Wait until sunday night

Frep that. Give JP some boots and a squad number first.

..... "I didn't go to the game today Gwilym, but I think Chris Chester has to go ... get that Peacock in. Oh and we're definitely signing Josh Charnley - FACT."

I have got to say purely from a neutral where your teams concerned, I was expecting you to add some real strength to your squad with experienced NRL players to replace the likes of Weyman, and the other big Aussy who's name escapes me Justin something, I think you need a few more leaders, it works fine bringing talented youngsters into a winning team like Leeds and Wigan, but it does not work in a struggling team, we know this by our own failings, also you have to think if Leeds thought these lads where good enough to make the grade at the top of super league they would have tried a lot harder to keep them. I don't think it is exactly a vote of confidence in your own Academy players either to bring in 4 Leeds youngsters, I do not think things will be as bad as a lot of you think you have plenty of points in your team but you have been very unlucky thus far with injuries which makes Sundays game challenging for you cause if I was Chester I would really want to wrap my top players in cotton wool to guard against any more injuries, interesting his comments on the sky web site about being to many derby's and its all about performance its as if he is already conceded the game to me what do you think, www.skysports.com/rugby-league he right I think we do play too many times but you always want to win no matter what

I have got to say purely from a neutral where your teams concerned, I was expecting you to add some real strength to your squad with experienced NRL players to replace the likes of Weyman, and the other big Aussy who's name escapes me Justin something, I think you need a few more leaders, it works fine bringing talented youngsters into a winning team like Leeds and Wigan, but it does not work in a struggling team, we know this by our own failings, also you have to think if Leeds thought these lads where good enough to make the grade at the top of super league they would have tried a lot harder to keep them. I don't think it is exactly a vote of confidence in your own Academy players either to bring in 4 Leeds youngsters, I do not think things will be as bad as a lot of you think you have plenty of points in your team but you have been very unlucky thus far with injuries which makes Sundays game challenging for you cause if I was Chester I would really want to wrap my top players in cotton wool to guard against any more injuries, interesting his comments on the sky web site about being to many derby's and its all about performance its as if he is already conceded the game to me what do you think, www.skysports.com/rugby-league he right I think we do play too many times but you always want to win no matter what

We've got a new prop signed

Since when?

Just to cheer you Robins fans up a bit Scott Taylor was interviewed on RH earlier and said if you can keep Thornley fit you've got a superb player.

Go on then ???

Really. We've got 6 good props it's some BACKROWERS we need.

Goose. I'm tempted to file your post under PRAT.



I'm getting all serious now.

If you run a company or have managed within one, it's likely that your primary job function is to set the tone and objectives of your organisation and create the structures to allow others to implement said tone and objectives. JP is our football manager. He won't be doing a good job, if he doesn't pass on his vast knowledge and motivational qualities or overlap with psychological elements of the coach's job.

Guilty as charged on the muppets front. That's me me me me me me me me me me. That said, I think most previous posts to yours in this thread gave good and valuable insight and contribution to our perceived progress or lack of it following our performance last Sunday. Early days, yes, but a shock to see such a regression from the end of September. You have to worry why those players still churn out such abject and incompetent performances, whether it's a meaningless pre season friendly or not.

Again, I must repeat the message. We were playing at home and not away, it was a special occasion match and we are supposed to have healthy competition for places and better squad strength in depth this season, a new backroom team and a new team resolve. To see this in action, we drove a 100 mile round trip, shelled out over £30 on the day, froze our nuts off but nevertheless were full of expectation at seeing our beloved team lay down a marker for the new season. What we witnessed was a masterclass in ruthlessness and a demonstration of pure flair and class from a vastly superior Huddersfield team in every facet of the game and a very poor performance from ours, which was a travesty to the occasion.

A meaningless game. Larroyer with a busted shoulder and Josh Mantellato with a concussion (no longer thought of as meaningless within our sport) and me and my missus p***ed off, embarrassed and frustrated. We need your empathy, mate, not mock contempt.

