After Reading some other fans comments regarding Rovers impact on Super League next year, it seems they don't rate our chances of of even making the play offs. Even someone predicted us thirteenth! I'm very optimistic for next year, as I should be. But does anyone think fans of other teams are underestimating us??

Personally i dont give a toss what other fans think, i like yourself am very optimistic about next season, but were rovers are concerned my glass is always half full. The squad is stronger, deeper and i dont think there will be many teams with a bigger pack than ours. We have a new coach with nrl experience and i think we will see rovers play a different way the coming season. As for were we will finish....top four.

Its very possible.

We have a nicely balanced squad I think.
More attack minded full back.
Hopefully a full season of Dobbo and Blake together.
Mickey P doing damage as our impact forward.

See no reason we shouldnt be a play off team again.

I'm not overly optimistic about next season, we've had alot of changes and shouldn't really be expected to fly high, however, I feel that the Wakey fans are slightly deluded in their assessment, got to just laugh, really. Might bookmark a few of their posts for next October.

I think play offs are a realistic target for next year but I also think that it will be another year before we start to see the best of this team. Too many new faces for any realistic top 4 ambitions I feel.

I think we could cause an upset or two if we do make the play offs though.

Probably quite rightly so. We have seen alot of upheaval but what fans of other clubs dont really is how desperately needed it was. Im quietly optimistic of a very good season next year. Keep Green and Dobson on the pitch week in and week out along with galea and we have every chance of a top 6 finish. Con Mika to make a huge impact too.

You've said this about Mika a few times now Alex Mc, what are you basing it on?

So many new faces makes it a difficult one to call, if we can pick up a few points early doors then hopefully we'll come good later in the season.

I'll be disapointed if we don't make the eight but we're building at the moment.

Even if we don't make the play offs it's imperitive that we stick by Sandercock, we've made our choice and successful teams don't change their coach every year, he needs time to get his systems and processes in place.

I'd have thought Paea would be the bigger force, not that I can tell them apart.

I'll let the season take care of it's self.
There are so many unknown variables.
An untried head coach, Lots of player changes, New captain, Change to the back room staff, Etc,Etc.

In general conversation with normal folk, do you say e...t...c...e...t...c or do you say etcetera etcetera?

Actually you only need the first one, because it is all-embracing. "Et cetera" means "And everything else".

On topic, the answer to the question on where Rovers will finish is 4th, so redmuzza is correct. From the horse's mouth. Well, Mike Smith's. Good enough.

Well, we know that. I was merely questioning how he would use it in open conversation, if he does.

From the outside looking in, we don't yet have that much of a SL pedigree. 4th in the table in 2009 was probably the high-point, but is likely seen as a slight aberration - similar to Wakefield coming 5th that year. Not my opinion, but I'd guess that'd be the perception of some fans of other clubs. Beating Hull in the play-offs the next year was big locally, but won't have registered very high on the wider RL Richter scale. Our 4 other play-off games have ended - 8-44, 16-30, 18-42 and 6-56.

This year we've got a new and untested coach, a couple of players from last year's wooden spoonists, 3 released by Huddersfield and some players from the NRL I'd never heard of at the start of the year. I'm playing devil's advocate there, because I'm quite optimistic that things have been done intelligently, if not spectacularly - but at first glance there isn't much to inspire awe.

I'm saying a realistic fight for 5th-7th. And not to be humiliated in the playoffs would be nice!

We have a tough start to the fixture list, couple this with the wholesale changes we have seen at the club, then I can understand the reasoning behind other clubs fans not giving Rovers much credit.

In many respects, whats happening at Rovers is a massive gamble, and not unlike what Salford tried to achieve last season, and what FC, Wakefield, Widnes, Bradford and London are doing at the moment. The big difference is Rovers have retained the nucleus of their team - Dobson, Green, Galea and Josh Hodgson - which I feel other clubs fans have failed to factor into their reasoning.

Add to this how we all know a team can afford to lose ten-twelve games and make 5th or 6th, this latter point emphasises how unpredictable SL has become. Because of this 'unpredictability,' I think it will provide the space for Sandercock's new team to bed-in and gel quicker, and hopefully come good in the latter half of the season - when it matters most.

I personally don't expect Rovers to threaten the existing top five this season but I do think we are ahead of the other teams I have mentioned and see a play-off place once again, hopefully 6th.

