Looking forward to this with a bit more optimism than usual, both in view of our promising early season form, and Featherstone's injury problems that see them without a recognised half back, and with 3 on DR from HKR. Real shame Charlie Graham apparently not fit yet,  would guess Mccomb back to centre and McCarron in the 2nd row. Off subject but pleasing to see Bulls unexpectedly losing to Barrow 

Feels strange been confident for a home game against Fev. The start of the season has been better than most of us expected and there really is no reason to think we are not capble of making it 4 from 4.


On the Bulls, I thought they would walk the league with their huge squad and massive spend but it certainly seems like something isn't right. Sometimes it can lead to problems when you give players large contracts and they have to do the bare minimum to pick up their money. Fax on the other hand on a shoestring and sometimes that can lead to a very tight team bond which has been very evident so far this season.

Fev as always will be a hard game tomorrow and let's hope that Hansen slots back in well at half back. If we can get the points in this one we will have had a great start including the win over Barrow. Their win at odslum last night wasn't the biggest surprise to me. I thought they looked more than decent down't Shay and it was a good two points for us. A repeat of that particular performance tomorrow would hopefully see Fax remain unbeaten. I'll go for Fax 24v16 Fev.

Don't think you'll ever get a better opportunity to give us a bit of a mauling at the Shay, not only do we have the well-documented half back problems but we have been very much losing the arm wrestle lately and this will be the smallest pack you've seen us bring to your place for many years with Springer, Boothroyd and Akauola all missing.



I think we'll be ok later in the season if we get a bit more luck with injuries but we're struggling both in terms of form and health right now.

Happen so but we'll need to play well to get the two points. 

Still need a bit of a pinch with the way we’re playing with the smallest squad we’ve ever had and if we can stay injury free there’s the feeling these lads still have some improvement in them.


Fev a shadow of their usual standards but no surprise with the injury list which isn’t a lot different from ours at this stage last year.


Sorry Fev but there were a few who let your club down again with some of the fowlest language found in the sport levelled at young children when leaving the ground. Please don’t come back.

Another solid win based on strong defence and keeping errors/penalties to a minimum. No one real stand out performer for me, but unlike other years no weak links, with every player doing their job to a high level. In spite of the fact that aggression in defence for the full 80 minutes is better than I've seen in years, the discipline is also massively improved, something that can only be be down to Eastwoods influence. I'd have probably given MOTM yesterday to either Tangata, who ran himself into the ground for 70 minutes, or Fairbank, who's showing real skill and courage taking the ball right to the line and handing off some lovely passes, often getting wacked as a result. Churlish to gripe, but still feel JWH and Jouffret better switched, Jouffret in particular doesn't look as confident as last season. Finally I know Featherstone suffering badly with injuries and rumoured wages issues, but that was probably poorest Fev team I've seen in many years.

It was a fantastic performance yesterday although as KE said , there is still room for improvement.  Tangata was my MotM and agree that JWH and Jouffret should be switched. I was sat amongst the Fev fans in't 1st half and they must have one of the worst, brain dead, foul mouthed fan bases going in any sport. Nowt's changed there, although i feel for the good,  proper Fev fans who have to put up with that set of morons week in and week out.

Fax played a good game certainly the first half.  Douglas is just what we have been missing. Tangata was m.o.m by a country mile.
 Defence wins games so can see that coaches would concentrate on that. Now to try to sharpen the attacking play.


As for the JWH / Joufrett debate i can see why Eastmond has moved them . Woody certainly beefs up defence at half back and sort that  and you will win more than you lose. Neither of them has the same  threat there but still can cause problems.


The enthusiasm must be 100% better than last year and so many of the "old heads" are performing at the top of their game.


Bring on Batley

Just had a chance to watch a bit of the game back and its really nice to see our pack dominating teams after a few years of the boot been on the other foot. We knew getting Douglas and Calcott back would make a huge difference but I thought that was Dixon's best game for us so far and its nice to see an aggresive big man in a Fax shirt after some of the powder puff big men we have seen in the last decade or so.


It can't be underestimated how good a job he has done rejuvinating some of these players and the board have to take a lot of credit from going away from the jobs for the boys mentality. The club is now reaping the rewards for having a fresh and enthusiastic young coach running things.

On a side note.

Even though he wasn’t directly involved this week noticed George Whitby at the game and in the Panthers Facebook picture of young Max the games mascot where he’s sat between him and Charlie Graham with a Panthers top on.


Good of GW to come over and back again on the day from St Helens to be with the lads I thought as it’s not just a short trip around the corner.

As a Leigh fan looking in, aren't Fax the team of the season so far and KE doing a great job or am I missing something ? 


Fax should be getting more credit than they are getting for the start to the season.