Good news. No fresh injuries either I believe so we are in a rare position of being able to name an unchanged side, however if Balmforth and Watts are available I'd bring them in to replace Moy and Eseh.

Hello Easty, been a little while since we've seen you around these parts!


You're right in that Lewis, having taken a fair amount of stick, is entitled to give a little bit back, but I think he needs to be careful he doesn't find himself in a running battle with opposition supporters every time he takes to the field, especially in a derby game. I just think he would be best served concentrating on his game and rising above any flak that's coming his way, think it will serve him better in the long run.


If our players were flicking the finger towards your section then that falls into the same category in my mind. It's becoming a growing trend in the game and I think we need to be careful it doesn't get out of hand. In games like yesterday there can be a few hot-heads in the crowd, not always in control of themselves. I'd hate for us to have an incident where an idiot charges onto the pitch to deliver his own retribution to a player he doesn't like, but I can see it happening if this is left unchecked.


Think it's even worse in football, with players deliberately celebrating in front of opposition fans in a provocative manner (Jamie Vardy is a chief culprit here). Believe there was an incident at full-time a couple of weeks back (may have been Plymouth at Sheffield Utd.) which nearly sparked a riot. Sooner or later an idiot will take matters into his own hands.


I Remember that around 15 years ago that Clint Newton, when he was playing for you, had a running banter with Fc fans, but I always thought he stayed on the right side of humorous, giving back just enough of what he was receiving. I just felt that Lewis yesterday was straying too far over the line, seemingly never missing an opportunity to stoke up South or East stand. He's a fine player no doubt about that, among the best 2/3 in SL at the moment, but think it would be best if Peters had a quiet word with him to focus on his game and let his actions on the pitch do the talking for him.


A lot of players before Lewis have had to take stick from opposition fans, I can remember Ellery Hanley being pilloried by a Hull crowd with what today would undoubtedly be classed as racist abuse (this was the 1980s!!!), but they simply got on with playing their own game and shrugged it off as par for the course. You're right in that why should the invective all be one way, but players ultimately can't win if they find themselves embroiled in a running argument with a baying mob. The best way for Lewis to quieten any crowd, be it Fc or anyone else, is to deliver on the pitch and walk off with his head held high. He's asking for trouble if he continues acting like he did yesterday. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is in today's game, and indeed in wider society in general.

With regards to Lewis' antics as said before he's got every right to give a bit back especially if some of the chanting was about his young child (absolutely no place for that, it's a bloody game of rugby) but he needs to reel it in. 


The way the game is sanitised now he knows he can get away with his behavior, 15/20 years ago he'd have been belted into the middle of next week but now the game is tailored to arrogant little clowns like that because they know they'll get away with it.

Yes, agree with all of the above.
At 0-10 and a man down I was fearing the worse, but we regrouped superbly and in that 40-60 minute period it was difficult to see that we were a man down. It was a very even contest at that point, in fact if anything we were the ones with the wind in our sails, but the effort caught up with us and we couldn't scramble once too often when Batchelor scored, which lifted the pressure valve for them somewhat. Thought the Hargreaves try, off a mistake, put a little gloss on their win.


We'll never know what the outcome would have been if it had stayed a 13v13 contest, would we have played with the same intensity? who knows. Looking back now, think that Morgue's try just before the break was crucial. 4-16 felt like a very different score to 4-10. Think it would have been very interesting if we had been ahead on the hour mark, but it's all ifs and buts now!


Like you say, happier times ahead and after the horror show of 2024 it is simply nice to see us competing once more.

Avoiding the quote thing as it drags in a full page but deffo thought Cust's was a red. JWH should be in bother for that direct punch to the head on Asiata.

Surprised we didn't go for a 3rd captains challenge when Asiata got pinged for tickling Lewis after the kick