Good post, totally agree. Good championship side, good enough to win promotion...

Work your magic Mr Sheens.

Zook Ema's Hose wrote this post a while ago. Whilst it's not a bad post by his standards, it unfairly distorts the perceived comparisons between his Hull KR team of last year, comprising the so called departed "superstars" he mentions and the team of 2017 and its newly arrived replacements minus the new Aussies. He is already dismissing and disrespecting these new arrivals as substandard, having never seen them perform under a new proven, world-class coach in their new team colours.

He was rightly pilloried on here for being delusionally over optimistic on our chances in the middle 8s last year when he intimated we would breeze it, provided we just turned up. Problem was we didn't turn up and the rest is history. Also Campese, Kelly, Larroyer and Green didn't turn up for us in the middle 8s for various identifiable reasons as well.

Now he has lurched unsurprisingly to the other end of the spectrum and is the new prophet of doom.

The problem is he doesn't understand the psyche of most Rovers fans. We are conditioned to disappointment and battle hardened to under achievement, especially during this decade.

Given a new approach and a fresh dose of sanguine reconstruction on the field this year, we are right to look forward for now with some optimism to this season. Taking automatic promotion as a given, no way.

The Championship has improved dramatically,both financially and competitively.As a squad you have proven players who will meet some of the best unproven players.What worked in SL for the proven players,wont carry in the championship..

You will take a beating,you wont walk it,you will complain.How thats dealt with is where you end up.

How could you possibly know all those things

Well have plenty of salary cap left over for the middle eights by the looks of it but will we have any quota spots free, does anyone know how many quota places you get and how many we've filled?

We get the same allowance as sl sides apparently I can only think of 5 we have used?

It's a bit more complicated than 'just 7', but for simplicity's sake I'm going to say 7.

We have Blair, Tilse, Clark, Heffernan, Quinlan and Butler-Fleming. There's been rumours of an antipodean prop as well, which'd fill the quota up.*

*Exceptions and vagueries apply.

So if say we sign Shillington, then come the middle 8's I'd guess we'd be looking at bringing in a few squad players from S/L sides, seems a strange way to go about it IMO, personally I'd rather have kept at least one quota spot available

Did tim sheen say we could sign 1 posts 2 on loan cos a few clubs have offered players that is why tim went to see cas

Where did this shillington rumour come from? Hala was obviously linked before hand I know they're different players but we would be pretty foolish to max out the quota before the 8s.....

It wasn't a rumour tim sheen openly stated he wants to sign shillington but would bide time, he is recovering from surgery so not proved fitness also shillington being released from current club

He had a cracking season just gone apparently. Pretty sure we where after him last season and took the cheaper option of Tilse?

According to an interview I read, he had his bags packed ready to join us, but got a last minute NRL offer. Following his decision to stay in Aus we then approached Tilse.

Sheens stated he didn't want to bring in players with doubts over fitness, which immediately ruled out Hala, and then said (subject to rehab) he has spoken to 'Shillo' who is keen to come over. Its a wait and see scenario, and if he does come it will be after Easter earliest.

TBH I would rather Rovers recruited a squad from the off but leave 'cap' for any quality that comes available during the season. Much is made of the Leigh 'model' but it was really a hit-and-miss affair with the right players becoming available. However, what Leigh did do was to trim the under-performers in a ruthless manner. It will be interesting to see how Rovers deal with this issue. Sheens is a hard task master who doesn't hold back, something that we haven't had at Rovers since Roger.

I spoke to a sponsor over Xmas who said there are a couple of loan signings in the pipeline from SL clubs - he mentioned Wigan and Cas but wouldn't name names except to say they would be short-term loans.

Thanks for that squire I wasn't aware of that although I did read hala had been plagued by knee injuries? Last thing we need is crocked quota players, also wasn't aware that Clark is an impact player so shillington would be a better fit

Always better to use others,is it not?

Please explain yourself.

What HKR dont want to do is waste money on becoming 1st in the League.

You will walk it, but will need to improve the squad at the business end of the season.

Leigh lost just the 1 last season, and even though you will have some close games with the top 4 clubs, It would not surprise me if you go 23/23.

"We have Blair, Tilse, Clark, Heffernan, Quinlan and Butler-Fleming. There's been rumours of an antipodean prop as well, which'd fill the quota up.*"

Unsure on Clark's status but believe he was born over here in Pontefract

[uIn theory[/u it shouldn't matter much, as it is where you trained rather than where you where born, as far as the non-fed rule goes. It is on somewhat shaky legal ground though. IIRC Simon Finnigan and the Henderson brothers who were born in the UK, but grew up and learned the game in in Australia got exemptions.

While there is precedent, Clark would need an exemption.

Gotcha. Didn't know that detail, thanks.

One decision that seems to have not been underlined on this thread, was the suspension of Albert Kelly on the morning of the qualifier against Leigh. I remember Jukesy saying what a lift it gave the team. Surely he could have been disciplined after such a vital match?

I question your moral judgement.

In any case you do not know Kelly's mental state and whether he would have been fit to play anyway.

Much as he was very, very good in 2015, by this point it is his initial signing that (with hindsight) seems the more questionable decision.

He was done at Rovers by the Leigh game, and didn't play for us again.

Because we went down by such a fine margin, there are any number of decisions you can look back at and say that could have been the difference. Lessons from Hull KR, 2016 could have its own thread. If we win promotion, I expect it will. In the short-term though the focus has to be on adapting to the Championship, trying to emulate what Leigh did last year and avoid what has befallen Bradford.

Correct,well said.