Simply surviving in this league is enough for me. Considering the strength of our opponents and us operating on an annual budget of 27 quid, it’s nothing short of a miracle that we are still operating.

I agree we should just be thankful we still have a club left to support.
Despite having one of smallest fan bases and only spending £27 annually we still employ the marquee player rule, how do we do it?



Like you escaping relegation will be a relief with our squad.

Surely the extra prop people are saying we havent got and need is already here - Beinek - seems to of been involved heavily in pre-season and its now time for him to step up - failing that i like Fash who can also do a job

I'd like to see Beinek step up and impress this preseason

I'm sure every team in the league would say they need to improve their squad depth in at least one position. Regardless of some people on here downplaying our chances next year, our own chairman has come out and said his expectation is to be top 4 and last 4 in the cup, therefore I don't see why any fans should have to manage expectations based on our front row, our turnover or whether our players are in the bookies top 25 favourites for Man of Steel.

I would imagine the Big 4, Cas and Catalans have similar expectations. Not everyone will succeed. Hope, optimism and realism for me. We're entitled to nothing, obviously. It's heartwarming that people are now convinced of Radford's capabilities though - he's had a rough ride for a long time on here.

Think it's fair to say the majority have cut him a fair bit of slack too during his tenure. The rough ride you mention is to be expected when you look at what he has had available and what he has delivered and continued failings towards the latter part of a season, the wild differences in performance.
Also the jury is out if he is the man to move us forward but it really is a season in which he has to prove that or he should rightly be replaced after the recruitment for 2020.

The old, [igun to the head[/i philosophy again eh.

Why is it a ‘gun to the head philosophy’?

Think it’s fair to say the squad assembled for 2020 has cost a fair amount as alluded to by AP, he will want (& needs to) to see a return on that investment.

Apart from the two CC wins our form in the league itself has still in the most part been somewhat of a disappointment. We’ve had games were they’ve excelled but also had games in which they didn’t even turn up. The gap between good and bad performances has increased and defensively we have been very poor.

Given that AP has provided very good facilities to achieve success and consistency to genuinely challenge at the top we have somehow continued to falter when it matters 2019 being a prime example.

So the pressure is very much on LR to deliver in 2020, and not see the same failings of 2019. There should be no excuses with the squad assembled for 2020.

Isn't that a given in sports management?

I thought Pearson hinted at expectations to reach finals, to justify his outlay this season, the way our club operates currently we need to be reaching these finals too profit.

I'm wondering if we're financially hamstrung playing at the kc. Pearson stated commercial deals had never been so high, season pass sales and shirt sales are also always high, so how does our club go to the next level with regards to improving income?

Consistently reaching finals would be one.
Pearson also hinted at super league getting a lot better broadcasting deals.

I see your point and agree that AP is expecting an improvement and will likely pull the trigger if he doesn't get one. We have a good squad but so do many other sides, and plenty on here would argue others have better coaches. Definitely looking forward to seeing what the new crop brings, starting next Sunday.

You diiging the footings for the foundations for excuses?

No, just providing context that other teams will have similar expectations and many on here would argue better coaches. I'm simply looking forward to whatever the season brings. We've got new blood in Ma'u, Jones, Sao, a strong three quarter line and competition in the halves. Will be behind them whatever happens, starting next Sunday.

The thing is context is subjective and yours obviously reflects your defeatist attitude and low expectations you set yourself, in order to support your excuses.

Most teams will have aspirations of top 6, a few I dare say may except avoiding relagation and the others expecting a top 4 finish. Our recruitment has been excellent this season, we are spending above cap and employing the marquee ruling whether you like it or not.
To expect a top 4 finish from the squad assembled and quality within is by no means being unrealistic.
A lot will come down to mental attitude and coaching.
Nothing is a given but I'd be disappointed if we weren't competing for the top 4.
It's okay to have high hopes with the best team we've had in a long while and Wigan aside no other team has recruited as well as us.
I see the Leeds game as a benchmark akin to our 1st game of the 2016 season when we beat Catalan.

Wigan are weak in the forwards this year so dont see them in the top two or three.Burgess and Hastings cant carry the team for whole season.
It will be Warrington Saints and us for the top two.
We have some real power and pace this season and if we get a good start to the season and the confidence grows i cant see many teams getting on top of us.
Keeping some of the fringe players happy will be a big job for the coach.Just cant see the likes of Dawson getting a look in.Even Griffin and Connor may have to settle for a place on the bench.
That said i still like Connor at right centre with Ratu.

Exactly. We can all have different interpretations of Hull FC factors (coach, recent history, squad etc) and of other clubs (GF pedigree, financial status, coaches and so forth).


This is just silly and unnecessarily inflammatory IMO, unless that's what you were going for. I'm not defeatist, I'm optimistic (excited for next weekend) but realistic, with no sense of entitlement. I'm not setting low expectations (least of all for myself) just recognising the challenges we face whilst enjoying the journey.


That's pretty much what I said. We are aligned.


Props apart we agree once more.


Well, we've used exemptions in the past so this isn't a new thing, right? Homegrown dispensations, RU ones I think?


Employing players earning a marquee salary and employing the rule itself aren't quite the same as was discussed in some detail regards multiple dispensations available on another thread.


Expect away. The bandwidth exhausted on here by the Radford critics over an extended period would suggest it's unlikely. It's not long since we had some pretty extreme reactions to our 2019 unravelling, so to go from such a low ebb to confident of 4th is quite a leap, particularly as you reference the importance of coaching.


I agree again about the best team in a while. I would also point out though that Saints and Warrington didn't need to do much recruitment with trophies in their cabinet.

Well let's hope so. It's at Headlingley, mind, what could possibly go wrong?

The starting 2-6 is a conundrum. I think Tuimavave and Fonua will be in there, but could be any 3 from Naulago, Faraimo, Swift, Connor, Griffin and Kelly. Hurrell needs marshalling in the first game that's for sure.

First game in 2016 was Salford at home. Impressive performance, especially in the first half when we ran in five tries to lead 26-6 although Salford improved after the break and it finished 42-20. The following week we went to Catalans and won 38-10 with Tuimavave and Talanoa on fire. We then lost three in a row culminating in the dressing room lock in at Widnes.

With a bit of luck, we'll be alright.

Let’s see where we are at 9 games
Been the barometer every year

Every year is different. Salford's efforts last year blow your stats out the window, you'd have loved to be in their place last October.

The trophies are won in knock-out games, it's about putting yourself in those games and then performing in them.

Are you giving your barometer a New Year polish?
=#FF0000Let's not yeah? Karen

i hope we compete in every game - i hate the way we switch off and go on a run of losses later in the season when we should be peaking

i hope there are no more heavy blow out defeats

would like top 4, anything else would be disappointing given the squad

finally i hope we stay relatively injury free

player to watch - Manu M'au. For anyone who didn't see Parramatta last year he was their stand out forward, and has no little amount of skill as well as the muscle. His age indicates he should be peaking during his tenure with us. He should be a wow in superleague

Salfords run in the play offs wasn’t based on their final league position
Look where they finished and where they were at 9