Obviously Boxing day is confirmed.

From what I've been told we have Bradford not sure if its Home or Away yet think clubs are still discussing.

Then for James Donaldson Testimonial we are playing Hull KR at Headingley about 2 weeks before season starts on 15th of February

Hunslet game is already confirmed for 2nd of February but I'd imagine that will be just Academy players playing. So you'd imagine Donaldson testimonial game will happen on the Sunday 4th.

Pretty much same pre season as last year.

Hopefully a game away at Halifax is now on the agenda.

Wakefield Trinity - H - 26/12
Bradford Bulls - A - 28/01
Hunslet RLFC - A - 02/02
Hull KR - H - 04/02

I’d expect another one in the middle of January either Halifax or Featherstone A.

Hope its Fax.

Be a tough game away at Bradford on that pitch.

Hunslet on a Friday? Sounds odd.

Sounds like the Lazenby, in which case it will be academy lads out.

Maybe a first teamer or two needing a few minutes.

Anyone know where they have flown out to today? Seems to be a distinct lack of info on pre-season this year as oppose prev years. Maybe on purpose, trying to keep it more low key?

I'm only going on the time of social media posts so could be wrong, but we can see they flew Ryanair out of Manchester, and the flight schedule suggests the 06:10 flight to Tenerife.

I've no doubt that Saints fans will be telling us that their team are going to Elevenerife.

Team is currently in Portugal for a 5 day warm weather camp.

Is it a hair cut, a filter or does lisone look a little trimmer in the chops?

For anyone who hasn't seen, The Sportsman on YouTube have put out 5 decent player interviews in the last day or so. Far better than the amateurish efforts put out by the club this preseason.

https://www.therhinos.co.uk/article/198 ... with-bulls

https://www.therhinos.co.uk/article/198 ... with-bulls

Back in my callow youth when I was plain Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe, one went up from Eton to Oxford with Harold Stinker Pinker and Pongo Twistelton-Smythe. Jolly good chaps who of course went onto play for their country at Twickers.
Sadly, I missed out but gained a honour they did not and was later knighted for services to .. ahh, well I’m not really sure. I was once caught a bit short of the filthy green stuff at the Cafe D’Europe and was forced to raffle my trousers to cover a bottle of champers, but I doubt I was knighted for that. Anyway, I was delighted to see some splendid sounding chaps in our side today, Tom Nicholson-Watton, Ben Hursley-Hord and Freddie Brennan-Jones. Can’t see them in Debretts but they sound like good eggs. Play up chaps.

The club want to encourage spectators to attend these games - then they need to put a squad out with players fans would pay to see. This is a micky take.

Yeah bollox to injuries and fitness, wheel em all out there! I don't care about seeing these young kids, I want to see Newman's hamstring snap in half as he slides over for the winning try against Bradford in pre season.

Ive paid to see how the younger players are developing.

Putting a full squad out on that pitch would be madness, youd have moaned if they picked up injuries

Commentators curse right there.

Hows that then?

Anyone stand out today? Also how did Oledski go because we are going to need an England prop season from him this year (or close).

I thought Oledski and Sangare had poor games. Scurr and Doro looked like the SL props.

Sangare was pretty anonymous in his first spell but better in his second I thought. I like the look of the Leeds fullback and whoever was in the number 10 jersey. Oledzki put himself about but didn't really stand out as a fulltime SL prop on the verge of international honours. I see Leeds like to try lots of short kick offs and short dropouts. That tactic will get punished at SL level, it didn't work well versus us.

Thought the Leeds youngsters looked ahead of the their opposite numbers from Hull that we played the other week. They may have benefitted from having a few more first teamers in the squad to make it more even as they looked quite useful in attack at times but lacked a bit of experience and physical presence.

You are seriously suggesting that 80% of the squad are not fit enough or injured to play in a game two weeks out of the start of the season. They want play against Hunslet so that leaves Hull KR as the only warm up fixture. Last season the start was a shambles - perhaps they have learned some lessons by restricting the players activity. Given the volume of changes you would think game time together might be a benefit?

Thanks for the feedback.
Wrt the short kick offs and dropouts.
I suppose a friendly is the best place to try it rather than when the season starts.
But we found out last season the short kickoffs didn`t work so I have no idea why we would think this season would be any different.

I can't believe we're persisting with the shte practice of short kick offs in preseason games. Yeah it might help you practice for the odd occasion you use them but it takes away from practicing the things that matter. I've got a familiar feeling about how this season may start despite the recruitment

as i said a few weeks back I genuinely hope smith has learnt from last year but can a leopard change its spots?
the HKR game will be interesting in that regard as its the first pointer as to how we will play