fevnut's blog: Fev v Hull FC

Match 16: Hull FC (Home) Challenge Cup

fevnut's musings

Luke Briscoe

Who on earth could possibly imagined at the beginning of the season what Luke Briscoe was about to achieve? In his time at Fev he had appeared to be a good winger but nothing particularly special. After playing for Featherstone Lions he had been signed by Leeds Rhinos and played 10 games for us on dual registration in 2016 on loan and then became one of our players in 2017. In those two seasons his try-scoring rate (50%) was good but nothing special with 15 tries in 30 matches. But what he has now achieved is not just good, not just outstanding, it is MIRACULOUS! When he scored that early try against Toulouse last Saturday he beat the post-war record for ALL clubs set by the great Martin Offiah of scoring in 15 successive matches. And Luke is not just a try scorer. We would venture to suggest that he is a much better defender than Offiah having brought up some wonderful try saving tackles.

The only player to have ever scored in more successive games in the entire history of professional rugby in this country was Eric Harris of Leeds who scored in 17 successive matches in the 1930s. If Luke should score against Hull FC on Thursday he will equal that record. Eric Harris’ record actually includes one match that was abandoned but RFL rules state that scores and appearances in such matches count in a player’s record. Nevertheless he scored in 16 successive matches with a result and Luke has already done that.

You can see all the details of Luke’s record breaking run, the two next best runs by Fev players, Martin Offiah’s 15 try scoring matches and Eric Harris’ record holding sequence on the link below.

http://fevblog452.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/rovers-longest-try-scoring-sequences.html

Championship Strength

This week’s Challenge Cup 6th round is going to be a great test of whether the gap is narrowing between the Championship and Super League. Of those Championship clubs with Super League opposition the hardest task undoubtedly falls to Fev with Hull FC sitting in the top 4 of Super League and coming off a 36-12 win against Castleford. Butg they all said that before Wembley 1983!!!

Leigh Centurions are at home to Salford and that should be one hell of a battle. Leigh have won their last 9 matches are a very different side to the one which struggled at the beginning of the year. And then Toronto (at the top of the Championship) play Warrington. Those results will be fascinating.

West Wales Raiders, Hemel Stags and Coventry Bears

Last week we wrote about whether West Wales and Hemel were fit to be in League One. Well, West Wales followed their 144-0 defeat a week ago by losing 124-0 last Sunday. No points scored and 278 points conceded in two matches. That does no-one in rugby league any good whatsoever. They now AVERAGE 93 points conceded in their league matches this season.

Hemel Stags have a much better average conceding 42 points per match but they still haven’t won a single game and in their last 4 they have conceded 40, 60 (twice) and 80 points. Add to that they are based in Sheffield not Hemel!

The other one of the newer expansion clubs played Keighley, who were lying in eighth place in League One last weekend. Keighley won 98-6.

We really want to see Rugby League being played in every corner of the UK but this is simply not the way to go about it. A complete re-think is needed as to the best way to spread rugby league and placing unsuitable clubs into the professional structure is doesn’t help our profile at all.