[Mild Rover]

Re: Daunting trip to/visit of opponent tbd : Wed Sep 05, 2018 10:55 am  

rover49 wrote:

Dixon is bang average championship player in a bang average championship team, Murrell may like coming 'home' but he is no threat to us surely, he is a reasonable part time player.

If we fear these two we may as well plan for relegation now.

I think the true source of the fear is internal/psychological more than external - because we've seen it go wrong before and we know how little margin for error there is.

We should win each of these games - but if we were to lose either we'd be under huge pressure again, and that makes these games pressured themselves. The risk should be fairly small, but the hazard remains sizable. These are good Championship teams - we don't need to be fearful, but our players do need to play with energy and desire. If we just roll up expecting our opponents to rollover, we could very easily get mugged.

Re: Daunting trip to/visit of opponent tbd : Thu Sep 06, 2018 6:46 am  

Mild Rover wrote:

I think the true source of the fear is internal/psychological more than external - because we've seen it go wrong before and we know how little margin for error there is.

We should win each of these games - but if we were to lose either we'd be under huge pressure again, and that makes these games pressured themselves. The risk should be fairly small, but the hazard remains sizable. These are good Championship teams - we don't need to be fearful, but our players do need to play with energy and desire. If we just roll up expecting our opponents to rollover, we could very easily get mugged.

Yep, my point exactly. Thankfully the last couple of quotes HDM have given from the players seem to back up this thought as well.

Been here too many times losing to so-called lesser clubs after herculean efforts in a prior game to beat the odds. Halifax and London still need to be respected. They were not in the top 4 of the championship for nothing.

Plus, if we ease off that doesn't help prepare for Toulouse away or Widnes at home.

We may have beaten Toronto and Leeds, but those wins alone won't get us back into SL next year.