So, finished 6th this season (10 minutes away from finishing 4th), but lost in the play-offs. An improvement of 6 places still on the previous season.

What do we expect for next season?

It's not particularly hard to improve on 12th in the league with the players, facilities and money we have. We had the joint best home-results in the league this season (although losing at home in both the play-offs and the CC). On the flip-side, our away form was shocking. We lost more than we won.

It's 100% Agar's team now. Everyone in the team is his signing AFAIK. So there are no excuses. I think anything other than 4th means that Agar has taken us as far as he can go. Anything lower than 6th should get him the sack.

Our squad is not quite good enough to be in the top four next season. Especially as we are standing still while many other squads are vastly improving. Add that to the fact that we have a guy in charge who is out of his depth and, hey ho, 6th - 8th at best again.

at leaste top 5 with winning 1 or more playoff games with a better brand of rugby, would love a run in the cup but you dont know who you"ll get

Top 4 would be a natural progression and a stab at the Challenge Cup should always be a goal for a club in our position.

I hope when Agar reviews the last year one area of concern which demands improvement is the for and against columns. A negative points difference is simply unacceptable and hopefully a change of style may be the answer to this which will appease a lot of fans who are clearly not happy (rightly IMO) at Hull's style of rugby regardless of injuries in the halves.

Watching Wigan flinging the ball around filled me with envy.

Thats kind of the point tho. Agar has had long enough to build a squad capable of finishing in the top 4. If he hasn't then that is his failing. If we dont improve again next season then no more excuses and he has to go.

But JR said that the only reason for our dour rugby and negative points difference was having injuries to half backs !!





Remind me again, how many times were they asked by the fans pre-season "what happens when Long or Horne are injured ?" and we were told that we have lots of options. We all knew that we didn't have any options that were good enough.

I hope JR saw Saints beat Wire last week without any recognised half backs.

Something that we would never have been able to do.

But I think that we all know what is coming about 7 or 8 weeks into the season though don't we !!

My hopes are for better rugby, a similar place in the table, a playoff win, and a few rounds of the cup.

My expectations are not so grand, however.

Yep, Matty Smith is definitley not a recognised half back

.

For next season, top 5 with a better brand of Rugby and a play-off push would be good.

Indeed.

I'll take anywere in the top 8 if we play entertaining rugby league.

We need ideas, pace, support play and the confidence for all three. Big ask for Agar and the lads in the off season.

An entertaining style of rugby please. I don't think I can stand another year of the dour stuff we have been watching for the last few years.
Less "Bring back the biff", more "Bring back the width"!

Assuming we don't bring anyone of note in, I think 7th/8th is realistic. Clear water between top 4 and the rest IMO. We're in a group with Huddersfield (better coach), Rovers who will effectively have Green and Mason coming in and no one going out that's played for them this season, Bradford who've now got Potter and are strengthening, and Crusaders who've done brilliantly this year. Plus Salford looking much much stronger.

I feel better about our backs than I did at this point last year. Sharp is a good addition, Briscoe continues to develop and Berrigan looks great in the centres. Add a quality fullback and use Tansey as HB cover and it's not too shabby. We need to reinvent our attacking structure and build one that's independent of having Long on the pitch and expecting him to conjure up something without any runners or anyone on his wavelength.

Not feeling that optimistic TBH but envious of the evident quality and cohesion on the pitch of all the top 4.

Low.

A better style of play should be the main focus next year. We have a pack which is good enough to get us in the top 8 for sure. What we need now is a change of style which involves doing everything faster than we do now - faster ptbs and faster defensive lines. When a team does this the game becomes a hell of a lot easier for its halves and outside backs. It's time to transform the way we play into a team which wants to get up and play, is snappy at acting half and has players pushing right through the line in support of the ball carrier. Watching Wigan last night it really is that simple. They got fast ptbs and this alone made their following plays look impressive - quick out of acting half with plenty of players in the group pushing through with the ball carrier. Then when it goes wide there is space galore to exploit. Saints did/do play the same way and so do Wire.

It's time for us to forget the single man in with the rest of the team stood 15 yards behind trying to sort out the next play. If Agar cannot produce a team next year where all of the players have bought right in to increasing the speed of play and when we haven't got the ball our line of defence then next year should be his last. It is this style that separates the top 4 from the rest IMO.

Agree with that but they will have to get a lot fitter think that is a problem that hasn't being mentioned much

Agree with that too fitness and attitude both of which are in Rich Agar's area of influence.

Would like to break into the top4 as it offers such an advantage in the playoffs, but would be content with a playoff finish.

signing a half back is crucial, and I think we will miss the 8 if we don't. Long and Horne's fitness record and lack of pace means they aren't an option for next season IMO. I would aim for a new no6 and pair him with Long, with Horne providing cover/competition in the backs.

Would also like to see a big improvement in our CC performances, we have gone out at the first hurdle 2 years in a row and that isn't acceptable for a club of our size and ambitions.

as for our playing style, of course I would like to see a more attractive style, but with the lack of salary cap realistically I think we will have to accept that we are going to continue to be a 'drive it up the middle' team for at least another season. I do however want to see a massive improvement in the basic skills: our passing and playing of the ball are painfully slow and at times amateur.

Agreed, especially the underlined bit.

We've not won a "knock out" game since the Challenge Cup semi in 2008, which is a very poor record.

A new coach

An attacking game plan

Pride & passion

A new halfback signing

not a lot you can disagree with there

in fact, at least all of the above will push us into the top 4 imo


if things stay as they are, i predict 7th or 8th at best

Bang on the money!!!

Until Richard Agar can drill the above comments into his squad of players.


Then.............. [uNOTHING[/u will change!!

All talk about signing a new halfback, which will change the style of our play,
is a poor excuse for Agar's ability as a coach!!!

we could be overtaken by sides with new coaches, ie Bradford and Catalans.

I feel, i dont see any major improvements, as an attacking side.

1. New coach (who has a clue)

2. Good quality halfback (not a back-up player)

3. Big hard as nails prop

4. Attacking game plan would also be a bonus (would probably come automatically with no.1)

Until we get a decent pair of young half backs who play 20 + games a season each we will always be bit part players. Agar has known we have a problem in that department since Judas left. He has failed to act on rectifying it long term.

Briscoe needs to play at centre along with Berro and we also need a more creative 13 as opposed to yet another battering ram.

I forecast 8th at best.

What he ^said