It's only a friendly, of course. But Rovers fans are justified in taking more positives from this game than us, regardless of the scoreline. Our inability to deal with Dobson was glaringly obvious and when you add in Travis Burns, they have a very handy half back combination. We have more options but their first choice halves will be better than ours IMO. They looked sharper than us with slicker combinations and shape, and really the first half was the only barometer as they largely had their 2nd team out in the second. Pretty disappointing afternoon.

Gentle seems to think the same as me...

[urlhttp://www.hullfc.com/article/23598/weve-got-a-lot-to-work-on-says-gentle[/url

not getting at you as i do see your point, just soon as we lose a match sum on here are doom and gloom

My issues is with the h/backs, why do we keep playing a hooker at h/back, Hereami is a great player but he aint no h/back, I really hope Gentle goes with Holdsworth & Seymour with Horney back up. I am a massive fan of Houghton but he has to stop trying to do the h/back role and take the line on more his play today was far too predictable. Our hookers need to rotate, I thought KR looked the better side today but I doubt SL will be shiiting themselves about either team based on today's performance, still plenty of time though to iron things out, that is what friendlies are for, I do fear our lack of quality h/backs or the coaches constant need to play other players there may haunt us yet again, hope I am wrong though

Agree on all points there

Plenty of things to work on, as has every team in the league.

It was a disappointing performance but so was the corresponding game last season which turned out to mean nothing.

The main concern is the half back situation, we have a few options but who knows what the best combination is.

I hope one of the answers about the make up of the side was Seymour at scrum half. Be interesting who starts against York.

In defence of Houghton, I think it's at least partly a by-product of us playing a hooker at scrum half and him trying to make up for the creativity we then lack. Seymour at 7 really is our best chance of solving both problems, so I hope Gentle comes round to that way of thinking.

Quite agree. I thought we looked a much better team when Seymour was on the pitch. Hopefully he and Holdsworth will be the half backs.

It will. Think the intention was to play the second team but after today reckon Gentle will want another run-out for a few.

I'm a big believer that when you have a halfback change you should be giving your new pairing as much game time together as possible. With Heremaia again playing with Holdsworth it strongly looks like that was Gentle's first thought, in which case if he does change to Seymour and Holdsworth (which I sincerely hope), it is now imperative that they play together against York, and preferably for as close to 80 minutes as possible.

I didn't actually go today, but I thought similar last week (I was one of the few who thought Seymour was better than Heremaia in that game) and last year. I'm not knocking Heremaia, I think he's a very good hooker, but exactly that; a hooker not a halfback.

Yep, particularly as Holdsworth's only just got here.

Your club has had years to sort the major problem the team has, missing a scrum half since Cooke left. Adam promised but failed to deliver!

We'll just set a load of flares off instead

Cooke was a 6 or 13...the problem is from when we let Brough go,at the time the right thing to do.So its APs fault that we couldnt get a permit or that we got gazzumped????/.....take it Dobson played well seeing as your mentioning s/halfs......we should have kept Goldie...then he can play ring a ring a roses with dobbo again.

Didn't go today but the response was obvious. If we win a friendly against rovers then it's an indication we're going to the GF in October, lose and the season is over before it starts.

It's a friendly and meaningless.

As for the team, IMO we're weaker than last year. We've lost big players in manu and moa and not replaced like for like, arundel and crooks is a weak (and small) centre/wing partnership, our new FB isn't very good and we still don't have a half back. Still, we could get 5th with a decent injury run but will struggle if we lose a couple of front line forwards.

rovers have a big pack nad it sounds like we struggled to hold them today but firmer grounds and warmer weather should even that advantage out.

Whatever, we're a long way from a championship winning side

Have to say I thought we lacked the impact that Sam would have given us and really do think that at this stage Young Crooks & Lineham are a better option than Arundel & Crookes just a little less experienced but they both have pace to burn

Think Ellis will off set the loss of Manu once the rest of the team wake up and support him for him to get the offload away

Agree with that. I know shirt numbers mean nowt, but I thought Crookes and Lineham may be a better 2 & 3 combo

Don't know why you think that but imo he's been good overall in the two games he's played. Really like the look of him with ball in hand and returning the ball.

Paul Cullen - Peter Gentle -Paul Cullen - Peter..................et al

I really thought we would have won today and kept them to 2 tries or less , that is what I would have thought a Top 4 side at home to a bottom 4 side would do. KR have about £400,000 of salary cap left don't they ?

These are my initial thoughts as soon as I heard the result.

I hope we SMASH Leeds and yes as the Thread states there are things to iron out

Might be the only thing you set alight this season... if you play like that

Rovers are deffinitely not a bottom four club. Widnes, Castleford, Salford, London, Wakefield and Bradford are all worse than KR imo.

I reckon Wakey will be in the playoffs, TBH.

It's definitely close between Rovers and Wakey, although I just think that Rovers have the edge especially in attack. It's between them two for the last play off spot.