There may be an equally good chance that Benjamin Pomeroy joins him in the bar.

These types of threads will be great to look back on come the end of July.

Ask most people this time last season if they thought Cas would finish in the top4 and make a CC Final, having finished 12th the year before. You wouldn't have found many takers.

I'm not saying specifically that Hull KR will finish top4, just that the gap between the top teams and the lower teams isn't as wide as some might think, and teams that are well coached, fighting for eachother and have their best players on form are capable of finishing high up the table, just like Cas did.

On a serious note, in what way have you based your opinion that Sa is better than Goulding? One pre season friendly? Or that Micheals is a far better player than Blair?

I never said Michaels was far better than Blair. In fact I never said anything of the sort. Tbh I don't know enough about either of them to make an informed comment.

As for Sa. He was a very good centre before he went to union, and has played for NZ. He's a big guy, decent pace, good hands and a handful for any defence. Towards the back end of last season he was showing signs of his pre Union form. The friendly isn't a good indicator given the opposition.

My opinion of Goulding is that he's a decent centre. Handling is good, but he offers little athletically. He's nearly 4st lighter and 5" shorter than Sa, and he's hardly a speed merchant. I feel he is a steady player who has often been made to look better by the quality of his Wigan team mates. The same goes for Josh Charnley.

How long ago was he was a good centre at Catalan? I saw plenty of threads on your board regarding his poor fitness and lack of impact, didn't he play games in the SR for you also? Please don't over exaggerate how good Sa is because you don't actually know.

It took him a while to get going yes. But having spent a year playing Union (and not playing very often) that is expected, and yes he played his first few games at SR, mainly because we wanted to ease him in and give him minutes off the bench and it's pointless using one of your interchanges on a centre.

I'm not really exaggerating how good he is. Is he a big guy? By any standards he is. Has he got decent pace? Well he's not blinding but he can shift for his size. Has he got good hands? Yes. Is he a handful? Well check out the highlights from the KC derby last year. Your lads certainly couldn't stop him.

Anyway. I am happy with Sa, and I don't particularly rate Goulding. How about you tell me why Goulding is so good?

Yes I think so, the signing of a 30 year old NRL reserve half-back could completely transform Hull KR, the way it's looking they may have to leave SL and go join the NRL for some proper competition.

Because he has played for Wigan, it's called the "Craig Murdock" syndrome.

Don't you be dissing the Doc, he's FC's biggest fan in this city.

I watched a lot of Campese in his early days in Canberra reserves and I'm a massive fan.
Even though he had some purple patches in firstgrade and played for Australia, I don't think we ever saw the best of him in the NRL, where he really didn't thrive under the robotic style played these days.
If he can gel with the players around him, he will love playing a more off the cuff style than he was ever allowed to play in the NRL.
I say his lack of form in recent time has nothing to do with injuries, and everything to do with both him and Ricky Stuart having massive egos and both being control freaks.
Being under a young coach and being able to call a lot of the shots will suit him down to the ground I think.
There are a lot of pieces that have to fall into place, but I can see Campese having his best year in a long time.
At his best he can and has led Canberra to wins over the best teams in the NRL.

In FC's case this will definitely change in 2015 though. Adam Pearson, the font of all rugby knowledge, has already publicly stated that his team of stars will finish top four and his marvels at under 19's will be ripping their league up. This, along with daily articles in the local Hull paper from various players and Lee Radford himself have convinced the entire population of the city that Hull FC are definitely the big movers of next season.

I see nothing in Campese's signing to make any team fearful of Rovers. Injured, dropped to reserves and a bit of a bighead from all accounts. They should be focussed on bringing youngsters through instead of the likes of Campese and Boudebza.

Sio could be a great player, but a few people have said he'll get homesick very quickly.

And your sources for all this information is? I suppose all the Hull FC signings are fantastic world beaters and are world class compared to the Rovers signings?

I remember Hull fans also telling us Dobson was crap because he couldn't make it in the NRL yet Hull tried to sign him before and while he was at Rovers.

The attempts at petty point scoring from supporters across the river are rather predictable and laughable.

Back on topic: I personally think we'll finish anywhere between 6th and 12th depending on injuries and how the team gel.

Campese to kick and control, kelly to hit line and make breaks. We got dis. Three easy derby wins!

No, I'm sure the top 4 will be Wire, Wigan, Saints and Leeds.

Reckon KR will finish above FC again, and that Radford will be sacked during the season. The nxt 4 Catalonia, Hull KR, Sol-furd and Huddersfield. However it depends on injuries, just like to say that.

Leeds will not make the top 8 let alone the top 4!!!!!

Brian Mac first coach to get the sack!

Book mark this if you want it will happen!

Oh I like you, I'm not sure I can look after you full time though.

Leeds are a team on the wane and they won't win anything this year, but they will still make the 8 with plenty to spare.

Never been much of a fan of Campese; he's suffered lengthy spells out injured in recent seasons, and has little pace. I'd rate Dobson much higher, even though his return to the NRL was a chastening and unsatisfactory experience. Most of the new imports listed in the first post are mostly second-raters too, in my view. I agree that around 8th looks about right for HKR.

In fact, I don't want to be unnecessarily unkind, but I always feel that it's the trumpeting of these second-division transfers of ageing Aussies by SL that enable so many of the cheap jibes we hear from Australia about the ESL.

I like how a challenge cup win and play-off appearance spells disaster for Leeds. Its a great indication of the high standards this group of players has set themselves. I think Leeds will surprise a few next year. I don't think we will win the GF but I wouldn't be surprised to see them top of the league after round 23. Cuthbertson is exactly what Leeds needed and will make a great impression.

On Hull KR, they have a chance of the 8, not enough depth and too many average overseas players for the 4. Ive a strong feeling that come the end of the season people will be talking much more about Kelly than Campese.

There is a fair amount of delusion amongst English RL fans, L Walsh said be amongst favourites to win the Steve Prescott Medal, when Walsh was sacked by Penrith and no other team wanted him, he was heading to the NSW Cup. Most Aussies say the SL is about on about the same level as the NSW Cup.

Just because the Aussies say it doesn't make it true. The NRL is more reliant on imports than the Superleague.

Todd Carney is a strong candidate for Man of Steel. However if he remains fit, Campese could be a strong challenger.

It's funny how people are describing Campese as a reserve grader.
He played half a dozen games in reserve grade, and even Ricky Stuart was very clear that it was because he was trying to force the guy out of the club.
Without looking it up, he played about two thirds of last season in firstgrade and was dropped to reserve grade when they no longer had a chance to make the finals, not because he wasn't in their best 17, but because Ricky wanted him out.
He is still on a 500k dollar contract for 2015, which Canberra will have to pay most of I imagine.
Dobson was on a 100k contract, and bloody lucky to get that.