So he won't be playing then.

It should be a decent game and it does indeed give us a chance to, "see where we are".

The result will depend on how KR turn up imo. They should be favourites as the highest ranking side but they'll need to have the right mental attitude and send a representative side - if they decide to, 'rest', a few or think it will be easy, then they will most likely come unstuck.
Looking forward to it.

Excellent news!

Great news, cracking tie, would lead me to believe that our game will be on sunday

The Cup is a distraction for Jimmy and the team, the fans care more about this draw than he will. Jimmy's team/squad aren't even on first name terms yet so playing HKR at this stage will tell us nothing about how we would go at the business end of the season. Our problem is that we are going shiitorbust for promotion first time of asking, having no alternative, yet such a brand new squad of players really need two or three seasons continuity before they reach their potential. We don't have that luxury. HKR have new players but a much more settled squad so the result is we are massive underdogs in such a game at such an early stage.

The stuff about 40 point or whatever margin is really totally irrelevant. The way the game is nowadays, any game can be highly competitive, yet end up in a bit of a blowout when one team finally cracks in the later stages. Scorelines rarely tell you the full story. (You need look no further than at our scoreline against Workington)

In the unlikely event we won, it would be a huge upset. You can say that if we managed to make some Cup progress then this would breed confidence, but I would say that in this critical year we need the distraction of a Cup run like we need a hole in the head. This season has a single-item agenda and whatever we do for this game mustn't lose focus from that.

I think the Leigh Vs Salford game is a better marker for them that HKR is for us, out of the 4 SL teams i would of preffered Salford or Wakey - Both Hull teams have alot more quality and tbh doubt they will be in the middle 8s.

I fancy Leigh to win , but find we may struggle,

No doubt if Leigh win and we lose there will be some Leigh fans on here giving us grief about the result and how they have SL quality and we dont blah blah blah lol - but for me i hope both of us can set a good precedent for the end of the season.

All good sense but the single-item agenda has the prerequisite that we beat at least one SL side. By this virtue alone, and considering we are competing against teams who are not full time, I think this is a hugely important test and preparation in achieving what you rightly say is the main goal. My own view is that HKR will likely be in the middle 8. We could possibly play HKR 4 times this year.

Where are you getting fourth time from? Once in cup, once in middle eights then possibly once in million pound game surely?

Is it not home and away, then? Or, at least some home and away?

No, Mat's right, it is 3, sorry.

Anyway, I think it's a bit more important than FA does, that's all.

I don't agree with this 40 point win for us either, I think it will be a tough game. I'd sooner it was a home game too as were not the best travellers.

I don't think we have enough depth to be able to rest players for this clash either. I'm expecting a really tough clash to be honest with you Bulls.

After watching HKR last night, at our place or not, I don't think it's going to be a walk in the park by any means. They have a fair bit of quality in their side and the pace to strike from anywhere. They had a bit of luck with a guy who should have seen red in the first couple of minutes but then made Saints look pretty ordinary and only conceding two tries, from blatantly forward passes, made the scores look decent for Saints, at the end.

If we can match them we'll be doing OK.

Well given the respective positions of both clubs you would have to see Hull KR as favourites without doubt. We will certainly have to cut back on errors and avoid some of the over playing we have seen in our attack at times this season.

Slightly concerned to hear that Sidlow is being linked to Hull KR, we need to keep the squad together to stand a realistic chance of promotion. And Sidlow has been our form Prop so it's perhaps not surprising that his name is being linked with SL clubs.

I agree that whilst not surprising ( and a compliment to our club as well as the player) , Sidlow being linked to Rovers is a concern .
As far as the cup , we are definite outsiders. There are many commentators who believe Hull KR are much improved from last year. I think by the end of the season that Campese and Kelly will be seen as 2 of the best imports . It will be fascinating to see how Gaskell compares in this game.
We will certainly need to win the forward battle to have any chance . And winning that contest is a possibility.

Chris Chester dismissed the sidlow link last night in his interview

He also said Bailey would be back for the Widnes game......

Probably announced as a new signing on Monday then

I thought all aspects of Rovers game looked good tonight. They will present an enormous test in the Cup. I'm beginning to think that a good performance in a loss will be a consolation. I don't see them being anywhere near bottom 4 unless they get struck down by plague or a massive injury crisis.

I thought Hull played against Hull KR tonight like we have so far this season using brawn against brains ie no scrum half leading us around the field. We need to sort it out and either get Seika more influential or come up with something as an alternative or we will lose heavily.
On a positive note how lucky were we to miss out on Leon Pryce?

Some bulls fan on our site reckons our pack will crumble

Oh no not I

I will survive.

As long as we've got Donaldson I know were still alive,joking aside Donaldson has some engine on him , real impressed,good luck for the rest of the season

Arguably the best tackler in SL is Donno - he'll do well for you.

I've been very impressed by the last two games for Rovers, clearly you've not played like that all year but you look good for the future if you keep this form up.

I remember someone remarking that with 13 Donaldsons in the team every game would end at nil- nil.

We should be able to hold our own in the pack. It's what we do with the possession that matters. Gaskell is obviously SL quality, but he'll be up against Kelly & Campese who have looked v. Good in the last 2 games on tv