You Live and Learn

The disappointment on Andy Thornley's face during his LionsTV postmatch interview said it all. The Lions captain could barely find the words to express how gutted he was to have lost against Bradford.

It was a thoroughly disappointing outcome from a very emotional match. Bradford came with a huge crowd, proving why Championship clubs didn't want them relegated and why Super League clubs want them back in the top flight. A big crowd always raises the temperature and with a history of cards between the sides last season it was always likely to flare up at some point.

Bradford played well and ultimately deserved the win though the game undoubtedly turned on a five minute spell after Swinton had levelled the scores. On the second carry after the equalising goal Swinton were penalised for a play the ball (PTB) offence. The ball didn't touch the boot so the referee was right to give a penalty. Except, if we reviewed the footage of every game in the country last weekend you'd see hundreds (thousands?) of identical PTBs and no more than a handful would have been penalised. You have to question the selective nature of such a decision. Key moment in the game and right in front of the posts guaranteeing two points for Bradford. Why did Mr Sweet suddenly decide that was the moment to take a stand on sloppy PTBs?

After that things got out of hand and frustration got the better of both teams with Swinton first reduced to 12 men and then 11 with Bradford also losing a player following a huge punch up.

All fans and players ask for is consistency among officials. I thought the referee of the London Broncos game did an excellent job and allowed the game to flow resulting in an outstanding game with both teams going all out to score points. The first 40 minutes in particular was played at a phenomenal pace and was one of the most enjoyable first halves I can recall.

The game is one the Lions can learn a lot from. The way they lost a grip on the game after working so hard to get back in was disappointing. They can probably count themselves unlucky for the PTB decision though having been given a penalty a few minutes earlier when a Bradford player tried to con the referee by throwing himself to the floor at the PTB they should have known he'd look to even it up. The sin-binning of Jack Higginson looked harsh but was reportedly for dissent rather than a questionable high tackle. Referees will always be swayed by big clubs and big crowds, you just have to accept it.

The big punch up came moments later and this was where Bradford really were clever. They had a penalty for another high tackle in front of the posts. The penalty had been given and that seemed to be that until a couple of Bradford players sprinted in brandishing handbags. They knew a punch up would likely see Swinton down at least another man. It was smart play and we fell for it. One apiece went off and Bradford exploited a stretched Lions line to kill the game off.

It all happened so quickly. One minute the scores were level and the next the game was over. The experience will do the team good. It is a very young Swinton team and they will learn from the mistakes made last Sunday.

On a more positive note, Shaun Robinson's good form is most pleasing. He's a terrific finisher as he demonstrated with an excellent try in the first half against Bradford. Robbo didn't score as many tries as he'd have liked last season with more of Swinton's good play coming down the other side where Hallett and Marshall had strong performances. But he's always been a fierce competitor and is immensely popular with supporters as a result. Another try or two against Featherstone would go some way to helping us get over the Bradford game.

In many ways Featherstone are a club we should look at and try to emulate. The way they've competed at the top end of the Championship for many years while developing Post Office Road into a fine stadium is admirable. It will be a tough game with Fev coming to Heywood Road unbeaten and having battered us twice last year. Having competed well against London, then played in atrocious conditions at Dewsbury before that tight game against a rejuvenated Bradford, you could argue this game is the first real yardstick of where we are at as a team.

Hopefully Rhodri Llloyd and Matt Sarsfield will be available for selection and the growing support can cheer on a first home win of the season.

Come on you Lions.

Pics: Pete Green

No Guts, No Glory

Remember when rugby was played in the summer? Wasn't it great? Dry pitches, few beers in the sun, shorts and flip flops. Eeey those were't days.

What a win. We know what John Duffy's team can do in good conditions and as the season goes on I'm sure we'll see more of the sparkling stuff we saw glimpses of against London. This was a victory from a bygone era. The mud even makes the video look like it's shot in black and white.

Last season's trips to Dewsbury saw a couple of poorly disciplined performances in which the Lions were bullied by a bigger pack. Even in  better conditions they couldn't stand up to Dewsbury's power play. The secret to success is learning from failure. Swinton have done that.

In atrocious conditions which frankly do the sport no favours and lend weight to calls to start the season later in the year, Swinton put it all on the line and were richly rewarded. This is what the preseason slog is all about.

With every week that passes I feel the bond between fans and players growing. How can you not fall in love with these lads? They wear the Lion with genuine pride and seek to improve individually and collectively. 

It made me chuckle in the week to see Ben Austin describing himself as a senior player. If any player typifies this team it is Austin. About a third of the way through the 2015 season, LionsTV was at training to record some interviews. At the end of the session as the players were heading home John Duffy called over those who hadn't been regulars in the team to thank them for their commitment and tell them if they kept working hard they'd get a chance. One of those players was Ben Austin. He fought into the team and was integral to the play-off final victory. He's been virtually ever-present since then. When the youngsters from Folly and other local teams come down to games, I hope they will look at his example.

