On paper...
By Gelbel
February 23 2016
I am not one to look at Stats Bunker at all – I prefer my previews come from the heart. But just this once I wanted to see ‘how good’ our opposition on Sunday is;
especially as our inability to concentrate for a whole match and continual kicking away feels like we’re miles off the pace and not in a decent league position. And d’you know, on paper things look good for Yorkshire Carnegie.
Of course the one thing we lead on is the number of bonus points but looking across the rest of the stats we’re close to matching Bristol on the number of tries scored, conceded, by position, discipline – you name it, we’re there or thereabouts in most things that have been measured. Two things to note are that if Bristol lead at half time, they’ve not been beaten but they aren’t good, compared to Yorkshire Carnegie, at coming back from being behind at the break. Wouldn’t it be easy to say that Yorkshire Carnegie go out all guns blazing, get a lead, have a rest and a bit of orange and that’s it, match over?
This is Yorkshire Carnegie we’re talking about, a side who, if they were published, must surely lead the stats on grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory or most guilty of narcolepsy or complacency due to the number of matches we’ve lost narrowly that we should’ve won having been in the lead in the dying minutes.
Most of those matches have been lost due to poor decision making. The biggest decision to be made this weekend is from Brush and whoever picks the side. Here’s my pick – Holmes, Stegman, Casson, Forsyth, Doherty, Hodgson and Pilgrim with Sinfield on the bench if it looks close for his kicking ability and experience at Headingley and Leonard to support Sinfield by coming on in the centre if needed. In the forwards; anyone except Schofield who is unfit and I think is not good enough to warrent a short time on the pitch, I am not at all sure about Saull's commitment and I think we're lumbered with Jones as he's captain. This means Walker starts and Myerscough and Beck play their part if they’re fit. I want to see players with passion who want to give their all for the shirt not the ones who just turn up to do a job as, I believe, that’s one of the reasons we are losing and we can't keep relying on the likes of Beech, Nilsen and Burrows, to name a few, to have passion enough for the entire squad.
Head says Bristol by a lot, stats say Bristol by a bit but it can be done, heart says Yorkshire Carnegie by a point or two, major gin consumption says decent win for Yorkshire Carnegie. It should be a good, entertaining match, our matches against Bristol usually are. So long as the Yorkshire Carnegie side that plays on Sunday does so for 80 minutes, making the right, good decisions, managing the match and comes away with some form of points, I’ll be happy. Otherwise it’s back to excuses with more platitudes in post-match interviews and an awful lot of papering over the cracks.
As an aside, I’m also hoping I don’t have to read stuff on here about Premiership/promotion ambitions on the back of an iffy performance – let’s take each match as it comes and cross that bridge when we get to it.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016:03:13:15:49:39 by Gelbel.
Hope to see you all Sunday
If I had all the money I've spent on drink ..... I'd spend it on drink.
I think Leeds have been there or thereabouts all season and will pull out all the stoppers on Sunday and put in a Championship defining performance.
Come on Ye Tykes
Made my day that has.
Think in that case Brush should give Hooper weekend off,
Quote:Selby Kev
I feel it in my bones...the Force is with us....and we will Brush the Bristles away!! Any ugly win will do...but I'd rather lose than have a 1 point lead going into the last 5 mins...too agonising?!
Looks like Yoda is alive and well and living in Selby
I'd love to be able to agree with you Kev but, for me, the optimism has to be based on something other than blind faith (or even the force!) and previous results against good opposition suggest that we'll get ourselves into a lead then throw it away.
Hopefully not this time though.
First game of the season for me. First game in nearly a year in fact. Really looking forward to it and hoping Kev is right.
Come on Yorkshire!
Quote:Time Trial
Great preview. Thanks! I'm firmly in the doom-mongers camp so will say nothing more apart from wishing the lads well.
Quote:Time Trial
Great preview. Thanks! I'm firmly in the doom-mongers camp so will say nothing more apart from wishing the lads well.
Quote:Gelbel
Looking at Brush's interview - Myerscough out due to having his appendix our but Fred's an option (not saying for Bristol) if it's right. Let's hope it is and he is.
Made my day that has.
I am just so pleased for Fred, coming back from such adversity, but realistically I would have thought a bit of lower league (loaned out) stuff- the sort Bobba watches - was appropriate before showing his skills in the Championship. Nevertheless, if Brush thinks he is the man for the job I applaud.
If I had all the money I've spent on drink ..... I'd spend it on drink.
Come on Yorkshire!
COME ON LEEDS.
We've been through it all together.