Rugby League

[Muttley]

The full game is here, highlights will follow later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3w79V7s5Sk

I can't see why Gebbie got sent off for that challenge.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Win the game in hand and Don's are fifth!

Any idea who it is to play?

BobG

Dons have home games against the bottom 2 coming up, after 5 away games on the bounce.

Looking at the other fixtures, it's quite possible they could be in 4th spot a week on Sunday.

[BobG]

Last 3 games are tough though sadly. Home to Halifax and York and away to Oldham. Got Featherstone and Barrow to come at home yet too. Ought to win some of those, but how many? Will it be enough?

BobG

[Jemmo]

The toughest games left are away at Oldham and Bradford, and home to York. If we can nick a win one of those we’ve done well

We should be favourites for Batley, Hunslet and Halifax at home (Halifax haven’t been good second ever since we battered them at their place) and I’d hope to win all of them

Featherstone and Barrow are the ones mainly in the balance

[BobG]

Happily I think Gebbie's suspensión coincides with two games against weaker opposition

BobG

[Jemmo]

He can play this weekend, but will miss Hunslet at home and Bradford away (unfortunately in the case of the latter)

[BobG]

Oh b*llocks.

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

So after Barrow's defeat today, if the Dons win against 2nd-bottom Batley tomorrow, they are guaranteed to be in at worst 6th place, with a game in hand on all the sides around them.

A little bit of luck and the play offs are a distinct possibility.

[BobG]

Other than Oldham 18-10 up v Hunslet, all the half times are good for the Dons. Dons themsves winning 26-6 whilst Featherstone are losing at home and Widnes are just ahead of Bradford. Fingers crossed it all stays this way!

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

Looking at remaining fixtures I reckon it's going to be very tight.

I'd guess if the Dons win three of the matches against
Hunslet
Barrow
Bradford
Oldham
York
Featherstone

it'll probably come down to the final match of the season at home to Halifax for 6th place and a playoff position.

That would be a fantastic achievement

[Mike_F]

I went down today for the first time in a while. The Dons did a great job and made it look easy against relegation-threatened Batley. That Pauli Pauli is an absolute beast of a player!

[Jemmo]

After all those away game, I unfortunately couldn't get there yesterday but have just caught up on the game. Some good and varied tries, we have scoring options are all over the pitch at the moment and must be a nightmare to defend against.

Still got some tough games to come up and while play offs or even 5th is very achievable I won't lose any sleep if we just miss out

[Jemmo]

Highlights of the Batley game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bo2F9Ol45g

[scawsby steve]

I went to a mate's funeral last Monday. The service was conducted by the Reverend Michael Towle. Yep, his late dad was the big lad himself.

Old Marra always loved the booze, fags, and women, but he let young Mick be his own person.

It's worked, because Mick is a smashing young bloke, and recently got married.

I forgot to ask him if he's interested in Rugby League.

[Jemmo]

Dons have had to make a number of changes this week, between the suspension of Gebbie, failed HIA for Connor Robinson and injuries to Hey and Hepi.

Those 4 are out the squad and replaced by new signing Luis Johsnon, Loanee Harvey Horne, Dual Reg Logan Taylor-Moy and Alex Sutcliffe, who is returning from injury.

[BobG]

Lol. If the Dons put 59 points net past Bradford on Friday they'll go 4th in the table.

Mind you, today wasn't very encouraging....

BobG

[Jemmo]

Made hard work of that today, got dragged into a scrap we didn’t need to. And losing a lot of players through injury didn’t help with more than half the team out of positional second half

Very worries about having enough players on Friday night at Bradford 

[Jemmo]

For large portions today we had 4 half backs, 2 hookers and only 1 front row on the pitch. God knows where anyone was playing

[BobG]

Oh. That suggests Bradford will be putting 59 past us on Friday....

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

Friday is a write off.

Dons have a very tough run in. 6 matches to play, all against sides in the playoff mix.

The REAL crunch matches are the two straight after. Home to Featherstone and Barrow.

Win those two and I reckon that will very nearly be a play off position sealed. Win those two AND beat Halifax at home last match of the season, and that will be definitely a playoff place sealed.

[Jemmo]

With the way the squad looks fitness wise at the moment, I'd be tempted to give up on the game at bradford and rest anyone we can. We're down to just 1 three quarter now, 2 if we recall Jason Tali from his loan

[danumdon]

Just watched it back now, that was a proper slog, some sore guys after that. Stuck to it well at the end, must be down to the bare bones now.

Thought the refs in football were poor, he missed plenty and some of his decisions were odd.

[Jemmo]

Highlights

https://youtu.be/J-jykhHI8kU?si=3wHeSpBkPeba8jH5

[Jemmo]

As suspected, the squad going into tomorrows game at Bradford is bare bones. We've only been able to name 20 (as opposed to the 21 we're allowed) and there's a few in there I know for a fact can't play.

Our three quarter lines is a lottery

[Jemmo]

I don’t know how these lads keep doing it, but with a make shift team (the three quarter line is 2 half backs, a second tower and a teenager) we’re actually 8-6 up at half time

I don’t think we can go on and win this as we’ve had to put a lot of energy into that half but they’re showing some real guts

[dknward2]

Just gone further ahead 12-6 up come on you dons

[BobG]

Making a great fist of it - but 12-12 now. 13 mins to go.

Bob

[dknward2]

18-12 Bradford still closed 5 mins to go

[BobG]

A proper valiant effort. Not quite enough but bloody impressive all the same.

Bob

[Jemmo]

Undone by a 4 minute period, but proud of the effort once more