Challenge Cup Superthread

[Didgi]

I don't think I've cheered a side apart from the Cowboys this hard in ever. Lets go you f**king Rovers!

What a match.

 

[Johnny_L_O]

Theyve give a really good effort. I reckon they'd put 30 or 40 on Widnes and are certainly a SL quality team. Always thought when the 60 min mark came around that Wigan might pull away but for an hour, theyve matched Wigan step by step.

 

[Evil Homer]

Theyve give a really good effort. I reckon they'd put 30 or 40 on Widnes and are certainly a SL quality team. Always thought when the 60 min mark came around that Wigan might pull away but for an hour, theyve matched Wigan step by step.

No chance, I think it would be an even match against Widnes and they would probably struggle equally as badly the rest of the time.

 

[JasonE]

It is obvious Fev Rovers have a good quality coach but unfortunately the next time a SL coaching position comes up Daryl Powell & Sheffield's Mark Aston probably won't even be considered.

 

[LeedsStorm]

Powell has already been tested at Superleague level. It didn't go so well.

 

[BODISGOD]

Good effort by Rovers. Great rugby league town and delighted to see them play with such pride.

 

[Johnny_L_O]

Powell has already been tested at Superleague level. It didn't go so well.

Really? You're judging him on 10 years ago?

Firstly, he got thrown into a job, less than a year after retiring from playing. Then add to that fact he had to coach his mates! Look at Nathan Brown at the Saints. It never goes well when you have to disciplin guys who a few months earlier you were along side.

Powell started blooding a lot of the players we have today too, and who knows, Lance may not have give McGuire, Burrow & co the same chance. I think he deserves more credit than he actually got.

He is also a very good coach these days and has had those 10 years to improve. If any thing ever happened to BMac I'd take Powell back straight away.

As for Evil Homer and Widnes, this current Widnes team wouldn't be top 4 in the Championship. Fev, Fax, Sheffield and Leigh are all currently better. With ball in hand they are all similar but defensively, these guys would beat Widnes.

 

[Evil Homer]

As for Evil Homer and Widnes, this current Widnes team wouldn't be top 4 in the Championship. Fev, Fax, Sheffield and Leigh are all currently better. With ball in hand they are all similar but defensively, these guys would beat Widnes.

I'm pretty sure they wouldn't. I hate it when people overestimate the standards of Championship teams. We used to see it every year under P&R, and every year it was obvious after the second match that they were completely out of their depth even with massive recruitment. No Championship teams would be anywhere near competitive at Super League level. A valiant effort in a one-off match doesn't change that.

 

[Johnny_L_O]

I don't overestimate anything though, I'm just saying Widnes are a very poor team and wouldn't get top 4 in the Champ. If any of those teams came into SL though they would be bottom.

 

[JasonE]

Stevie Wonder could see that Fev are a well drilled unit and have some good structures in place, they do the hard work first before going wide, compare that to Bradford Bulls for example and i am still trying to figure out what plans Mick Potter had for them.

They just threw the ball around willy nilly with no thought of getting dominance up from first which resulted in panic plays.
Does he tell them to try the miracle offload when it's not on ?
Do they even try to build pressure by completing their sets and possibly getting repeat sets ?

That performance v Warrington was absolutely woeful, the Bulls have some decent players but i would love to ask their players what their instructions were.
If Potter thinks that Jeffries is a better option than Briggs well that says it all.

 

[deluded pom?]

I'm pretty sure they wouldn't. I hate it when people overestimate the standards of Championship teams. We used to see it every year under P&R, and every year it was obvious after the second match that they were completely out of their depth even with massive recruitment. No Championship teams would be anywhere near competitive at Super League level. A valiant effort in a one-off match doesn't change that.

I think the point is EH is that Widnes are completely out of their depth right now and I would back Fev to beat them. The argument is NOT that Fev would be competitive at SL level but that they would not only be competitive with Widnes but that Fev would beat them comfortably.

 

[Johnny_L_O]

I think the point is EH is that Widnes are completely out of their depth right now and I would back Fev to beat them. The argument is NOT that Fev would be competitive at SL level but that they would not only be competitive with Widnes but that Fev would beat them comfortably.

In one

 

[WireMan]

That performance v Warrington was absolutely woeful, the Bulls have some decent players but i would love to ask their players what their instructions were.
If Potter thinks that Jeffries is a better option than Briggs well that says it all.

Be big.

That was it. Just be big.

I think the point is EH is that Widnes are completely out of their depth right now and I would back Fev to beat them. The argument is NOT that Fev would be competitive at SL level but that they would not only be competitive with Widnes but that Fev would beat them comfortably.

Fev beat Cas, so they would give Widnes a game in a one off match.
I would say though i've seen both Widnes and Cas at the HJ this year and Widnes were competitive for 15 mins where as Cas were terrible for the whole game so Widnes would probably give Fev more of a match.

 

[LeedsStorm]

Really? You're judging him on 10 years ago?

Firstly, he got thrown into a job, less than a year after retiring from playing. Then add to that fact he had to coach his mates! Look at Nathan Brown at the Saints. It never goes well when you have to disciplin guys who a few months earlier you were along side.

Powell started blooding a lot of the players we have today too, and who knows, Lance may not have give McGuire, Burrow & co the same chance. I think he deserves more credit than he actually got.

He is also a very good coach these days and has had those 10 years to improve. If any thing ever happened to BMac I'd take Powell back straight away.

As for Evil Homer and Widnes, this current Widnes team wouldn't be top 4 in the Championship. Fev, Fax, Sheffield and Leigh are all currently better. With ball in hand they are all similar but defensively, these guys would beat Widnes.

I wasn't judging him at all actually - just a stating the facts. I liked him as a player and hope he does well as a coach. If anything, he just caught the leeds gig before the core group started to become outstanding. Pretty much the same players have won 5 GF's with 3 different coaches, which might even suggest the coaches influence is less than first thought? It's Hetherington's team more than anyones.

I like Powell

 

[LeedsStorm]

On a different note - quarter final draw looks v tasty. Only really Leigh and London in there that would possibly be construed as a preferred opponent. Huddersfield, leeds, Catalans, Wire, Wigan, and Saints - should get a couple of bumper games televised.

 

[Lambretta]

Have to say I really enjoyed both the Featherstone Rovers games I saw in the Cup. They were great against Castleford in an emotion charged game and really tried their hearts out against Wigan.

The difference between the two games was Wigans defence is far better than Castlefords.

Fev tried their hearts out, but after 50 minutes they were spent. They battled bravely, but they were never going to topple Wigan - they just lacked that longevity in the legs to keep it going for 80 minutes without the benefit of a lead to defend.

 

[Johnny_L_O]

Leigh 12
Leeds 60

Sinfield scored 2 tries and landed 10 from 10. It was close for the 1st 20 before Leeds class started to show and we ran away with it.

 

[Patorick]

Eurosport AU

01:30

Rugby
RUGBY: Challenge Cup - Quarter-finals: Wigan Warriors (England) - St Helens (England) (105min)

 

[Patorick]

Gelling.

:crazy:

 

[Johnny_L_O]

This is shaping up to be one hell of a game. Both teams are up for it and the intensity so far is awesome.