I like the challenges the Championship brings – spoiling tactics, pedestrian PTBs etc – and the big physical packs of the opposition who seem intent on knocking Rovers blocks off! Reminds me of bygone days of your Casey’s, Burtons and Skerrets.

I’ve seen a lot of the championship over the past 2-3 seasons, so know Rovers will get this every week so the sooner they wise up to it the better. I believe today we actually saw a major stride forward in Rovers coming to terms with this league - for the first time they dominated the middle of the park - Scruton, Donno and Lunt had cracking games.

Sheens says it was a toss of a coin between Moss or Shaw, nothing to do with performance, more about rotation. Shaw will not play against Dewsbury, Moss will return.

Tough conditions. Our enthusiasm in the first half hour was zero. We could have been 20 plus points in arrears to a better team.

Admired the way Chisholm singlehandedly almost played Sheffield into the ascendancy in that first half as if he had a point to prove to Sheens and others at Hull KR. He faded like his team as the game went on.

Thought our forwards laid a good platform through the middle with Donno and Scruton outstanding followed by Lunt, Clarkson and Mulhern. Blair and Greenwood anonymous again. Kavanagh ain't no Mitch Clark on that showing, but he looks rusty. Will get better.

Odd flashes of brilliance from all the backs but guilty of overplaying again and the final ball was rubbish, meaning we bombed another 4 tries at least. The kicking game was bang average.

Happy with another half century of points and the second half nilling. Referee is only 21 and useless on that performance. Was it me or did the Sheffield right winger with the sunshine roof look about 50?

We are now 5 games in and it's about time we started to see level of game management.
Sheffield out enthused us and had a greater energy level in that first half.
We were crying out for someone to start turning them around with a controlled kicking game. Instead we tried to beat them down the middle with one man rugby.
No one on the field seems capable of orchestrating changes to combat what teams are producing against us.
If we don't start to gel soon, Easter will be our first disappointment of the season.

I thought Blair went ok today got to give him some slack as he carried the team last year I really don't rate Mulhearn we definitely need another big prop we haven't really got a kicking game and I can't understand why Moss was dropped

Went ok for me. They tried to intimidate us a bit (how many high tackles). Kicking game remains poor.
The back rowers just seem to be used as foils but Greenwood was poor. Blair turned his ankle late on. Why isn't Blair's kicking game used out of our half. Abdul is good with the ball in hand but his kicking game is poor.
Scruton is turning out to be a good signing. Lunt, Donaldson, Mulhern, Hefernan, and Quinlan went well.
Kavanagh needs to speed his play the ball.

I thought the game turned when mulhearn came on for his first stint. He added much needed enthusiasm and go forward the was lacking up to that point.
Horne looked well off the pace for me.

Being in the North Stand, I kept mixing up Mulhern and Abdull in the second half when they were running towards us. Those bloody dyed blond haircuts are confusing. Goose needs to complain to the tonsorial standards police.

On the evidence of today and this season, I think you are being harsh on Mulhern, Frankie. He's improving all the time. True, he's no line breaker or offloader but he's enthusiastic with good defence and leg drive. Definitely worth a bench spot.

Sheens said post match that he as good as drew a straw today to rest either Moss or Shaw and Moss lost out. Part of his rotation strategy to get minutes into some players in the absence of a reserve comp allegedly. He won't send them out on loan either. Perhaps the aim was also to get starting minutes and game time into Cockayne to assess his suitability to start in future. Next week, he says Shaw will make way for Moss apparently. Reckon Quinlan could be rested to make way for Moss at FB in the CC game in a fortnight.

Chishom was best half on field by a mile.abdull was poor try aside.ellis was ok Donaldson I like but is another iain morrison in that he is big heart but 2 stone and 6 inch short. His level is now . concerned by pack huffing and puffin first 20 min lazy or lack of respect for eagles? I think both..identikit forwards with little punch.2nd rowers playing prop and centres playing 2nd row.we will waltz this league but in honesty and I am as barmy as they come we will not trouble any superleague teams in playoffs.moss should play in front of cockayne as has real speed and presence. Horne is spent...need proper half .Clark back plus a junior moors type impact player.great crowd great history but I fear more pain on way at end of season..very hard to get out of this hellhole we are in

Think you're in the minority about Mulhern though.

You obviously see things very differently to TS. Reading your post I could easily become rather depressed.

