Quick turnarounds

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Ken Smith
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Quick turnarounds

Post by Ken Smith » 14 Sep 2020, 10:41

We’re certainly playing a different game today than in 1970 or indeed than prior the Coronavirus shut down. Firstly let’s look at the season that Cas retained the Challenge Cup in 1970. At Easter Cas played 3 matches in 5 days as was the norm in those days. On Good Friday they beat Wakefield at home 28-2, on Easter Monday they lost at home to Featherstone 14-22, and the following day beat Hull 9-3 at home. Not only that but 4 days later beat St Helens 6-3 at Swinton in the Semifinal of the Challenge Cup, making that 4 matches in 8 days. Remember players were only part time professionals and there were no interchanges in those days. Cas finished 2nd in the League that season with 51 points from 34 matches, and a massive total of 49 matches in total for the season. They reached the Semifinals of both the BBC Floodlit Trophy and the Championship Playoffs. A week before Wembley they drew a home Semifinal in the playoffs with Saints 9-9 and were made to play the replay only 2 days later so chose to play a team of reserves and lost 12-21. The previous season Cas actually played 51 matches in total as they reached the the finals of the Yorkshire Cup, Championship Playoff Final and the Challenge Cup Final beating Salford 11-6.
Going back in time it was a regular occurrence to play 3 matches in 4 days at both Christmas and Easter. In fact in 1947 Cas played 3 matches in consecutive days at Christmas. Let’s not forget either that many of these matches were played in muddy conditions so arguably just as energy sapping as playing in hot conditions. My question is, although the game is reputed to be faster today, are the skills better than in those days of yore?
Nowadays minimum turnarounds are usually 5 days, but this year we have not only had the disadvantage of not only playing behind closed doors, but often having to play home matches in Lancashire. Cas are usually hard to beat at Wheldon Road and although Headingley is off limits because of cricket, why couldn’t Cas home matches have been played at Wakefield for example? Also the revised schedule of matches has not helped Cas at all by having to play the top clubs in such a short space of time, a rescheduled Cup draw when the fairer option would have been for the top 6 clubs to have received byes into the Quarterfinal Cas had also been placed with a difficult choice whether to rest players for the Warrington match, whereas Hull were able to rest some players because they were playing inferior opponents last Thursday. It was a big ask to expect Cas to beat Hull in those circumstances and tiredness was bound to lead to mistakes yesterday. Nevertheless I’m still wondering how the Cas team of the 1970s would have overcome those difficulties. Are players overtrained nowadays? But generally players prefer to play matches than to train, so were the players of the past more adaptable in playing off the cuff to today’s more structured systems?
I’m not criticising Cas as I think they played reasonably well in the circumstances, but everything seems to have gone against them since lockdown and unless they win every match from now on this season the this year will be a total write off.

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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by Tamworth Tiger » 14 Sep 2020, 12:51

Thanks Ken, I remember those times very well.
Fascinating read!

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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by Ken Smith » 14 Sep 2020, 13:10

Just to mention that in those 3 consecutive matches on the 25th, 26th and 27th December 1947 the following 7 players played in all 3 matches:-
Ian Guest (full back), Arthur Bastow (right centre), Tom Whittlestone (hooker), Jim Crossley (prop), Charlie Staines and Des Foreman (both second row) and Frank Mugglestlone (loose forward).
They sure made them tough in those days!

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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by tigerfeat » 14 Sep 2020, 13:16

I know players in the 60s who took there boots to the pit did a shift and went straight to ground to play
The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have
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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by Sharlotiger » 14 Sep 2020, 13:30

The quick turnaround we have just done we do every year, it's called Easter, the way Powell as moaned about it you would have thought that it had never happened before. How he as winged about it he as given the players every reason to feel sorry for themselves.
Just get on with it Daryl and stop embarrassing the club and yourself with all the woe is me attitude.

