He's got a big mess to sort out , Similar to yours last year .He's been given all rugby duties so it's going to take time to sort it out but Id say the vast majority of Hull fans stand behind TS .
We've had the same under different coaches now and the fans know the fault lies firmly at the players door .

I am expecting FC to improve in the second half of the season as TS systems embed and after contract decisions have been made on the 1st May. We won't make the play offs but we will improve. Onto 2024 to see how good TS really is, with his own players in place.

Absolutely spot on Chris, I will always be grateful for those Wembley wins but they were down to the other 'mafia' at the club, Prichard, Ellis, Minichello, Manu Michaels and Talanoa who 'persuaded' the rest of em (starting in the dressing rooms at Widnes) that they were here to win something, and that temporary broke Club Hull to get the right results. Incidental I keep in touch with the Gentle's and I remember Peter telling me just before he left to go back to Australia how it was.

Anyone who went to Huddersfield that fated night could work out that Club Hull decided that they didn't like what they were being told to do re-fitness, application and the game plan etc and decided they wanted one of 'their own' in charge and so it was! Big big mistake! Now with a proven experienced head coach and not a promoted assistant we have our best chance but he's only signed one player and inherited the rest and their culture. We have to stick with him because if he can't do it I wonder if anyone will. However, as I said, earlier in the week we have to be very careful this year, because the way we are playing is relegation form. At present looking back we look even worse than Warrington did last year at this time and they only just escaped the trap door. If it gets really dire I don't think our lot have the mental tenacity to pull it back.

I can only see a 40 point loss

Tony Smith isn't the issue it's the players has been for five years, TS has got the experience to turn it around and get rid of who he wants.

Fc under Smith remind me of Rovers under Smith in the second season, first season Toronto folded so we had no relegation pressure and just played crazy side to side rugby, but that second season we were similar to how you find yourselves, unfit, constantly losing the ruck, no line speed, and unstructured. He loves that heads up and play what you see scenario, and it's great to see when it comes off, it just doesn't come off that often does it.
We'd compete with the bigger teams and then not turn up against the lesser teams,

I was sad to see him go because he's obviously got a great track record of improving teams given time, but even fc fans can't deny that Rovers seem to have improved since he left,

One other thing that caught my eye in pre season was his interview that he stated that he was taking the fitness side of things easier, not wanting to push it too early, but not being fully fit leads to fatigue which leads to errors which leads to points against.

Time will tell whether he's still got it, and whether your owner has the patience to find out.

Jury still out on Peters, Rovers are only 2 points above FC. Peters could be the next Woolf or the next Sandercock its a bit too early to say. What Smith did was lay the foundations and Peters has been able to fill gaps this season.

Totally agree with you, he could go either way, but we already look fitter and seem to have that willingness to want to work for each other, as I said Smith may still have it, hopefully he'll get the time to show it.

You obviously watch more of them than I do, so can't really comment on fitness.

The AP/Radford/sky thing may make people think Pearson is impatient with his coaches, but I think it's the opposite. I'm sure Smith will get time and backing to make the changes he wants

Agree with this , The magnitude of the job in hand will take more than one season . The only thing that will spook AP is the fall off in attendances should the erratic form continue ..

I have mentioned earlier that our fitness levels are not good enough and i was concerned when Smith came out with the comments about taking the pre season fitness training easier.
I think it was part of keeping pre season injuries to a minimum but clearly the team is one or two levels below the fitness they should be at this part of the season.
As for HKR from what i have seen they are certainly fitter and faster than Hull FC

Agree that we dont look fit enough but playing devils advocate...has he seen how we have dropped off at the end of seasons and decided to start slow and then increase the intensity later in the season? Whatever we were doing previously on fitness hasnt worked for approx 10 years, even in 2016 had a post cup win slump.

If we somehow manage to drop even further yet again this summer then honestly I really do give up

That night, Club Hull, was Shaul. Horne, Yeaman. Houghton and Green.
So the only 2 at the club now are Shaul and Houghton..

Staveley and Lane in for Sao and Scott

Litten
Macintosh
Carlos
Sutcliffe
Swift
Hoy
Clifford
Tag
Houghton
Evans
Savelio
Griffin
Cator
Subs
Dwyer
Satae
Brown
Fash/Lane
I'm leaving Lover, Gardiner and Staveley out and I'd be tempted to rest Fashy this week.

Not far off a full strength squad.
I think Litten has to go to full back as Lovodua at 6 just isn't working.

We need some size in our forwards. Having the probability of Brown fash Cator lane on at the same time isn't great. We can have a couple no problem. Think we will see a couple of big boppers signed for next year.

With Staveley playing 80 minutes each week in the back row at Newcastle, I don't see the wisdom of naming him in the squad, if he isn't going to get any game time?

Newcastle are playing in the CC this weekend so our DR players aren't eligible afaik so a lot of it will be giving him experience of being around the 1st team squad I'd imagine.

Ah ok, makes sense then!

I'm half in the mind of leaving Evans out the 17 and having Gardiner on the bench but purely for his experience is why I'm considering Evans when going up against Warringtons pack. I'm not convinced by Houghton if I'm honest as he just looks done, even his good point in terms of his defence is now lacking, just don't see what he brings anymore.

Something i have mentioned several times.
Most teams have bigger backs than these players.
Also Cator and Lane are penalty machines

Evans in the 17

Hardly surprising and McIntosh back on the wing
Its the old drop you for one game and lets see a reaction

The club posting highlights of our last win at the HJ in 2016. Can’t believe it’s the same
Club. Ellis and Minichello were something else.

Certainly highlights just how poor the recruitment and retention has been over the past 5 years and how far we’ve gone backwards from our best group of players in SL to a group of bang average players in the main.