Gale is 33 in June. I agree about BH but whether Leeds are in for him or not he'll be in demand.

Connor new contract is sorted from what I hear

if true, hope the club hold off the announcement until the day we play Leeds

I hope we can keep him, there will undoubtedly be some interesting negotiations, his stock has risen considerably,

I would imagine Leeds, Wire, etc would be interested, can we offer marquee money, the NRL may not look like an option, but they took a punt on Ryan Hall so it couldn’t be discounted.

I hope AP & Clarke can get his signature across the line, fingers well and truly crossed.

Saw a comment on social media from someone who is usually correct, and they said Connor has knocked back a gig in the NRL to sign a new deal.

Would be fabulous news if true, really hope so.

Let’s hope so as I think he is certainly a player the owner, coach, team mates and fans want to see be retained.
I think his comments in regards to Brett Hodgson were promising and I think he feels wanted by BH.
I don’t think it would be too far wrong to say has we still had LR or AL I doubt he’d have signed again.
I think the team camaraderie they seem to be building can also only help.

We need a new thread re Jake
But I always said from day 2 that he’d be a Hall of Fame player for FC albeit at 6 which I still believe is his best position

I also said Radford should go in 2015

And you was wrong.

I think staying is a good move for Connor. Say he signs a 2 year deal, and he is a full back for the next 2 years. Then when his next contract is running down, he can go to NRL clubs and say, "I'm a Full Back, pay me this." The full backs in the NRL are probably the highest earners in the squad, so if he can go to them and say he has played 3 years at full back - 60-70 assists etc. he can look for a bigger contract

Great news about Connor, brilliant at fullback

Lee Radford linked with the Cas job. I wonder what Liam Watts would make of that?

Hopefully Cas will give the job to Radford and it’ll be taxi to Hull for Watts

I think you would be surprised as to how few NRL fullbacks there are at the top of their team's salary list..

In talks with Rovers? 3 league wins in 21 for Smith, Radders seeking SL return..

Super League wins in total;

13 from 39 Sheens. ratio 1 in 3

8 from 32 Smith ratio 1 in 4.

Simple Mathematics suggest the pressure is mounting for Smith.

I'll pay for it.

I can't see Smith getting the chop this early after last nights performance. Very impressive apparently. Lots of positives despite the heartbreak of another golden point loss by a O'Brien drop goal. Must have been sickening to be reminded of the agony of the million pound game.

Referee had another stinker by all accounts.

[url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/josh-griffin-hull-fc-tweet-5284004Griff is the man

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More positives than negatives
Refs fault again
Close to being a top 5 team.

Just some of the things I've read on social media since the loss.

I've never known a ser of fans so happy in defeat each week, they should be fuming with that defeat.

Quote ="Dave K." I've never known a ser of fans so happy in defeat each week, they should be fuming with that defeat.'" Among professional clubs with decent, well intentioned leadership, the relative lack of emphasis placed on winning in the near-term by Rovers (2012 to 2016, 2019 and 2020) is unusual. It’s a big, wide sporting world, so I won’t say unique... but the nearest I can think of is when struggling teams get accused of tanking to get a better draft pick in the US. And that at least offers something tangible, and could even be seen as ruthless in a certain light. I’ve harped on this previously: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=630710 In terms of fuming... if a fan another club had to suddenly switch to this, I’m sure they’d fume for a bit. Like I did in 2016. But when it happens over and over again it would be difficult and probably unhealthy to keep getting very upset. I still feel a bit low and irritable with it, but it has happened so many times that an ‘OH MY GOD REACTION!’ would now be a bit weird, imo.

Quote ="Dave K." I've never known a ser of fans so happy in defeat each week, they should be fuming with that defeat.'" Among professional clubs with decent, well intentioned leadership, the relative lack of emphasis placed on winning in the near-term by Rovers (2012 to 2016, 2019 and 2020) is unusual. It’s a big, wide sporting world, so I won’t say unique... but the nearest I can think of is when struggling teams get accused of tanking to get a better draft pick in the US. And that at least offers something tangible, and could even be seen as ruthless in a certain light. I’ve harped on this previously: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=630710 In terms of fuming... if a fan another club had to suddenly switch to this, I’m sure they’d fume for a bit. Like I did in 2016. But when it happens over and over again it would be difficult and probably unhealthy to keep getting very upset. I still feel a bit low and irritable with it, but it has happened so many times that an ‘OH MY GOD REACTION!’ would now be a bit weird, imo.

Quote ="Mild Rover"Among professional clubs with decent, well intentioned leadership, the relative lack of emphasis placed on winning in the near-term by Rovers (2012 to 2016, 2019 and 2020) is unusual. It’s a big, wide sporting world, so I won’t say unique... but the nearest I can think of is when struggling teams get accused of tanking to get a better draft pick in the US. And that at least offers something tangible, and could even be seen as ruthless in a certain light. I’ve harped on this previously: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=630710 In terms of fuming... if a fan another club had to suddenly switch to this, I’m sure they’d fume for a bit. Like I did in 2016. But when it happens over and over again it would be difficult and probably unhealthy to keep getting very upset. I still feel a bit low and irritable with it, but it has happened so many times that an ‘OH MY GOD REACTION!’ would now be a bit weird, imo.'" Makes sense but Smith is 3 from 21 in SL and your cup exit means that 18 days in, your season is possibly just limited to Derby bragging rights. Not saying our season will amount to much, if any, more btw. But it seems unusual also that fans are fully reconciled to Smith's record.

Quote ="Mild Rover"Among professional clubs with decent, well intentioned leadership, the relative lack of emphasis placed on winning in the near-term by Rovers (2012 to 2016, 2019 and 2020) is unusual. It’s a big, wide sporting world, so I won’t say unique... but the nearest I can think of is when struggling teams get accused of tanking to get a better draft pick in the US. And that at least offers something tangible, and could even be seen as ruthless in a certain light. I’ve harped on this previously: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=630710 In terms of fuming... if a fan another club had to suddenly switch to this, I’m sure they’d fume for a bit. Like I did in 2016. But when it happens over and over again it would be difficult and probably unhealthy to keep getting very upset. I still feel a bit low and irritable with it, but it has happened so many times that an ‘OH MY GOD REACTION!’ would now be a bit weird, imo.'" Makes sense but Smith is 3 from 21 in SL and your cup exit means that 18 days in, your season is possibly just limited to Derby bragging rights. Not saying our season will amount to much, if any, more btw. But it seems unusual also that fans are fully reconciled to Smith's record.

As if I wasn't fed up enough already, someone pass the anadin slammers.

Aye. It is fine line between patiently acknowledging bleak truths and that over spilling into tired negativity.

8th was/is pretty much the height of my ambition for this year. We were never going to win the cup. All this ‘only 3 wins from Wembley’ stuff rings pretty hollow to me - 3 WINS! In a row (in that comp)! For Rovers!

I’d divide Smith’s tenure into four uneven parts so far. Winning 4 of his first 8 to steady the ship. Losing 4 of the last 5 in 2019 and having Wakefield drag us over the line to safety, justifying the clear out that followed. Last season they (we) gambled on a blank page... it was a weird year, but we got away with it thanks in part to Toronto’s implosion. It is done and gone for me. If we keep losing then it may come back as a stick for some to beat him with - but if we keep losing it’d be a problem anyway. Then the difficult start to this season. Winning a similar proportion of our games over a decent portion of the season wouldn’t be acceptable and would (obviously) pretty much guarantee relegation.

We might as well reconcile with the past, because you can’t change it. Doesn’t mean that same again is okay.

No need, I'll drive him over myself!