Another bad result for us last night, with Barrow winning at 'Haven, meaning we're down to second bottom again.
Five games remain to preserve our middle tier status, starting with hosting the Bulls on Sunday. Then it's two consecutive away trips to York and Barrow, 'Haven at home, with term end coming across at the Shay against 'Fax.
It looks like it's gonna go the last day, with fans checking their phones to find out what's going on elsewhere.
Spelly.
It's still any two from five for the dreaded drop in the Championship, with Thunder, Barrow, Keighley, 'Haven, and my mob battling to avoid trips to Cornwall. Colwyn Bay, and the Skolars next term.
All have difficult games this weekend, with the Cougars' trip to POR, prob the most daunting, although the Raiders' match in Albi to play Olympique, won't be much easier.
Newcastle host York, which (on paper) is the easiest of the encounters, whilst the Cumbrians have the long trek to the Smoke, and we're at home to the Bulls.
Nowt'll be confirmed as to who's defo staying up or going down with these encounters, but it's massive for us all, so (biased moi?) here's hoping for an addition to the W columns of Fev, Toulouse, the Knights, the Broncos, and of course, the Lions!
Spelly.
Lions 26-42 Bulls this aft, and we've still not beaten Bradford at home since the infamous Terry Holmes debut back in '85!
The better side won, but the game breaker was prob when they scored twice during the spell when we were a man down following a yellow for (I think) holding down.
No change at the bottom, as all other teams in the drop zone lost over the weekend too, but that is the only crumb of comfort we can draw from the game.
York away is our next appointment, as we continue to battle to keep the likes you mob on our fixture list next term.
It looks like it's gonna run until the last round of fixtures, before we know if it's middle tier football for us again come '24.
Spelly.
We're off to the Minster City on Sunday, searching for a(nother) win to help us secure our middle tier status come '24.
They beat us 40-0 at our gaff, in what was prob our our worst perf of the campaign, and to be honest, we never even looked like troubling the scorers that woeful afternoon!
On paper, it looks like a very difficult task, but on the positive side, after two stuffings off you mob, we went to NP, and won with a bit to spare, so...........
Fingers crossed!
Setting off early, as my grandson Mackenzie is playing in the curtain raiser, and prior to that, it's breakfast at the Hopgrove, just up the road from the Stadium.
COME ON YOU LIONS!!!!!!
Spelly.
Just back from the warm and sunny LNER Stadium, where it finished Knights 26-22 Lions.
Four tries each, but their five from five with the boot, to our three from four was the only diff.
Their second touchdown looked to our (biased) eyes a double movement, but the (unbiased) man in the middle, saw it differently, and so that's another L in the results column for us.
We we worth a draw at least? Probably, but when you're in our position, it seems the only luck that comes your way, is of the bad variety! There are times when "There's no justice!" runs through your mine, and today ticked that box!
The good-ish news is that both Newcastle (who now look doomed) and 'Haven both lost, but where a draw would've been best for us, the Cougars came out on top over Barrow.
Just three rounds remain now for us, and we finish off with the very difficult trip to the Shay, but prior to that, we've to "must win or we go down" games in front of us. Barrow away next week, then hosting 'Haven in a fortnight.
As I've said previously, it's gonna go right down to the wire, before we know if you mob will be on our fixture list next term!
Spelly.
Just back from the warm and sunny LNER Stadium, where it finished Knights 26-22 Lions.
Four tries each, but their five from five with the boot, to our three from four was the only diff.
Their second touchdown looked to our (biased) eyes a double movement, but the (unbiased) man in the middle, saw it differently, and so that's another L in the results column for us.
We we worth a draw at least? Probably, but when you're in our position, it seems the only luck that comes your way, is of the bad variety! There are times when "There's no justice!" runs through your mine, and today ticked that box!
The good-ish news is that both Newcastle (who now look doomed) and 'Haven both lost, but where a draw would've been best for us, the Cougars came out on top over Barrow.
Just three rounds remain now for us, and we finish off with the very difficult trip to the Shay, but prior to that, we've to "must win or we go down" games in front of us. Barrow away next week, then hosting 'Haven in a fortnight.
