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Season so far.

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Rothman2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rothman2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Season so far.
    Posted: 27 Oct 2024 at 15:49
Well the first 8 game block is done and dusted.

Would like to hear your opinions on how the season to date has gone for your team.

Will the teams who have done well so far continue their form or will a dark horse emerge from the pack?

A small gap has emerged at the bottom but for supporters of those teams do you still have optimism that the tide will turn?

The upper to middle end is looking rather congested now, so one good result propels you up whereas one bad result might drop you back down the table.

It’s a very competitive league that’s for sure and would appreciate your comments.
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kingsheathlad View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kingsheathlad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2024 at 16:57
This is a great league. My team started well but like every team goes though at some  point injuries have come to the fore, so the break has come at the right time. I would like us to finish top four. Rams have set the pace, with Richmond and Rotherham close on their heels. Surprised to see DMP at the bottom, who usually are competitive and strong at home. Who knows what the next 8 games will  have in store. Let's hope they will be injury free so all teams can field their strongest team.
On a personal note I hope my predictions will improve so I'm not in the relegation mire.😁
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Rabbie Burns View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rabbie Burns Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2024 at 18:13
I’m happy at 5-3 which could have been 6-2 but for an incorrect call from an AR (which we have had an apology 🤬). Still stuff to work on but we have been competitive in most games except the second half in Birmingham when we seemed to switch off.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Storty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2024 at 19:10
Overall, pretty happy. After the first 4 games I feared the worst, especially the way Blackheath and Plymouth took us apart at home. However, the last 4 games have produced 12 points from 2 tough northern trips in Roth and Sedgley and 2 competitive losses to the top 2.

I think the new/old coach knows what he's doing and the players and buying in. Have been pretty injury ravaged and the fixtures have been tough so hoping the improvement continues as we finish the first half of the season.

Rotherham have been the stand out. To come up and win so many games is superb. Even better the one game they didn't turn up was Stortford!

Dings have been the biggest disappointment. Sold their soul to Bristol. Can't even find someone to update the matchday scores. They've added nothing to the league. 

Only other disappointment is how we have 2 unbeaten teams whilst the bottom 3 only have 2 wins between them. Usually anyone can beat anyone but there appears to be a bit of a gap opening up between the top and bottom. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sedge Tiger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2024 at 19:22
Originally posted by Rabbie Burns Rabbie Burns wrote:

I’m happy at 5-3 which could have been 6-2 but for an incorrect call from an AR (which we have had an apology 🤬). Still stuff to work on but we have been competitive in most games except the second half in Birmingham when we seemed to switch off.

Typical Scot!!! 😂😂😂
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sedge Tiger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2024 at 19:35
As RB has stated ‘re’ Club. We at Sedge are happy with progress so far. 

Yes it would be great to be 6-2/5-3 or whatever but I do think the standard at NL1 is exceptional and very level, so in my mind what you see now in league standings may not be the final outcome. 

The league is that tight and there will be  lots of twists and turns that may hamper/hinder and/or be advantageous to current clubs standing less well.

I also have to say how good are BS are. A revelation this season. ClapClapClap

I’d say the same about Roth, but they are  from Yorkshire, so I can’t 😂😂😂😂

All the best 

ST 


Edited by Sedge Tiger - 27 Oct 2024 at 19:37
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Halliford View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Halliford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Oct 2024 at 10:49
I'm disappointed with the start we have made but recognise that having effectively lost most of last season's pack to retirement, injury or work it is taking time to bed in new, young players. I said after our pre-match game at Canterbury that the overall standard had risen with our recruitment but that there were few shining stars. That is being borne out, we are getting 3 sides out  from our senior squad and the 2s and 3s are winning regularly.

I am confident that the team will improve as we go forward, the team is young but learning fast. We need bigger units in the back-row so look forward to Ben Kirby and Hugh Sloan getting back into action. We have shown we can score tries but we need to tighten our defence. That started last week at Sale and I expect it to continue.


Edited by Halliford - 28 Oct 2024 at 10:49
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Rothman2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rothman2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Oct 2024 at 03:17
For our take on the season so far I defer to the piece in the Yorkshire Post via an interview between Nick Westby and our Captain Zak Poole:

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Rothman2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rothman2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Oct 2024 at 03:34

In case you can’t see the full article from the link provided, please see below the article which I have copied and pasted. The article was published on line by The Yorkshire Post by their Sports Editor, Nick Westby, who can be followed on X by searching @NWestbyYPSport



Rotherham Titans captain Zak Poole believes a greater squad depth is at the heart of the South Yorkshire club’s promising start to life in National One.

The Clifton Laners, who outlasted Leeds Tykes in the race to the National Two North title last year, have acquitted themselves well on their return to the nationalised third tier, winning six of their opening eight games of the season to sit in third spot.


Even when they received a kick up the backside with a first defeat on home soil in over 18 months against Bishop’s Stortford last Saturday, they responded admirably seven days later with a win at their one-time Championship rivals Birmingham Moseley, to continue leading the chasing pack in pursuit of front-running duo Rams and Richmond.

“Quite a few players have changed and we’ve still got momentum,” said Poole, who was instrumental in their promotion-winning campaign of 2023/24.


“It’s easy to say winning becomes a habit, but it can’t just be the momentum of last year because a lot of the squad has changed with certain players bowing out because they didn’t want to commit to the longer distance, and I respect that.


“We still retained a good core of players but what’s different this year to other years is we’ve developed a strength in depth, we’ve had a lot of squad rotation in the first eight weeks and we’ve not seen the level drop which is credit to all the lads that train hard week on week and credit to Harvey (Biljon - director of rugby) for pushing them. The rotation hasn’t created a stumbling block, if anything it’s made us better because we’ve got more depth and more competition.”

There was also a level-head applied in training last week, following what was a surprise slip-up against visiting Bishop’s Stortford.

“Credit to Bishop’s, they turned up and outplayed us in the first half, but we didn’t play well enough,” admitted Poole.


“That’s the thing in this league, you can’t be off your game, ever.

“It made us realise you can’t take winning for granted.

“So we trained really well, but the good thing was it wasn’t addressed as a big panic that we’ve got to go and win to put it right, Birmingham Moseley was just another game. Yes it was third versus fourth, but we just played our game, stuck to the task and got the result. There was no added pressure or sense of panic.”

Poole added: “If you’d have offered us six wins from our first eight, 100 per cent we’d have taken it.”

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Old Gold View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Old Gold Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Oct 2024 at 10:09
Very happy with our start. Defence is working well but squad depth is proving key as some bad injuries already. 2nd, 3rd & 4th XV’s also doing well as are the Women’s teams. Really good that we can field two teams there. 💛❤️🖤
#AClubForLife💛❤️🖤
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Moseley Mauler View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Moseley Mauler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Oct 2024 at 12:15
Not a bad start for Moseley, but really hit with injuries at the moment.  8 regulars missing from the squad against Roth.  Plus 2 self inflicted suspensions. But all sides will go through it sometime during the season. The break has come at a good time in terms of rehab. 
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