Leigh & Fev are top of the Champ. They have traded victories in their two league meetings. Leigh have won every other league game, Fev too bar a draw at Batley. In the light of this Bongser will discount any matches involving those two teams in the following ramble. nB He is bored as he has a week off and can’t go anywhere because of the train strike!
Since Dunning took over (iterate Fev game ignored) Bradford’s record is:
Played (P hereafter) 5
Won (W) 4
Points for (F) 137
Points against (Ag) 88
Points difference (D) +49
Average (league position) points per game (Av) 1.60
Bongser has, in his idleness, been drinking and takes no responsibility for the accuracy of his beer mat calcs (cig packets are useless now unless you have a white marker!)
It is to be hoped that the Leigh team does a job for you on Friday so that you can ignore anything in the rear view mirror. Play off places, after the seemingly nailed on twosome, look like a battle to find four out of five. Let’s (with the same criteria as above) look at the other 4 teams.
York: P 6, W 5, F 160, Ag 126, D +34, Av 1.67
Halifax: P 5, W 5, F 198, Ag 60, D +138, Av 2.00
Batley: P 5, W 5. F 194, Ag 46, D +148, Av 2.00
Barrow: P 5, W 4, F 166, Ag 64, D +102, Av 1.60
Not encouraging as such but let’s now discount games against the bottom three clubs (and London were unlucky away at York).
Bulls: P 5, W 4, F 137, Ag 88, D +49, Av 1.6
York: P 5, W 4, F 124, Ag 92, D +32, Av 1.6
Halifax P 4, W 4, F 132, Ag 60, D +72, Av 2.0
Batley: P 2, W 2, F 104, Ag 24, D +80, Av 2.0
Barrow P 2, W 1, F 62, Ag 34 D +20, Av 1.0
That makes better reading in a “Well Baby this ain’t over ‘til it’s over” sort of way. It should also be noted that Batley’s two above mentioned wins were against strugglers Haven & Thunder, and that Barrow’s win was at home against freefallers Widnes.
It is therefore the games between these five that will see who gets a top six slot. Since Kear went York have beaten The Bulls & Barrow but lost to Fax. There have been no other meetings between the aspiring five. But there is one next Monday when Barrow host Fax - tie of the weekend and therefore selected by Prem Sports.
Earlier: points for The Bulls, Batley to get neauwt in their reverse fixture at PO Rd, York likely to pick up two at Haven.
Keep the faith, reinforce Dunning’s authority by appointing him until the end of the season, see you early next month and hopefully in the play-offs.