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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by gateman » 14 Sep 2020, 16:29

If we had beat Warrington we had a chance of making the play offs, Hull had no chance of the playoffs hence rested 8 players that made the difference on Saturday

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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by heritage1926 » 14 Sep 2020, 16:47

So which users on here are in the Powell in camp and which are in the Powell out camp then?

FWIW i'm firmly in the Powell in camp, can't say I agree with his tactics and player management at the moment, but if coaching was that easy, we'd all be doing it.

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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by old cas lass » 14 Sep 2020, 16:55

Definitely in the powell camp.
There’s lots I don’t agree with, his lack of playing the youngsters.
What ever happens This season I’m not gonna blame powell.
2020 as been a pain in the butt in every respect.
We’ve had some short straws drawn against us last 3/4 week ,out of powells hand.
Let’s see what the next 10 days bring with rest and a few bodies back, hopefully we can get back on track.

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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by HuddsTigers » 14 Sep 2020, 16:57

Sharlotiger wrote: 14 Sep 2020, 13:30 The quick turnaround we have just done we do every year, it's called Easter, the way Powell as moaned about it you would have thought that it had never happened before. How he as winged about it he as given the players every reason to feel sorry for themselves.
Just get on with it Daryl and stop embarrassing the club and yourself with all the woe is me attitude.

I don't think he's moaning about the short turnaround to an extent, though his concerns seem to be doing it on a regular basis in coming months. The other point, which I agree with, is that we have been given a fixture we should never have had. We should have had a bye and a week before fixtures. Instead we got shafted with the stupid redraw
In the spirit of the final Blackadder episode - Goooodbyeee!

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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by 43s flyer » 14 Sep 2020, 17:10

tigerfeat wrote: 14 Sep 2020, 13:16 I know players in the 60s who took there boots to the pit did a shift and went straight to ground to play
[/quo
When I was on after's at wheldale pit top I used to go down the rail track to the training pitch and train in pit boots and fitters overhauls.

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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by tigerfeat » 14 Sep 2020, 17:23

43s flyer wrote: 14 Sep 2020, 17:10
tigerfeat wrote: 14 Sep 2020, 13:16 I know players in the 60s who took there boots to the pit did a shift and went straight to ground to play
[/quo
When I was on after's at wheldale pit top I used to go down the rail track to the training pitch and train in pit boots and fitters overhauls.
Did you different times then mate ...I remember me dad telling me about Bill Bryant doing a shift down pit and going to play in a match
The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have
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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by Tamworth Tiger » 14 Sep 2020, 17:39

HuddsTigers wrote: 14 Sep 2020, 16:57
Sharlotiger wrote: 14 Sep 2020, 13:30 The quick turnaround we have just done we do every year, it's called Easter, the way Powell as moaned about it you would have thought that it had never happened before. How he as winged about it he as given the players every reason to feel sorry for themselves.
Just get on with it Daryl and stop embarrassing the club and yourself with all the woe is me attitude.

I don't think he's moaning about the short turnaround to an extent, though his concerns seem to be doing it on a regular basis in coming months. The other point, which I agree with, is that we have been given a fixture we should never have had. We should have had a bye and a week before fixtures. Instead we got shafted with the stupid redraw
Great post

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Re: Quick turnarounds

Post by 43s flyer » 14 Sep 2020, 17:43

tigerfeat wrote: 14 Sep 2020, 17:23
43s flyer wrote: 14 Sep 2020, 17:10
tigerfeat wrote: 14 Sep 2020, 13:16 I know players in the 60s who took there boots to the pit did a shift and went straight to ground to play
[/quo
When I was on after's at wheldale pit top I used to go down the rail track to the training pitch and train in pit boots and fitters overhauls.
Did you different times then mate ...I remember me dad telling me about Bill Bryant doing a shift down pit and going to play in a match
They certainly was, didn't spend long on pit top I was soon U/G Face fitter and when on afters we were finished at 7.15pm quick shower and finish last half hour training.

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