So, pats on the back all round. The culture of improvement and learning on and off the pitch continues and will stand us in good stead for the season. Now let's pack out Heywood Road and make some noise for the Bradford game. Despite two defeats they'll bring a noisy following with them as they look to get off the mark. 

Come on you Lions.

Pictures: Pete Green

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

Pictures: Pete Green

Sport can be cruel. It doesn't matter how well you play or how long you lead for. All that counts is the score when the final whistle blows. Sunday's results were hard to take for Swinton Lions and my NFL team the Atlanta Falcons. Both led for the majority of their respective games but fell behind at the death.

But out of defeat comes strength and the opportunity to learn. Both sides are young enough to see the benefit of the experience. This was not last throw of the dice stuff. For Swinton, the defeat to London Broncos only hinted at greater things to come.

After winning three from three in preseason confidence was high among Lions fans and you could feel the crowd really buying into the team after they raced into an early lead. The first half at Heywood Road was as good an advert for rugby league as you could wish to see. The game was played at a frenetic pace but the quality was high and John Duffy's team dominated.

Having lost Connor Dwyer to the sin-bin, you could have expected Swinton to struggle for ten minutes midway through the half but they carried on like nothing had happened. Such was the confidence in the side, they pushed for quick scores even when there were opportunities to run the clock down. It was thrilling stuff.

Over the last couple of years the Lions have become known for exciting play in attack but weaknesses in defence were regularly exposed last season. Hard work over an extended preseason coupled with some quality additions to the squad look to have improved things in that area. London struggled to make any headway at times although they did have some success attacking the Swinton right wing.

In the end full-time fitness was the difference. As the game wore on Swinton perhaps paid the price for that whirlwind opening and former favourite Andy Ackers began to find space behind the ruck. The loss of Sean Kenny to injury meant Josh Barlow, back in the side after missing all the pre-season games, had to play more minutes than he looked ready for and the decisive moments saw Ackers very smartly exploit the opportunity. Fair play to London, they ground it out but it was hard on the home side.

The most exciting thing is that this wasn't Swinton at their best. They took a full-time side and one of the favourites for the division to the wire without firing on all cylinders. It was a good performance no doubt but there are areas for improvement.

During the first half in particular the Lions looked vulnerable down the right where the prolific Rhys Williams was a threat all game. Shaun Robinson found himself outnumbered a few times, notably making a try-saving intervention with a rush off the line to shut down an overlap.

As the game wore on and the Lions tired, they started making errors which put them under pressure. Soft penalties really hurt them although on a couple of occasions the officials appeared to get it wrong. Dwyer must have upset the referee with his first half holding down offence because when he clearly had the ball ripped from his grasp in the tackle the referee gave a knock on!

Anyway, what's done is done and Dewsbury are the next hurdle and a litmus test of how far Swinton have come. The Rams won all three of the encounters between the two last season with the performances at Crown Flatt being especially disappointing. Dewsbury will have a point to prove after taking a real walloping off Rochdale in their opener so the Lions will have to be prepared for a backlash. If a top four push is to happen, games like this have to see two points coming back across the Pennines. A good win would set things up nicely for the visit of Bradford and hopefully a bumper crowd at Heywood Road.

Come on you Lions.

Swinton Lions 2017 Squad: Part Five

The Kingstone Press Championship season kicks off on Sunday at Heywood Road with London Broncos the visitors. Part five of the squad review completes the Swinton squad which is aiming high.

Luke Waterworth is well known to Lions supporters after joining on loan from Wigan in 2016 following the injury to Anthony Nicholson. Yet another product of the Wigan Academy system, the young hooker made his Super League debut in March last year prior to that move to Swinton.

Waterworth's attitude and desire to improve since joining has impressed John Duffy and that has been reflected by a clear increase in confidence. In pre-season Waterworth has largely shared the hooker role with Sean Kenny.

The fourth hooker in the Swinton squad is Josh Houghton. Like Waterworth, Houghton comes from Super League stock with St Helens and Widnes and at 20-years-old is another young prospect hoping to make a name for himself with the Lions.

Described as a playmaker from acting half, Houghton didn't see a lot of action in pre-season and will be keen to impress in training as he competes for a place in the side with Waterworth, Sean Kenny, and Anthony Nicholson.

Completing the squad is 19-years-old Adam Jones. A back row forward, Jones joins from Salford where he was a member of the under-19s squad. Jones will be looking to develop in a tough environment and learn from more experienced players in the squad.