In a nutshell. The signings have been a massive let down and it looks very likely it will derail our chances of success this year.

We literally have nobody who can grab the game by the scruff of the neck and break down a strong defensive team. Our forwards did well today and probably got the better of York for most the game, but our attacking plays are so slow and predictable. Keyes offered zero running threat and his kicking was poor. I'm afraid neither him or Meadows are going to lead us to success and im not sure how we fix that this year.

Decent halfbacks are rarer than hens teeth but we do need to improve the squad in this area.  What I don't understand is how we seem to have got worse in attack as the season has progressed.   Sure, we've made a few changes to the spine but these players train together all the time.    Out attack is so slow and predictable with players having trouble executing simple catch and pass movements, timing their run or actually running at a gap.  It's like they're all just introduced to each other on the day of the match.  This where I'm starting to question the coaches - they say the same things but seem incapable of getting a response from the players.

Of our three Lilley is the one player that isn't suffering from an alarming loss of form.  He has plenty of limitations as we know (bit too slow, kicking game very hit and miss) but we'd miss his enthusiasm and defence if he wasn't out there.  Meadows has been unconvincing at best all season but has really dropped off lately.  Far too slow and defensively suspect.  Keyes looked off the pace yesterday (possibly still injured?).   He needs to offer a running threat so if he's not fit he's ineffective.  


Despite all that we don't always give our halfbacks the best platform.  Our forwards struggle when they meet a pack that can compete (York, Barrow, Toulouse).  We don't make enough ground to be in a position to put in attacking kicks.  Yesterday's first half was a case in point.  We were kicking on halfway yet their forwards got them onto our 40m line so they could kick from a much better position.   We also have too many players that get put on their backs (Ronan Michael especially).  This means we end up with a really slow PTB so a defence with a quick lines speed is in our faces immediately (even more so if the pass from dummy half is slow).  Hard to create without space. 

Blake also backed up Hooley's break with Keyes.   I couldn't believe they managed to that up given it was three on one.  

I know Holmes has played halfback before but I'm far from convinced he's anything other than a runner.  He never holds the ball in two hands and barely knows himself what he's going to do when he gets the ball so how anyone runs off him I don't know.    It may be worth a try though.  It can't be worse than what we currently have. 


The side look very disconnected at the moment.  Players are all trying to do things as individuals.  Take Fulton trying to run crossfield all the time.   That's a symptom of us not playing as a team.  He needs putting into a gap.   Shame we can't execute simple backline moves - even the most simple has players taking the ball at walking pace or having to check their run.  


Taufua is still a few weeks off apparently.   We certainly miss him.  Okunbor needs a break after yesterday's stinker.  

I think we can all agree that there's a lot to resolve and Nobles assumption that it doesn't matter where we finish in the play-offs as long as we're playing well we'll be fine, is way off. 


I get he's probably trying to protect the players but we're not having a "wobble"  we haven't played well for two months. Even if York or Toulouse have a wobble and lose a couple of games, we still need to win every game to finish above them! 


Finish outside the top two gives us such a disadvantage as it will mean we'd have to go to York AND Toulouse and win. It's a mammoth task to even do one! I I stand by my post that our season was on the line yesterday. We didn't blow an opportunity (a long with many of the other opportunities we've bombed)  we blew our season IMO

Noble is old school - like Kear, they can't coach attack.  Even in his hey day Noble relied on having massive backs to get across the line.  Defense is easy - either man for man or slide - get your numbers right and it is difficult to breakdown.

Genuinely shocked to see Bradford not take their chances and rue silly mistakes. I honestly thought we'd got that out of our system on the other 75,000 times. When is the "business end of the season" Nobby is working toward btw? The January friendly against Dewsbury?