Fantastic win. Effort, guts and desire we haven’t seen for years. Exactly what you want from a team.
Next week is massive. Win and we’ll be in the play offs.
The players deserve a big crowd and seeing as though the club are so poor advertising and promoting the games, I think it’s on all of the fans to try and persuade fans to come along. These players deserve it, they’re representing themselves and the club admirably
Why is Jack at FB if he can’t do the basics of catching a sodding kick that a FB is supposed to do???
Proably because he is better than you, Johnnyboy, or you'd be Widnes FB?
Paulie xx
Big shout out to Ryan Ince, he took the 'ball in' more than any of the Middles and he and Butt dovetail nicely. Joey Lyons, never out-wrestled by the Batley big boys, Owens & Gilly organising and running the show. There was 24 mins gone before Batley scored downhill in the 2nd half. If you go in after playing down the slope first half, and only lead by 4pts, it's highly likely you will lose the game. True grit in defence.
1 down, 4 to play. Coleman's 5 from 5 is on.
Paulie xx
A solid team performance. No real standouts though JJ and Lyons caught the eye with their defence in particular. Satisfying that our pack just would not buckle playing uphill against those beefy Batley forwards. Hats off to Coleman for getting the best out of this collection of players, our best coach for a decade. Cannily he took Kirk off with 15 to go, even though Kirk for once had been using his heft to advantage. Back on came the tackling machine Bent to help see out the game. Can't not mention Butt and Ince who came under exceptional pressure from Batley's metronomic high kick on the fifth.
A really good win today, it might not have been free flowing rugby, but we defended really well, and I certainly didn’t think it was a boring match, in fact it was very exciting and nerve racking. I thought that it was a team performance, with no stand out players, if I had to pick a MOM, I think I would go for JJ or Butt.
For the first quarter of the game, we seemed to have Fleming at full back when Batley were attacking and Owens there when we were attacking, which I think is sensible, but then we seemed to have Owens full back all the time, and your hearts in your mouth ever time they put a high kick up to him.
With Shane Grady and Sam Wilde possibly back next week, we should be favourites to beat York and secure a top 6 finish.
Coleman was very excited at the end and ran over to applaud the Widnes fans before congratulating his players
Quite a good following of Widnes fans, and I would say we had as many fans there as Batley.
The substitutions were well worked. Brooks came on later in the first half, and again did well. I agree with the above post on Kirk, who made a difference when he came on, but these tactics show how important a player like Bent is. His fitness lets us bring substitutes on later and I also like the way he gets to his feet quickly after the tackle for a quick ptb as well, I for one hope he's here next year.
Its probably worth noting that the defensive effort was without Max Roberts, who went off and didn't return.
@pauliewalnuts alright flower! No need to be touchy! We’re all fans here. I’m not a FB but he is so should stop giving us heart attacks and do a FB’s job and catch the high bombs. There. That better?
@pauliewalnuts alright flower! No need to be touchy! We’re all fans here. I’m not a FB but he is so should stop giving us heart attacks and do a FB’s job and catch the high bombs. There. That better?
We are all fans, your'e exactly right, but some 'fans' enjoy being over critical of players who drop a ball, etc. The one 'bomb' which JO dropped yesterday was swirling wickedly (I was watching from the side stand) and knew it was a 50/50 chance any FB would have dropped. No 'fan' has criticised Dan Murray for knocking on twice in two consecutive carries, so much so he was 'hooked' immediately for Brooks, knock-ons which put us under intense pressure in our half.
Anyway JO didn't knock on when scoring the winning try, which matters more than anything else. This is not specifically having a go at you @johnnyboy, even I curse players under my breath when they do a 'howler'. I wouldn't be brave enough to tell them to their faces, in the street, on the Monday (apart from Gilly, JJ and JO 🤣) so I refrain from doing it as a keyboard warrior.
Up the Chemical Vikings
Paulie xx
That ground, as AC said, is the hardest to play on. It tests stamina and nous better than anywhere else. But Gilly knows the tactics and our stamina saw us through!
AC rates both Jacko and Lyons and if you look you can see why!
@pauliewalnuts I’m no keyboard warrior whatever that means but I do get frustrated that in the last month or so Jack has made some reet howlers either dropping bombs or letting the ball bounce a few weeks ago to let in a score (was it Whitehaven away?). He also had some errors early in the season where he was passing in tight situations that weren’t on. Just these little things make me wonder if he’s passed his sell by date at FB?
I do agree that it’s an incredible thing to play even champ/amateur rugby as I couldn’t hack it having tried at student level and got battered so I’ve still the utmost respect for these lads but I’m sure AC has the teams best interest at heart (perhaps when Maizen comes in we see Jack revert to loose or centre)?
Onwards with AC’s barmy army Mr Nuts! 😎
Thought Jack waa good yesterday. He certainly made more ground returning the ball then Batley did. That was a real battle of a game with errors all round, and the penalty given agaisnt Lyons for stripping the ball was no way anything other than the ref being fooled. Anyway, dificult conditions, difficult ground and Batley are a decent side, it was a hard earned and important win..
Considering they could still make the playoffs, I thought their support was low in number.
@pauliewalnuts I’m no keyboard warrior whatever that means but I do get frustrated that in the last month or so Jack has made some reet howlers either dropping bombs or letting the ball bounce a few weeks ago to let in a score (was it Whitehaven away?). He also had some errors early in the season where he was passing in tight situations that weren’t on. Just these little things make me wonder if he’s passed his sell by date at FB?
I do agree that it’s an incredible thing to play even champ/amateur rugby as I couldn’t hack it having tried at student level and got battered so I’ve still the utmost respect for these lads but I’m sure AC has the teams best interest at heart (perhaps when Maizen comes in we see Jack revert to loose or centre)?
Onwards with AC’s barmy army Mr Nuts! 😎
very good points made about Jack he definitely is better on the pitch then off it but i personally don’t think fullback is the right position for him because everytime the ball goes up it’s squeaky bum time when jacks catching it I think we’re probs one of the only teams in the Div that swap the centre (Fleming) to fullback just to catch the high balls jack made a couple of mistakes at fullback yesterday but made up for it by scoring that try however I think next season he should be in the centres and maizen if he has signed will be fullback.
Jack is a 'pro' and will play where selected. He does what he can for his home town team. If he gets injured it hurts him more than others, trust me on that one. We are better with him on the pitch, than off it.
Paulie xx
I didn't go Batley to make any assumptions, but I was concerned 4 points up at halftime especially having to play uphill 2nd half. Fair play on the defensive efforts. I went the Sheffield game and I thought Jack Owens played well in the centre with a classy pass for a try. I do worry him at fullback especially under the high ball. The problem is I wonder how he rates compared to the other fullbacks in the Championship? We have the best hookers as a pair in the league and we all know money talks. So we need more fans through the gates and this team deserves it. So everyone spread the words to your families, especially to mention the club have a team to be proud of in the Town. 👍😎
I don't know how many people still get the weekly news but apparently there was no coverage of Widnes Vikings prior to the Sheffield game which is shocking for the local paper.Even Ice Hockey is given more space,I believe.Not saying the lack of coverage is knocking hundreds off the gate but it certainly doesn't help.