Hangover bad. ...Maybe was looking on the gloomy side but will have to wait to see who else comes in nearer playoffs.

The reality is we have 23 games to get things right so it's not really a worry how we're playing we seem to be improving every week it will be hard to put in an 80 minute performance when the games won after 15 mins like the Oldham game

Well said Frankie you hit it on the nail has long has we keep winning and we get some good players for the eights and they are good enough to get us out of the championship then everyone will be happy, we are also getting good gates has well wish other teams brought more fans

I truly can't understand the pessimism on this thread. We are averaging 50 points a game at home, conceding on average less then 16 points a game and playing in some terrible conditions.

We don't actually need to get out of 2nd gear, and when the team needs to i.e in a reaction to a team getting at us we are blowing teams away.

The game is allowed to be slower at this level and we are most effective with quick play the balls, super league refs will allow for quicker play the balls and give us a chance to get a roll on.

No point in going 100% every single game and burning out come business end. We are clearly going to walk this league to may as well experiment and try different things while we can until things heat up and get exciting.

I agree to a point. My one worry is that we won't be tested until it really matters. At the moment when we are poor we are still more or less on top and when we look ok we're blowing teams away. I'm hoping that doesn't breed either complacency, instill bad habits or not show us were we really are. Not sure how we solve that issue as the next game could potentially be the biggest blow out yet.

I'm expecting Fev and Toulouse away to be bigger challenges but I think a decent cup run and a draw at a middle to low end SL team could be our best bet

Sheens obviously rates Charlie as the best winger then, if he wasn't part of the coin toss?

Moss for Shaw makes sense, that right edge in the first half was breached twice.

Can you add further why you really don't rate him? he is for me a very good runner of the ball, makes bags of yards, is very good in defence and makes a good impact off the bench, like someone previously said, he changed the tone of the game when coming off the bench against Sheffield.

if you can quote statistics to prove me wrong then I will stand corrected (said the man in the orthopedic shoes!)

Every time I watch him he seems to me to make no impact at all I seem to be in the minority on this so I'll take a good look at the next game

We have played 5 matches. I presume you and roverswall have both been present on at least some occasions. I agree with him. You have obviously been watching Mulhern to make the statement that he makes no impact at all. It just goes to show how we can physically see the same thing but mentally interpret it in different ways.

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Quote ="Pickering Red"I have the perfect solution for you in this regard. Click on link below: https://www.specsavers.co.uk/offers/2-for-1'" For the record I've been to all 5 games this season and didn't even realise we'd signed the new Sam Burgess Mulhearn reminds me of the fat kid at school who you just used to give the ball to and he'd run through the opposition now that worked in u10s u11s u12s and u13s but after that they became less effective until they didn't get in the team anymore

Quote ="Pickering Red"I have the perfect solution for you in this regard. Click on link below: https://www.specsavers.co.uk/offers/2-for-1'" For the record I've been to all 5 games this season and didn't even realise we'd signed the new Sam Burgess Mulhearn reminds me of the fat kid at school who you just used to give the ball to and he'd run through the opposition now that worked in u10s u11s u12s and u13s but after that they became less effective until they didn't get in the team anymore

I'm not sure what point your trying to make here Frankie, but this season I have seen a big improvement in Robbie Mulhearn over last in impact and contribution terms.

I have just watched the Sheffield game in full again on Hull KR.TV today as I'm a bit of a Saddo like that. It gives an alternative side on perspective of the same game that I can't get when I watch it from behind or in front on a Sunday. You see things differently like who misses tackles and who is greedy by not passing. You can see offside and study ruck infringements and wonder why we don't compete better for high balls.

Again for me, Mulhearn had a good game and was a good impact forward once again off the bench. Compared to Horne and Salter he looked different class but not as good as Scruton, who has been a welcome revelation.

Also Bobby Blair put a huge and effective defensive stint in and made a few long yardage carries, so perhaps can't understand why people (including me) are on his case this year.

Exactly people see things differently most have said Blair wasn't performing I said he'd been solid which you have just mentioned like I said I'll watch Mulhearn closely next game

TS does not obviously see Ben as the best winger. The changes last week and this he has said are both part of his rotation policy. The fact that the right edge was breached twice does not mean either were Shaw's fault and obviously played no part in the coach's decision to rest him. Ben has been a good servant of the club over the years despite his indiscretions. Hi is not the best player at the club in any position but has valuably versatility value.