Early doors yet. Not getting carried away, but I have seen a confident and assured first HKR performance of 2017 delivered. Although I didn't go yesterday, I have watched the full highlights today on Hull KR.TV.

Below some key positive improvements noted.

- