Mine...

Well a jammy run of cup draws wouldn't go amiss. But mainly that we're a bit smarter and switched on.

Fear is that while they've clearly done a lot of fitness work to remedy some of last year's failings, it has maybe come at the expense of strength. The players mostly look 'lean' to the point that I wonder if there's a risk we might just get outmuscled by some teams.

A few gambles have been taken with recruitment, out of necessity in fairness - for Rovers to finish in the top half, an unlikely proportion of them would have to come good, IMO. Last year I hoped (optimistically as it turned out) that we'd win more than we lost. With London and Bradford gone, I reckon 10 wins from 23 would be a fair to middling return, and might just see us sneak into the top 8.

Another hope to round it off - that we remember that this is the first year of a new cycle. Something to build on and a realistic tilt at a top 6 spot in 2016, would be cause for a

My hopes are that I don't blow the engine on my car again or crash it.

My concern is that this is probably unlikely.

My prediction is that as well as blowing up my car, it will also catch fire.

Well my hopes are - Gaining a top 8 play-off spot
Winning more games at home
Defending better as a team (no blow out scores like Warrington last weekend!!)
A decent Challenge cup run (our luck in the draws have been awful these last 4/5 years)
Fewer injuries (no players ruled out for the rest of the season by June like the last few years, or before the season even starts)
Ref's not becoming the focus and main talking point after a game
And Chester to be coach of the year.



My concerns are: We take too long to gel as a team
The hooking role (Keal is not the answer)
Our coach (tho I hope he has a great year)
An even worse injury crisis than last year
Ref's being the main focal point of discussion
Starting our matches too slow
Not making the top 8.

My predictions are: Think we will end up 7/8th
Semi-final of Challenge cup.
Sio to be top try scorer in the league
Mantellato to be the highest average % kicker
Gary Schofield to ram his predictions up his a###

For Rovers:

Hopes:
Making Craven Park a fortress
Obviously to make the Super8
Draw Fc in the cup - and beat them, of course
Retain bragging rights
Lay the foundations for the future
Throw away the selling club signs
Put a

on Hudge's face

Concerns:
It might be too much pressure for a rookie coach
Be plagued by lack of consistency
Huge doubts over Carlile's lack of game-breaking quality
Holding onto 'key' players

Predictions:
A toss up between 8th & 9th
We won't get to Wembley (reverse psychology in motion)

hope:- That our new side gels & has a bit of luck with injurie this time round.
That both Hull clubs come good & put a few noses out of joint especialy Schofield.
A repeat of the Derby final would be nice.
If we cant win the competition the a new name (Catalans?) will do me.
We can have a season without controversy just an exciting set of games.
Concerned:- That we apear to have gone for speed & fittness I am not sure we have a plan B.
A big gamble on key players with injury doubts.
Predict:- Finish 7th, cup semi or better (thats a wish more than a prediction) Warrington to finaly get the title.

I personally hope we can make Craven Park a fortress, Be much luckier on the injury front. And finally have a good challenge cup run, for the last 4/5 years we must be the must unluckiest team in the hat. I think back to the other year, we drew and knocked out Saints to then draw Wigan in the next round. Lol

If that happens, we should pop over with some pancakes and plum sauce (assuming you tragically don't escape)

Our last 4 CC ties have all been home draws, so we shouldn't complain too much. The Catalan (2012) & Warrington (2014) defeats were both avoidable with a little more composure.

Hopes

Our team at least show effort, commitment and desire in every game.
The team and the Fans make craven park a fortress again. last year to many insipid performances from players and fans a like
A good cup run - Batley away, Dewsbury away, Then a SL team at home in quarters would be good. Miss going to them places!
Terry Campese proves to doubters that he is still a game changer, and not past it.
Our forward pack get some mongrel about them, and bully teams.

Concerns
As mentioned a lot, Keal Carlile is not the answer for me at hooker.
Defensive issues have not been sorted, we still look like we could not tackle a sunday dinner.
Maurice Blair not ever getting into shape, meaning when we inevitably have half back injury issues it looks like dwayne barker is playing 6 again.

Predictions
8th. A massive injury epidemic. A huddersfield hooker coming in on loan at some point.

I am new to this forum but a mad passionate Robins fan. I now travel with family from our new North Yorkshire home to see Hull KR, a team I first watched in the flesh and supported in the heady days of Motown.

For 2015, I hope we play with 80 minute intensity and desire every match!!

If we do, although we will not win every game, we will not allow teams back in to games we should win easily and we will not let teams get away from us before half-time or get blown away in the second half, as has happened often in recent seasons. We have passionate and loyal fans, who deserve equally passionate and committed players.

My concern is our fringe defence, especially the tendency of some established centres and wingers to jump the line. Our halves and forwards need to develop a better reading of the game, watch the opposition more and the ball much less. We need players with better peripheral vision who read the game situation better and instinctively slide with more purpose to the sidelines when defending the fringes.

We also need a fullback like Hardaker who can tackle well and dominate in the air near the line.

We also need our head coach to get our team up for the start of every match and subsequent game half thereafter. Slow starts always cost us dearly.

Get these fundamentals right and we will end up either 6, 7 or 8 quite comfortably in SL this year and it will make my hour plus long drive back home a much happier one.

Regarding the hooking role, the retirements of Diskin, Michael Monaghan and Jon Clarke, along with Hodgson going to the NRL has left a bit of a void across the league, despite the move to 12 tea Not too many 9s new have emerged in the last year or two, that spring immediately to mind. Daryl Clark has kicked on but he had been around the Cas first team for a while.
Anyway, I can see it being a problem position for a few clubs over the next few years, so if either KC or Boudebza are merely okay, that might be enough.

My hopes are we compete in every single game (Not asking for a lot)

My concerns are the season hasn't even started yet and we have 4 players in a race to be fit for the 1st game,
and Carlisle is simply not good enough

Tbh, when have been able to call on a fully fit squad were everyone was available? I cant think when that was. Certainly not in the last two years.

I was kind of hoping that was just the sandercock curse

Injuries are part and parcel of RL.

The number of new players we have signed for 2015 who are coming off big injury disrupted seasons is a worry. Think only Sio, Mantellato, Boudebza, McCarthy and Donaldson escaped relatively unscathed last year. Dependent on who you believe, Campese's game and intensity has not been the same since his knee injuries.

Looking on the positive, our game and it's history is littered with examples of players who have recovered from bad injuries and gone on to rediscover their form and there are some who take their game up another level. "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".... Bla bla bla.....so we have to believe our luck in this regard will change this year. Our newbies have a point to prove and I hope the team gels at least by the time we play Wakefield in Rd 2.

Boudebza impressed me more in preseason than Carlile. He has potential. He should start.

I predict that Carlile will be back up hooker again after 3 games max. Connor Robinson and Macauley Hallett will make at least 6 appearances each and Welham will get sick of the commute to Halifax and back. Ken Sio will be among the top 5 try scorers in the league.

I do not have a hope I have a wish I wish we finish first and win the challenge cup and hull fc finish 2nd and don't win the challenge cup ok now I have stopped dreaming lets hope we have a good year

My hope is we play with passion and intensity and look like we care.
My biggest concern after the friendlies is when up against a team with intensity and quick line speed (FC first half and wire for the full game) we look unable to get out of our own half. This may be a time to gel thing but unless we can set a platform our back line wont perform.

One of my hopes is that these so called supporters of the club get behind Keil Carlisle and the young French kid who's name I can't spell but will give it a go Boudoza and give them a go. Ok Josh was good in the loose and a great defensive player, but for people who actually know what they are talking about when it comes to hooking and dummy half play he was not as good as Carlisle Keil passes a better ball from the play of the ball than Hodgson, maybe he does not scoot as good as Josh but that will come, I also think the French kid is as equal if not better than both, if you take time and watch him the ball is passed off the floor he does not have to stand up look then pass , it comes straight off the floor, Carlisle also does the same. This gives the outside players that split second advantage in attack.
So come on you so called supporters SUPPORT our players do not ridicule them even before the season starts.
Let's hope the players do not read some of the rubbish IMOP that some so called experts put on here.
Ok you may think what I have put is rubbish, but after 50 odd years 14 of them as a professional player 5 for Rovers I like to think I do know a bit about the game

Keep off Keal, he's mine.

I agree about josh's distribution and also his disision making. I was surprised when he got a gig in Australia because of it.
Obviously hope it works out for him though.
So, 50 years old and played for rovers for 5 years. Must be local. Who can you be, hmm?

We all bow down to your superior opinion, which clearly puts all our efforts in the bog.

However, what's an IMOP? Is it the latest floor cleaning utensil from Apple?

Ok I did say something wrong I stand corrected IMO = In My Opinion , an extra P should not have been included

I disagree with you saying about joshs distribution off the floor his passing was very good, and his energy and determination was unquestionable, and as for keal I've only seen him handfull of times but he seems far to sluggish and our ruck speed becomes far to slow when he is on the pitch, I agree with the Frenchy though think he could be a real good player given time

It's Tracey Lazenby, I can smell the prison disinfectant from here.

A.N. Other had a successful career around that time mainly as an impact bench player. Could be him.

Think he lasted longer than 5 years though, might even have qualified for a testimonial. So more likely it is S.O.Else a player who always seemed to be in Other's shadow but Else was one of those players who did the little things fans don't see. Obviously being a fan I didn't see him do those little things either. I definitely saw him not doing the big things that fans do see though. A trailblazer, without Else there could have been no Jason Netherton.