fevnut's blog (Halifax Away)

2017 Match 1: Halifax Away (Championship)

fevnut's musings

I found myself at the pre-season game against Leeds Rhinos with very mixed feelings. It’s because I can well remember years when we have had a great series of pre-season games followed by a big let-down when we got into proper competitive matches. A case in point was three years ago when we had a magnificent pre-season winning all our matches including those against Wakefield and Hull and promptly lost to both Dewsbury and Doncaster in our first four proper games. We never got into a real rhythm until Danny Evans (as caretaker) and then Andy Hay took over in May and we promptly put a run together and only lost two of the next thirteen games.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how the team pans out this year. The backs look by far the strongest for many a year and I find it really difficult to see who Jon Sharp will leave out of the starting line-up. What that means is that we would have to be incredibly unlucky this season to be filling the three-quarter line with several players playing out of position, particularly in the centres and that should be really beneficial to our attacking potential.  Last year, Ian Hardman, Brad Tagg and Jamie Cording all played a substantial number of games there. All three are good players but centre is certainly not their best position. There was also Liam Blockley who, when he played, looked right out of his depth. With Misi, Chris Ulugia, Luke Briscoe, James Duckworth, Josh Hardcastle (what an exciting prospect he is), Kyran, Scott Turner and Jason Walton to pick from we should be able to avoid using forwards or full-backs in the three-quarters in 2017!

The pack also looks considerably stronger. Richard Moore has been excellent in pre-season. Much as I like the lad, I can’t see us calling on Jordan Baldwinson much this year.

Let’s all hope for some consistency. There are always going to be the odd game when the team doesn’t click, but last year we had three truly awful performances - Oldham and Sheffield away and Halifax at Blackpool. I can’t see this squad sinking to that level.

So, it’s ‘UTR’ with some real optimism for the campaign to come. I hope I’ll feel the same way come August after we have made it into the qualifiers and start giving four super league teams a really tough encounter.
 

T'Other Side: Halifax

 

Head Coach: Richard Marshall

Now into his third year as coach at Halifax, after a widely acknowledged highly successful first year but last year did not go quite so well.

His playing career started at Halifax where he spent six seasons. When he left Fax he had spells at Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants, London Broncos, Leigh Centurions and Swinton, retiring in 2007.  He played two games for Ireland in the 2003 European Nations Cup. Richard’s playing position was prop or second row.

 

New Signings for 2017

t  Ryan Boyle (Castleford Tigers)

t  Shane Grady (Dewsbury Rams)

t  Jack Mead (Bradford Bulls)

t  Morgan Punchard (Lock Lane ARL)

t  Rob Worrincy (Sheffield Eagles)

 

The highest profile signing is undoubtedly Ryan Boyle who arrives from Castleford Tigers after a loan spell with Halifax last year. This powerful prop has made a52 Super League appearances and has also played for England U18 and Ireland. Shane Grady has played for Widnes, Dewsbury and Australian club, Thirroul Butchers, and played in Super League for London Broncos. Jack Mead is a young winger who was with the Bradford Bulls Academy and Morgan Punchard is definitely one for the future. He is a very promising young halfback or hooker who gave an excellent display in the pre-season match against Rovers on Boxing Day. Rob Worrincy returns to Halifax having played for them from 2009 to 2014. He began his career with Castleford Tigers.

Ryan Boyle

Ryan Punchard

 

Rob Worrincy

Shane Grady
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fev connection

In the Fax squad are three players who have played for Rovers. Ben Kaye was a very popular hooker for three years and Gareth Moore filled the scrum half position for two years. Will Sharp was a great favourite during his time with Fev from 2013 to 2015. He scored many crucial tries including the last minute ones against Sheffield which took Fev into the play-offs in 2013 and the one which beat Batley in 2015 when Fev snatched victory by scoring 22 points in the last six minutes!

 

 

TODAY: PREVIOUSLY - FEBRUARY 5TH

 

Rugby League

The first (professional) match ever played by Featherstone on February 5^th was away to Huddersfield in 1927. Fev won 6-0 with tries by Jim Denton and Billy Clements. During that season Rovers won 21 of their 38 matches and for the first time finished in the top half of the table, a precursor to a tremendous season the following year when they finished 3^rd.

In 1995, the last full season before the summer era, Rovers beat Wakefield Trinity 22-15 at home. It was of little consequence as both teams were relegated. Rovers relegation was as a result of a late change of plan by the RFL in order to make way for London and Paris.  Rovers tries were scored by Darren Hughes, Brendon Tuuta and Graham Southernwood and Mark Aston kicked 5 goals.

On the international scene England beat ‘Other Nationalities’ 33-16 at Workington in 1921 and in the 1949 European Championship Wales beat England 14-10 in front of nearly 10,000 spectators in Swansea. Despite that result, Wales finished last, the Championship being won by France.

World Events

In 1850, an adding machine using depressible keys was patented in New York.

In 1870, the first moving picture was shown to an audience in Philadelphia.

Also in the world of cinema, in 1937 Charlie Chaplin’s first ‘talkie’, Modern Times, was released.

In 1945, Winston Churchill arrived at Yalta for the conference with Josef Stalin and Franklin D Roosevelt that was to draw up plans for post 2^nd World War Europe.

The House of Commons voted in favour of same sex marriage in 2013.

Birthdays

1788 Robert Peel, British Prime Minister and founder of the British Police Force.

1840 John Dunlop, Scottish developer of the pneumatic tyre.

1970 Ben Ainslie, British sailor and winner of 4 Olympic gold medals.

1985 Rémi Casty, current captain of Catalans Dragons.

1992 Neymar, Brazilian and Barcelona footballer.

1996 Jordan Abdull, now with Hull Kingston Rovers and played for Featherstone last year on loan from Hull FC.