As I've said previously, it's gonna go right down to the wire, before we know if you mob will be on our fixture list next term!
Spelly.
Forgot to mention that Mackenzie was awarded the m-o-m in the curtain raiser, playing with the likes of Graham Steadman, Adrian Morley, Gareth Ellis, and Danny Brough.
At least you didn't do much damage to your points difference. Very tight down there now, somehow you've got to scrape a victory.
Barrow are unsurprisingly "bigging" Sunday's game up, and a member on 'Haven's board has posted that a week later "Swinton away will be our cup final!"
Two matches back to back, that will define our season, as to whether it's 'Fax, Batley, you mob, et al, who'll be on our fixture list next term, or the likes of Worky, 'Ornits, and Skolars instead.
Newcastle are all but doomed already, so we need to throw everything, and more, into the next two fixtures to retain our middle tier status.
It's not gonna be easy, we're under no illusions at all on that scenario, and I doubt it'll be pretty, but the carrot is there for us, so.................
COME ON YOU LIONS!!!!!!!
Spelly.
Good luck Spelly/Swinton, hope you guys stay up!
Good results for us last night, with Keighley and Newcastle being stuffed by Sheff, and Fev respectively. 'Haven moved up a place on the ladder, and didn't even kick a ball!
Thunder are now even mathematically down, and (despite doing the double over us) will finish as basement boys. with any one of four to join 'em in trips to Cornwall, Colwyn Bay, Birmingham, et al next term.
Can't see it being pretty up at CP tomorrow, but the incentive is there for us to give our survival chances a massive boost!
COME ON YOU LIONS!!!!!
Spelly.
Well mes amis, it's looking grim!
Just back from a thundery, and drizzly CP, where it finished Raiders 32-14 Lions, and to be brutally frank, we were outplayed by a team that wanted it a lot more than we did!
The day started off on a downer with the Pinks winning in GP ET against the Wire, which we watched in their bar, and it got no better for us from then on!
Their first try set the scene for the remainder of the encounter. They kicked on the last tackle, and we tried to let the ball roll dead, but their guy dived on it to score. To rub it in, the conversion from the touchline, went straight over the black dot!
About half an hour in, we were (correctly) down to twelve following a yellow, and they posted a dozen points during the subsequent ten minutes!
We were never in it, and for a fixture of that magnitude, the performance left a lot to be desired! It was just one of those afternoons!
So are we going to Cornwall next term? It's not a cert yet, but..............
It's 'Haven (who also got a silver medal today) at home next week, in the penultimate fixture of the campaign, and to have any chance at all of survival, we've gotta put 'em to the cleaners!
As I've said many times this season "I've had better days! But as ever when you're a Lion, hope springs eternal!
Spelly.
if you win next week and Keighley lose to Fax, that’s both teams plus Whitehaven going into the last game with 16 points and very similar points differences! Couldn’t be tighter. Very interesting for neutrals anyway!
if you win next week and Keighley lose to Fax, that’s both teams plus Whitehaven going into the last game with 16 points and very similar points differences! Couldn’t be tighter. Very interesting for neutrals anyway!
Glad you're enjoying it mate!
Spelly.
I'm still getting over that non-performance at Barrow, coz we're still below the dreaded dotted line, but......
As the eternal optimist I am, there's still plenty to play for.
I reckon the Raiders are (just about) OK now following their win over us, so it's any one of three to join Newcastle on the way down to League 1 football next term.
All have two fixtures remaining to preserve their middle tier status, and the scenario is thus..................
Keighley - 16 comp points, a -322 points diff, with 'Fax at home, and Broncos away still to play.
'Haven - Also on 16, their diff is -317, travelling to us on Sunday, prior to hosting Toulouse in their last match.
My Mob - 14 points, and -324, and we have 'Fax away to finish with, after the crunch of crunches this Sunday.
It's tight to say the least, but....................
Nowt else but a win will do for us on Sunday, and even if we do manage to pull it off, we'll still be far from safe heading into Round 27.
I'm nor sure if helps or hinders 'Haven, but the Toulouse clash kicks off twenty-four prior to Cougars' and ours.
COME ON YOU LIONS!!!!!!!!!
Spelly.