This week's referee: Sheffield v Fev

  

After doing 5 Fev matches earlier in the season he is back after a 3 month gap! Lower than average on penalties and yellow cards but above average on red cards.

fevnut's musings #12: 64-18, 1,000 points, Connor Jones and Milestones

  

64-18

It’s a scoreline that has been deeply etched in our memory for many years! Got home after the match against Workington and went straight to check any other matches, apart from the previous one we remembered, with the same scoreline but there are just the two.

Fev treated us to some scintillating attacking rugby none more so than the first try that was scored by Morgan Smith when there were a succession of brilliant passes in the build up and one of sheer genius from Craig Hall to Morgan Smith that had us jumping out of our seat and shrieking in pure delight at what we had just witnessed.

Sadly, yet again, there were also the defensive frailties, indicated by the fact that, in league matches, Workington have only scored more than 18 points twice this year. Those were against Broncos before their resurgence and Newcastle in a 22-66 defeat.

So, what was that other time when Fev won 64-18. It was probably the most memorable Fev match we ever had the pleasure to attend. We have to go back to 1991 and the second round of the Regal Trophy. Fev were drawn at home to Halifax in an evening game that was televised by ITV.

The first half was tight with Fev edging it 14-12 but the omens were poor because we had Andy Fisher sent off in the 30^th minute for a high tackle. When Halifax took an 18-16 lead in the 50^th minute there were very few in the crowd who believed anything other than that Fax would win.

We will never forget what happened in the last 30 minutes! Fev scored 48 points to end up winning 64-18 with the most thrilling half hour any of us there had ever witnessed.

If you are too young to remember it, just weren’t there or want to relive it we are delighted to tell you that you can watch it on RoversTV where you will find it in the ‘Gold’ section. If you can, watch it on a television rather than on a phone or computer.

 

1,000 points in a season

Last Sunday Fev went past 1,000 points in league matches, only the second time that has been done. The previous occasion was just 4 years ago in 2018.

There have been a total of 14 previous seasons when Fev have passed a 1,000 points in all games. Unsurprisingly 13 of those have been in the ‘Summer Era’ during which there has been a very large general increase in scores.

The one season before the Summer Era when we achieved more than 1,000 points was 1992-93. At the end of 1991-92 we had been relegated to the second division and we bounced back at the first opportunity scoring loads of points, not least due to the contributions of Paul Newlove and Owen Simpson who scored 48 and 34 tries respectively and Martin Pearson who scored 391 points (28 tries, 139 goals and 1 drop goal). Those try scoring feats of Newlove and Simpson remain the two highest number of tries ever in a season for Rovers.

This year we currently stand at 1,006 points in league matches and 1,165 points in all matches. Our record tally ever for league matches is 1,040 and for all matches is 1,253 so, with potentially 4 matches to go, there is a chance that either of those records could be broken.

 

Connor Jones

Over the years Fev have been blessed with a host of excellent hookers hookers: Keith Bridges, Trevor Clark, Richard Chapman and Andy Ellis to name just four.

Comparisons are difficult to make because the role and skills required have changed more than any other position on the field.

Connor Jones performance last weekend against Workington stands out as one of the very finest in any match we can recall. We can’t recall any previous hooker who has such a devastating quality of rugby league intelligence combined with such devastating pace and acceleration.

 The news that he has resigned for next season must be a huge satisfaction for all Fev supporters.

 

Milestones

There were two significant player milestones achieved during the Workington match.

Luke Briscoe played his 100^th game for Fev and Craig Hall scored his 50^th try for us. In addition, Morgan Smith scored his 25^th career try. 

 Congratulations to all three of them.

Wigan

For fevnut, our feelings about the Wigan club are on a par with our feelings about Cas! That all stems from when Wigan decided unilaterally to make their players fulltime and in so doing we felt they did enormous damage to our sport. That was compounded when we received an appalling phone call from Maurice Lindsay threatening to expel Wakefield Trinity from the RFL if Wakefield Council allowed Belle Vue to be used for a BARLA Cup Final. Wakefield Council were, at that time, the owners of the ground.

But did you, by any chance watch last week’s match between Saints and Wigan. It was probably the greatest defensive display we have ever seen. Saints completely dominated territory and possession and yet Wigan managed to conjure a 30-10 win. Of course, having Jai Field and Bevan French in their team helps but we would love to have our players go through some defensive training from the Wigan staff!

 

Fev and Sheffield: Comparative Match Stats

   

 

T'Other Side: Sheffield Eagles

   

FIRST TEAM SQUAD

LAST TIME OUT

THIS SEASON'S MATCHES

Head Coach: Mark Aston

 

Amazingly, this is Mark Aston’s 22nd season as head coach of Sheffield Eagles! He started the re-born club in 2000 and is still the coach, although he stood down and was only Chief Executive in 2006 but then took over the coaching again in 2007. When you add in his playing career he has been at Sheffield ever since 1985 with just one break for a little over a year when he was at Featherstone. A dynamic scrumhalf as a player he won the Lance Todd Trophy in 1998 when he led Eagles to that amazing win over Wigan at Wembley. He also played five times for Great Britain. Mark Aston was the head coach of the Ireland international team from 2011 to 2018.

 

 

Captain: Anthony Thackeray

 

Experienced halfback, Anthony Thackeray, joined Sheffield in 2019 from Fev. His career began with Hull FC in 2007. During that year he had loan spells with York and Castleford, joining Castleford in 2008 and while at Cas he played 6 matches at loan for Fev. In 2009 he moved to Widnes and in 2011 he went again on loan to York. He then spent two years each at Halifax and Dewsbury before signing for Fev in 2016. He is currently Sheffield’s leading try scorer with 15 tries in 16 matches. He is currently Sheffield’s joint leading try scorer with 4 tries in 6 matches but his main contribution is undoubtedly leading the team around the park.

 

Dual Registration and Loans

 

Sheffield have a dual registration agreement with Wakefield Trinity but only two Wakefield players have appeared for Sheffield earlier this year.

Quentin Laulu-Togagae has been on loan at Sheffield for most of the season but hasn’t played since August 3^rd.

 

The Fev Connection

Looking through Fev players before the Summer Era, there aren’t that many who also played for Sheffield but that is hardly surprising as Sheffield only started as a professional club in 1984. However, from that small number, one name really stands out. Over 300 appearances for Fev, one of our Hall of Famers, member of the 1973 Challenge Cup winning team, member of the team that one the Championship in 1976/77 and Fev coach in 1981/82. He joined Hull when he left Fev after the 1977/78 season. He finished at Hull after 2 seasons but got his boots out again to captain Sheffield Eagles in their first season. It is, of course, the late, great, Vince Farrar.

Past Matches against Sheffield Eagles

   

LAST TIME (2022)

Fev v Workington (Championship Round 25): Match Details

 

Note:

Fev clinch top two finish, bye in 1st round of the play-offs and home semi-final.

Fev score their 1,000th point of the league season. It is only the second time ever they have achieved that, the previous occasion being in 2018. They are currently on 1,006 points and in 2018 they scored 1,040 so, with two games to go they could surpass that.

Fev v Workington (Championship Round 25): 21 Man Squads

 

Fev and Workington have both announced their 21 man squads for Saturday's match. 

The players have been placed into position largely based on last week's line-ups with some guesswork too. For Workington we have simply listed the line-up they used last week.