I thought after Friday nights game it would be along time until I saw as much dropped ball in a game again.

I only had to wait until yesterdays northern rail cup final.... it was ridiculous...

Thinking about it i reckon this season there has been more dropped ball than ever before.... I was trying to think of reasons why. Are players targeting the ball more in the tackle? Are runners carrying the ball loosley making it easier to dislodge? Is some undercover union mole coating the balls in a thin translucent film that makes the ball extra slippy when wet?

its a mystery.

I think games are being played at a much faster & harder pace,and so the slightest lack of concentration and force of the hits coming in result in more dropped ball. Jon Wilkin did a column on it a few months back.

we were fortunate that we was only playing Wigan, if we was playing a better team they would of punished our poor ball retention!




I'M JOKING!!!

it was soaking wet, a high pressure game and massive hits coming in from both sides on friday, so i guess it could of been expected.

not saying that some of the spilled possesion wasn't 'helped along' by the tacklers though, Wigan do this particularly well!

The sooner that three man ball steal they have perfected is ironed out of the game, the better in my opinion.