Holt concern at lack of direction from senior Barrow Raiders players
Last updated at 15:53, Tuesday, 05 March 2013
RAIDERS boss Darren Holt admits he is concerned with the form his team are showing on the pitch early in the season.
Barrow have lost five matches out of five in the Championship so far – the latest a 38-10 capitulation to county rivals Workington Town.
Despite the run, and Barrow being bottom of the table and one of only two sides – along with Keighley – without a win, Holt says he is not worried for the season overall, more the current state of affairs in matches.
“I’m concerned, but I’m not worried for the season as a whole,” he said. “I’m concerned at the way in which we are playing.
“On the training park, it’s twice as good as it was at any time last year, or with any team I have ever played in.
“When we go out on the park, though, there really is just a distinct lack of taking things out on the pitch and putting them in place.
“I said at the start of the year that one of my concerns was the lack of direction when we are out on the park from experienced senior players, and it’s no secret that we struggle in that department.
“We’ve got some players there, but are they the players who can push a team round the park and actually control the game?
“Unfortunately not, and that performance at Workington just backed that up.”
All season, Holt has spoken of how well his players have looked in training sessions – increased to three compulsory nights a week for all players in an attempt to tackle the step-up from Championship One last year.
But the coach is at a loss to explain why those performances preparing for matches have not been carried over into the games themselves.
“We go out there at training and we’ve had some cracking training sessions,” he added. “Don’t get me wrong, the boys are putting the hard work in – it’s not just the little things and going through the motions – but is it confidence? I don’t know.
“There’s no reason why these boys shouldn’t have their heads up going out there and really go and have a go and test themselves against some of these good teams.
“But we just seem reluctant at the minute to let go and really have a go.
“I keep saying this, it’s going to happen eventually and we are going to get there, but from the performance we had at Batley to Workington was a step backwards.
“You’ve got to get them back up, you’ve got to try and get their heads back up.
“They showed in the first half, in glimpses, that if they had wanted to, they could have cut loose.
“What they’ve got to do is go ahead and cut loose. I don’t know what it is that’s holding them back.”
l The Raiders Bar will be open for three nights this week to screen games on the big screen.
The bar will open on Thursday to show Featherstone Rovers play Keighley Cougars in the Championship (7.30pm kick-off, doors open at 7pm); on Friday for the Super League clash between Warrington Wolves and St Helens (8pm kick-off, doors open at 7.30pm); and on Saturday for London Broncos v Hull KR (6.15pm kick-off, doors open at 5.45pm).
First published at 15:49, Tuesday, 05 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
I agree we need better players! Might as well speculate on better players than to lose 500 spectators from what was last season's average gate ... And please please sign a quality goalkicker, could be the difference between survival or relegation!
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The more I read and listen to Holt's interveiws on RC, the more I believe he does'nt know what he's talking about.! This squad bar a couple is just not good enough, and even if they were I don't think he could get the best out of them. Do the right thing for Barrow RLFC and resign.
Posted by Season Ticket on 6 March 2013 at 12:44