Cheer up nobody died

Haven't got a clue who it is just know we've signed one

Williams, big unit, played with frank the tank,

No, but my little Willy snapped off and has gone forever.

Tony? If so hes a backrower I think?

He is mate. Let's hope it's got some truth in it. Desperately need some quality in the back row as you will see on Sunday!

Yer will be interesting to see how both teams do. Keen to see how Hull do against super league opposition as Donny offered very little.

This is the guy that was been mentioned at the end of last season but the rumour petered out.
I assumed it was because the quota was full and as far as I know it still is so, I don't know how the club would manage to secure his services, unless they are thinking of releasing someone


He certainly is a big unit though and definitely someone we could do with.

Heard the rumours too. I thought the rumours were Rovers were trying to get Mantellato on an Italian passport?

Unless its changed this year he would still be non fed and we would still be over, who would we off-load?

You mistakenly, just quoted me instead of Hessle rover there (previous page), but never mind.


Regarding your question.....who would we offload?. I really have no idea, but over on the Rovers Facebook page there is some chatter about the possibility of Sio going back to Australia.
Other than that the only other possibility would perhaps be releasing Dane Tilse, the latter would be my personal preference.

Tbf, we brought in Allgood for Justin Poore and he even managed a few more games than Poore had. Eventually Tilse came in for Weyman, but he had a spell out injured too. The jury still has to be out on them (they have decent NRL pedigrees fwiw), but we desperately need more from them in 2016.



The 'if they were any good, why would they sign for you?' argument can be used for almost any signing made by a bottom-half club - and there's some truth to it, which is why the same teams dominate year in year out. Another, no more palatable, scenario is that Leeds seem happy to use the rest of RL as their farm system - they were monitoring (not just watching, but bringing in for tests etc.) Hunslet and Featherstone players last year (including Minns) who'd previously been on their books. The RFL fined them £2000 (half suspended) - that'll show 'em, eh?

That's the challenge the less wealthy and successful clubs have to overcome if they want to displace the top teams and have their own turn doing the same thing.

Even though it hasn't happened yet, and Hull FC [icould[/i finally start to shake off their sleeping bridesmaid tag, there is already a sad poignancy to the optimism surrounding your club's latest golden generation. Law of averages is that some won't make it at SL level, and then the best of those that do will be creamed off by more successful teams over here, or perhaps richer ones in the NRL. Better having them than not, of course, to have taken that first step - but the obstacles remain dispiritingly large.

Still there's more to following a team than silverware - enjoy the wins as they come and keep hoping that one year, just maybe...

Your one year just maybe I used to think like that back in the 60s and then it all came good we won just about ever thing that was going and all the cups you had to win in the league, then so yes it will happen again i just hope i live to see it I hope it is swings and roundabouts

All good points you make I hope this U23s takes off and grows that will be our youngsters best chance to break into the first team that's why Leeds don't want to take part they have there finger in too many pies , if it does not take off then we both may have to look at a joint u23 team and enter the lower league's it pains me to say that but we have to find a pathway for kids to devolve expecting the majority to come straight from the 19s set up is quite unrealistic for the vast majority good luck with injuries this season no one wants to see teams best players on the side lines and if your going sunday have a great afternoon but not to great

I saw somebody on the Hull board suggest that it'd have made more sense to have a joint under-23s rather than merging the academy. And in one sense they're right, but that'd represent extra spending rather than a saving and I doubt it'd be very cost effective unless you could persuade decent numbers of people to pay a decent amount to watch the 23s.

For me the best solution i can suggest is more bottom up. Scrap the 16s and put the money saved into grassroots clubs, have RFL-run regional 19s, then players can enter the pro game at whatever level they are ready for. those that mature and improve will move up the leagues, again when they're ready.

Apparently Mitch's ancestors loved haggis!