The Wasps game game on Sunday is unfortunately OFF
No reason given but assume Harrogate were unable to raise a team
The Wasps travel to League leaders Blaydon a week on Sunday (23rd) - Please note this game is NOT at Mint Bridge as maybe shown elsewhere
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Another tough task but the team showed last weekend, as they have done several times this season, that they are capable of beating the best. It just hasn’t happened.... yet !
Stockport have scored over 50 points in both of their last two games, both also away, the fifth time they have done so this season (they also have several 40+), only Rossendale have scored more points in total.
They have won 9 of their last 11 games and the losses away at Wirral and home to Rossendale were only by 10 and 5 points.
The away game was one of their 50+ and we only scored three, but we did have an all forward bench and lost Dan Shorrock, Leo Mercer and Ben Dixon, ending up with Tom Keast on the wing.
TEAM :
The Bad news is no Ben Dixon after his injury last weekend. The Good News is timing his return perfectly, for a first game since he broke his collar bone in the away game at Stockport, Leo Mercer comes into the centre in his place.
The rest of the back division is as last weekend.
Up front Matt Houghton moves from the back to front row, with his place being taken by Patrick Wolstenholme coming off the bench. Steven Nelson and Greg Wrathall swap places with Wrathall starting from the bench.
The even better news for Patrick, is Devin Coyle is (a) back on the bench. So in the event of losing a back to injury there is one on the bench (no guarantee Patrick won’t find himself back on the wing, as we lost three backs in the away game). Ben Leacock retains his place (after Tom Keast found himself on the wing at Stockport, could it be Ben’s day there ?)
Kendal | Stockport | |
Ben O'Halloran | 15 | Callum Owen |
Dan Shorrock | 14 | Morgan Mohring |
Leo Mercer | 13 | Tom Hughes |
Tommy Calvert | 12 | Rory Atwill |
Jack Lane | 11 | Luke Simpsom |
Aaron Stephens | 10 | Ewan Holt |
Olllie Rose | 9 | Rory Austin |
Glenn Chesher | 1 | Paul McGookin |
Matt Houghton | 2 | Sam Grady-Graham |
Barney Coxon | 3 | James Cross |
Oscar Coxon | 4 | Matt Lawrowitsch |
Alex Ryder | 5 | Callum Hibbs |
Patrick Wolstenholme | 6 | Tom Metcalfe |
Alistair Thompson | 7 | Kevin Mzwakhe Hlupheko |
Steven Nelson | 8 | Simon Green |
Greg Wrathall | rep | James Shaw |
Ben Leacock | rep | Kieran Hibbs |
Devin Coyle | rep | Gaz Thomas |
WEATHER :
Overcast with a chance of light rain
OTHER GAMES
After a catch up week (and before another) a full set of games with everyone involved, and some big games
Leek | W | Stoke on Trent | ||
Manchester | W | Birkenhead Park | ||
Newport (Salop) | W | Blackburn | ||
Penrith | W | Anselmians | ||
Wirral | W | Rossendale |
In the first meeting of our two opponents for the second relegation place, they shared 79 points with Stoke winning by just three. Two recent big defeats for Leek, but both away to the top two, and before that they had started to gather a lot of points. Stoke have only picked up three losing bonus points in their last five, including a heavy loss at Birkenhead Park. So everything points to a home win.
Despite being well beaten last weekend, Manchester should run in a big score against Birkenhead Park
The wheels seem to have completely fallen off Blackburn’s bandwagon and with Newport getting a big win against previously second place Manchester, it looks like more agony for them
Only Wirral and Manchester have won at Winters Park this season (and only by 7 and 8 points), and Penrith got a double bonus point at Wirral last weekend, whilst Anselmians had just about enough to get past us. So Penrith will be up to make the current second place team another scalp
A big win for Rossendale last weekend, after a few recent wobbles, squeezing past Stockport, drawing at Penrith, then being well beaten by Anselmians. A fourth home game in a row for joint second place Wirral, but a loss against Manchester and only a narrow win against Penrith suggests this one could go against home advantage.
The first of four key weekends at the wrong end of the table - so who do we want to win ?
Answer. It doesn’t matter as it is in our hands and if can get two good wins on the next two weekends (so getting maximum points and deny our opposition anything) we should be in a strong position regardless of how the other two do.
A low scoring draw may be the best result for us, but if there is a winner a Home one would probably be better, as we have a bigger gap to Stoke, and have to visit them, whilst Leek have an almost guaranteed 5 points to come with a visit from Birkenhead Park.
We all have positives
Kendal | Leek | Stoke | |
Points | 29 | 27 | 24 |
Played | 16 | 17 | 16 |
Points Diff (-) | 99 | 249 | 185 |
Feb 15th | Stockport | Stoke | Leek |
22nd | Stoke | - | Kendal |
Mar 1st | Leek | Kendal | Penrith |
8th | Penrith | Birkenhead Park | Newport |
15th Free | |||
22nd | Newport | Stockport | Wirral |
29th Free | |||
April 5th | Wirral | Manchester | Rossendale |
at Home in BOLD | . |
Whilst Birkenhead Park could mathematically still survive, with a 13 point gap, only one game to play against the other bottom three, and that is away, and we all have games against each other (so someone gets the points), it’s not going to happen.
Whilst Blackburn have a horrible run in with the top four to face after this weekend they are probably safe with 15 point gap to Stoke
If (!) we can win our games again the two below us, could we still catch Blackburn for 8th place ?
SECOND XV
Are also at MINT BRIDGE on Saturday, also against Stockport
It looks a stronger selection with a few more with First XV experience in the team
Kendal | Stockport | |
Luke Atkinson | 15 | Jack Greatbatch |
J Rankin | 14 | Ben Turner |
Jordan Johnson | 13 | Arthur Carrol |
L Cuthbertson | 12 | Matt Blackman |
Joe Cook | 11 | Oliver Wakefield |
Mark Carruthers | 10 (c) | Kenzie Leach |
Dan Greenwood | (c) 9 | Dudley Southern |
N Halhead | 1 | Dave Burr |
Jack Blocksidge | 2 | Regan Stubbs |
Connor Lees | 3 | Charlie Sadler |
W Patterson | 4 | Lawrence Hiney |
Taghg Butler | 5 | Isaac Wall |
E Beatie | 6 | Seb Valentine |
Luke Middleton | 7 | George Parker |
Anthony Gage | 8 | Dom Sheratte |
Liam Hayton | rep | Lucas Worthington |
F Stalker | rep | Lucas Shelbourne |
R Moore | rep | Toby Graham |
WASPS
As shown above the game against Harrogate scheduled for this Sunday has been CANCELLED
The Wasps are next in action on Sunday 23rd away at Blaydon
Their next HOME game (their last of the season) is Manchester on March 23rd
SENIOR COLTS
Have a few weeks off and will return on 2nd March with a HOME game against Widnes.