Yeah, that's what[i I[/i thought.

That's not what you said, though. You said you didn't believe the Briscoe story wasn't written "without the tacit approval of the club". That indicates you believe some level of clearance is obtained from Hull before the story goes to press.

And you're seriously losing the plot if you think Hull "collaborate" to ensure saccharine descriptions of players appear in the paper. If they are going to try to influence the local press (and I'm not for one second implying that they are) it would be for far more weighty issues than whether Holdsworth's fluffy slippers are pink or blue. No, I'm afraid these are all Smailes' own doing. Perhaps, like most of the rest of us fans, he's simply just fallen in love again with Hull FC at present. Won't last, I'm sure.

I’ve got insider information from close to the source that the following is the reasons why Mickey has kept it quiet: -

Mickey is having issues at home due to his other half having problems settling. This isn’t unusual and happens from time to time with our friends from down under. However Mickey needed to get to the bottom of this problem so he sat down to have a chat. It came to light that Mrs P has a closet addiction to vegemite, MP was obviously concerned and tried to get her into therapy but unfortunately vegemite dependency classes are lacking in the Hull area and the cost of shuttling her backwards and forwards to the land of the corked hats was not logistically possible.
Time for Plan B, import the stuff.. up until a year ago this was possible but a little known law was passed that outlawed the import of vegemite (Apparently due to its high content of vile tasting substances). This caused a conundrum, does he stay with in the uk and watch Mrs P going cold turkey? He’d seen trainspotting and apparently the baby on the ceiling scene freaked him out so that was a no go.
So reluctantly he told us he was on his way back to the NRL, Mrs P was happy and although MP was distraught at the thought of leaving the best club he had ever played for (his words not mine) he started to pack his favourite flip flops and prepared for the flight.
MP was so unhappy he approached fat boy McCrae to see if he knew of another outlet in the uk for the vegemite that is now so scarce that Grandmaster Flash is planning reforming the furious 5 enlisting Melly Mel and recording a white lines sequel called Brown Stain!!!!
Unbeknownst to MP Fat Boy McCrae has his own vegemite ‘lava lake’ which he uses to bask in like a beached Walrus (each to their own I say) and decided to use this and FC’s benefit. He decided to strain out his bodily hair from a batch of it and tempted MP round to view the oasis and the possible solution to all his problems.

Upon viewing this MP saw a solution to his problems, Mrs P could get her vegemite (all be it a bit walrus tainted), and he wouldn’t have to go back to the bad weather, deprived suburbs and poor standard of rugby in Australia. There was a downside that he would have to scrub down with scalding water after wearing the B&W each and every time but for the love of his wife he could live with that.

The only dilemma he now had was to how to break the joyous news to Mrs P, he decided to do this as an xmas present, this would mean keeping HKR in the dark but he assumed if he told the lads it would be ok, little did he know that by forgetting to tell his agent and Hudge his surprise would be hoodwinked.

Obviously this all hearsay regardless of how true I believe it to be, if I was sure I’d have written FACT but I do believe it has as much credibility as your tale of him being upset with NH

IF he has signed, then obviously he won't.

However, there is also the explanation that the agent was doing this, making this statement in the best interest of Rovers so as to not cause any instability.

Personally I don't think that Hudgell needed to say anything at all, as it can only cause harm IMO. However, it's your club. I hope we have signed Paea, but I think it would actually be hilarious if we hadn't!

So slagging us off was in our own best interests?
Really?

It was described earlier as refreshing honesty

"Not used to seeing quite such direct honesty from a player or his representative - kind of refreshing in a way. Hard to argue with what he says." (Mild Rover Page 1)

Until of course it turns out he has signed for Hull.

MR doesn't speak for me.

Also where you as critical of AP for wrongly laying into Leeds?

It would have been refreshingly honest if it was in fact honest, him signing for ANY SL club within days of the announcement makes it appallingly dishonest

Quite.

But lets face facts
Paea is probably one of the top props in ESL, and Rovers are not one of the top clubs in ESL. So therefore, what he says is not exactly disrespectful, mainly fact.
MP has given you his all for the length he is contracted to do so, and given you ample notice (which he does not have to do) of his intentions. I would say respectful that. Allows you to plan for the future eh,
Finally, I would say your chairmans moaning over the future of Rovers, and indeed his own unclear future, hardly inspires someone to stay and risk a Crusaders type situation. Would you? After all, your "telling is how it is" chairman was the one who mentioned Administration. Worrying for all concerned that.
Perhaps hudgell needs a PR guru?

