fevnut's blog: Halifax Home (CC)

Match 16: Halifax (Home) - CC6










fevnut's musings



Ian Hardman

As Ian’s testimonial moves into its last few months I hope ALL Fev fans will ensure that they have made a significant contribution because Ian has made a HUGE contribution to all that has been best at Rovers over the last nine years. Copies of his testimonial brochure are still available so if you haven’t already got one make sure you buy it. It’s a great read.

Much attention has been paid in recent weeks to Ian’s steady climb up the Rovers All Time records. After last week he lies joint 6th on the all time try scorers. That’s joint 6th with Paul Newlove. Ian is on 122 tries and a further 8 would take him into third place past Ken Kellett (124), Andy Kain (128) and Jim Denton (129).

Ian is also now in the Top 20 points scorers. That list is dominated by players who have been regular goal kickers but Ian has now passed 500 points with just 7 goals (all this year). His 502 points put him in 19th place with, again, Paul Newlove and Andy Kain in his sights. Paul is on 506 and Andy on 525. Paul Newlove’s total includes the nine goals he kicked in 1988, his first season. I wonder how many people can recall him taking goal-kicks. He also kicked 3 goals that year for GB U21 but then never kicked goals for the rest of his career.

Returning to Ian, I really think it’s about time he popped over a drop goal. He’s no mean kicker and yet that is something he has never done in his professional career.

fevnut hopes very much Ian will be around for several years to come and continues to climb the charts. I was really dismayed last season when he was handed the squad #15 while #1 was given to a loanee who was primarily a halfback. What credit it is to Ian that his huge contribution to the team was quickly recognised again and he ended up quickly re-establishing himself at fullback where he remained for the rest of the year.

A fullback who reads the game and communicates with the rest of the team is one of the most essential ingredients of success and Ian provides us with that in abundance.


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Disgrace

Whilst Ian is a true professional I saw a very unprofessional display on television last weekend. I refer to the first Toronto home game against Oxford. What on earth were they thinking? Perhaps that Canadian fans would prefer an all-in boxing match to rugby league? It does our sport no good whatsoever. Just in case you don’t know what I am referring to, in that game Oxford had one player sent off but Toronto had two sent-off and three sin-binned.

The only other dominant team I have ever seen play like that were Leigh a couple of years ago. Usually such an appalling display crops up either from a very tight match or one in which the offending team is being torn apart. This was neither with Toronto winning 62-12. What a coincidence - the Toronto coach is the same one as the Leigh coach in 2015!

Strong action needs to be taken swiftly by the RFL disciplinary.

I do wonder how the RL plans to deal with disciplinary procedures with Toronto players. Will they be summoned back to England for their hearings or will it become a chance for the disciplinary panel to have a trip to Canada?!

STOP PRESS: I see they have put Gareth Hewer, who usually refs Super League matches, in charge of Toronto's next fixture!