Mika is the only 100% Craig Sandercock signing the only one Rovers had not been talking to already. Sandy was very keen to get him and persuaded him to reject Cas who were about to announce him as their player. Sandy also had to ditch Taulapapa to make room.

So the coach clearly rates Mika and when you have people like Brian Smith talking in raptures about the ability of the player then obviously Mika is a very exciting prospect. He is said to run & tackle extremely hard - hence the nickname 'Mika the Mack Truck' and has a great offloading game. Brian Smith said of him that when Mika runs at you then you find out how good your tackling technique is but that also he has the skills of a half back.

It's true he has not yet fulfilled his massive potential mainly due to injury but he's still pretty young at age 22. We will have to see how he performs for us only time will tell but I think we are entitled to be a bit excited by this player.

IMO you can understand fans of other teams not been overly worried by us, as a few have said we have a NEW coach, plenty of new players, (some unwanted) unknown NRL players, 2 who only played a few games last year aswell. but next season should be a very interseting one IMO, the 3 NRL lads look exciting, plus a few experienced S/L players too then a couple of hungry youngsters will hopefully see us been very competetive.

Interesting stuff His Bobness, didn't know any of that. Thanks.

His Bobness, Sandercock was also instrumental in bringing Shannon McDonnell over as well.

I have read similar overtures about Meeks, who I am sure is going to become a fans favourite, but I am more excited about seeing Jordan Cox; hopefully in a wide position where his pace, size and awkwardness will terrorise the opposition. Of all the forwards on Rovers books, Jordan is the one who has the most potential, IMO.

I was going to write a reply but....

Mika was a big junior signing for the Knights.
He was basically the best 19 year old at the Warriors when the Knights signed him and the Warriors have produced the best juniors over the last few years.
He's had a lot of injuries since, and has only shown glimpses of his potential.
Last year he did virtually no off season training and spent most of the season unfit and suffering a back injury, but he finished the season strongly with good form in the NSW cup and if he has had a chance to get in a good off season he should start next year in career best form.
Sandercock knows better than anyone else where he is at injury wise, because he was his coach last year.

I think we'll be better this year than we were last, Our end of season position was very flattering for how bad we'd been for huge chunks of the season and in all fairness I wouldn't have been too surprised if we'd finished 10 - 11th. I can see us finishing in a similar position but performing better. Looking forward to this year far more than I was last year (Mason aside)

Had Dobson been fit at the start of last season we'd have finished higher. Now I do think Dobson has a lot to learn in the game still, he's been found out by a fair few clubs and needs to bring something more next season. However against FC in the first game we were poor at the start of the game but came back brilliantly to win the game. This said it was Hull's own fault for burning themselves out too quickly, I do not think this would have happened had Agar not been in charge.

At Warrington we were clearly the better side for most of the game but due to Dobson limping off and I think we lost a couple of others in that game too we got pipped at the end.

Along with some of the other games you'd have put a 'W' next to our final position should and would have been around 5th if not 4th. That just shows you how vital keeping our halves on the pitch together is for this season coming.

As they say your forwards win you matches the backs just determine by how many. With a pack that can boast 11 prop options without including the academy lads not training full time yet and a back row that could see us take the field with 5 props smashing at a defence, it would seem on paper our pack is more versatile and destructive than any other in the league.

If we did however then lose Dobson or Green we have Withers who I hear has been looking very good in training. Carlisle and Hodgson would then play the hooking role which IMO loses nothing around the ruck.

Finishing positions worked on teams going the full season uninjured I would say we are a top 6 side but you have to put Saints, Warrington, Wigan, Leeds and Hudds above us with Catalans, Hull FC, Castleford all around the same area as us. Bradford will no doubt be up there putting in tough displays and may well surprise a few clubs. That leaves Wakey, Widnes, Salford and the Bronco's that IMO will make up the bottom sector.

This all depends on how sides gel, a few clubs have made surplus of 7 new signings which is a big number when you look at the top clubs who rarely make more than 3 and consistency is key to their success.

Aren't your first choice props O'Hara and Clinton? They broke 14 tackles between them last season in 36 games. Dowes alone broke 17 tackles in 19 games. You have large numbers of forwards, for sure, and I think Paea will be a very good signing, but your props "defence-smashing destruction" stats are a bit tenuous at this point, I'd suggest.