see his frustration as to why he’d been brought off, when we wasn’t sitting comfortably within the score. Perhaps it would of been much more understanding if we were sitting comfortably in the score, and Horne perhaps wanted to trial the plays / team out for the following week with Matt having a 1 match ban. But to bring trialist into the squad last minute to due to the lack of numbers, and just because they’re from Leeds and Cas you want to take off one of our own for the likes of those? This is when we lose players! With stupid decisions made like this. Then to put Matt back on towards the end when Dons was getting back into the game and scoring again. But it was to little to late!
The defeat really was nothing short of embarrassing! But no fault of the players and I stick by that. The lads had there grub then back on the coach home, may I add with no STOP on the way home for the lads. Because the back room staff wouldn’t allow the coach to stop because of the defeat. Whilst the back room staff thought it would be highly amusing to have a drink or two on the way home like they’d won?! - I see that as nothing but disrespectful on so many levels! And I question the morals of the coaching staff.
Id be very surprised if come the end of the season we have kept any of our decent players left. It seems aswell that if your face doesn’t fit with the likes of Horne you don’t get int he starting 18. It’s been said Horne has his favourites, hence why we lost players mid way through the season. Then when covid hit us and injuries came in one of those players wanted to come back but Horne turned him down, sorry but was we in the right mind to turn down players when we need as many as possible who know the plays / moves already. Rather then having to bring in others from else where and try and make them gel as a team within a week. His choices baffle me!!
We’ve not once strengthened the team through this season like other teams who are pushing promotion have! You can’t expect to go all season with the team that we have when injuries / covid you HAVE to look else were too. I think the signing of Ben at fullback is a great signing but once again that’s short lived and only till the end of the season. But that allows Johnston to back into the halves with Matt. As they were just beginning to flow properly then it got ruined with the lack of players in positions.
The beginning of the season Horne had the opportunity to sign some very good players but once again Doncaster as a whole for some unknown reason didn’t get back in touch with them or left it to late for them players to sign else where. And some being in championship!! Once again this questions my thoughts on the back of house members and there vision for Doncaster as a whole to push for promotion.
We lack forwards we have Peltier who in my eyes would be in my starting 18 man squad week in week out. We always need to start by tiring the opposition out and for his size and the damage he does we need more players like him. Need big horrible things what are going to be nasty and be a battering ram. The team is what it seems is nothing but to soft and don’t seem to get stuck in enough when it comes to top teams within this league. I fear for the Barrow game I really do! But I’m hoping the lads come out all fired up because doesn’t seem like the coaching staff have it within them. Somethings clearly disconnecting between the two.
The passion and pride that some of the players have is enough to carry the team and get them through the nitty gritty games. You see that just through Matt when he’s trying to rally up the fans at home games! And that’s the type of passion Doncaster need from everybody right now more than ever!!!! Rant over