No I didn't. I asked what Hull fans really thought - I apologise for omitting the question mark, purely an error of punctuation, I promise. That I think what you've put above, is an implication you've drawn yourself - a potentially libellous one, in fact. But fear not, I'm not litigious.


For the avoidance of doubt, I am entirely confident that all the articles in the HDM [uat least[/u meet all minimum regulatory and legal journalistic standards. Even the comical ones.



That better coverage tends to lead to better access and that relationships are cultivated to suit all parties in sports journalism is hardly a secret - I'm not suggesting that Hull FC's relationship with the mail is unusual or inappropriate. I've seen the HDM accused of having their tongues up Assem Allam's bottom, on similar grounds. It is no different. There's no doubt that Smailes has to take responsibility for the effusive recent coverage, it is his first, last and only - although I agree with you that he seems to be writing more as a lovestruck fan than anything else at the moment; rather cloyingly so.
Anyway, maybe even pondering the mechanics of these things was overly cynical, and I've no wish to upset anyone - perhaps the club were disappointed with how the piece downplayed Briscoe's contribution and value, and Smailes wrote it despite knowing that.

Tbf, that was when I believed it to be honest. I'm still slightly incredulous that somebody would be so 'forthright', while dissembling.

"Mickey has enjoyed his time at Hull KR and he respects the club fully, and that is why we have put them in the picture and told them he will definitely be leaving," Mather said.
"We have told the club, politely but firmly, so to draw a line in the sand and let them plan for next season, that Mickey will not be there.
"The situation is that Mickey has multiple offers from Super League clubs to consider and, given his form this season, that was only to be expected.
"I won't comment on any specific offers, and we don't know where he will play at present. The plan is for Mickey to come home at the end of the season and weigh up his options."

The only bit that is "dishonest" is the last bit. And, I would reiterate that MP probably thought a statement such as this, rather than "MP has signed for HUll FC", would actually benefit his present employers more.

Don't think I commented much about that at the time assuming you mean Luke Briscoe? I think those circumstances are slightly different, re Hetherington, Rule etc

AP Laid into Leeds and the RFL found they had no case to answer.
The point is that it seems okay for AP to defend his club over player matters even when he was wrong to do so but NH can't defend his club over player matters.

Agree with the sentiment you offer, but the situation is not comparable. Luke Briscoe was a promising youngster, who went at the end of the season. You can even forget the shadowy circumstances around the move. leeds did nothing wrong as a club, AP should have toned it down. However, by ranting he did not destabilise the club mid season

We will shortly see how it effects us but with regard to chairmen gobbing off neither HKR or HFC can take the moral high ground which was my point.
Thus I find the digs at NH laughable.

Difference is, AP has only done it once.

He's not been in position as long.

He never normally is.

God this is getting boring now he's going at the end of the season probably to Hull they have a good player we seem to have a good record at getting replacements so let's concentrate on that and move on the end

Well Mickey you certainly made me out to be a muppet last Friday on Humberside, saying i was very confident you wouldnt go across the river to the 2nd class citizens,i felt you was a different animal from Sharron Mc donut but unfortunately i was very very wrong, yes we all want to be paid more and i never for 1 moment thought you would stay at Rovers but AMBITION i am afraid seems to be a lost word.
While i am on one i think our chairman NH should stop whining to all who will listen and keep his powder dry for a while its becoming a little tiresome.

You have been magnificent for our great club Neil but please.

You dig up the Luke Briscoe situation which had shadowy, though not provable, circumstances around it and indeed saw a club employee sacked for his "oversight".

Yet this year alone the ambulance chaser has made embarrassing slurs against a SL employee (Jon Sharp), blubbered against the council for his failings over the new stand and vowed never to deal with them again (though you can bet he is), blurted out confidential talks with a player, and made mentions of "imminent new investment in the next few days" with nothing coming to fruition. All this may appeal to the knuckle draggers in the East Stand but it is amateurish in the extreme, though that is an insult to most amateur club chairmen who go about their business in a far more civilized and sensible manner than the grudge.

And the dobbins faithful come up with ridiculous praise for this man's "honesty", this despite a number of his pronouncements having little similarity to the facts of the matter and the grubby profession he indulges in for his working life. Keep worshipping him, grudge and the dobbins are a perfect match, no wonder Paea was desperate to get out.

You sound as though you have a deep rooted hatred of all things Hull KR. Did no one cuddle you as a child? There are people in the yellow pages who can help with your obsession.

ATEOTD It doesn't affect you. It's not your club so there's no point getting all bothered about it.

Very classy Erik you could even say you sound like one of those knuckledraggers you speak of

Even his user name is Hull KR related, obviously obsessed with our club.

Maybe he's anti-communism.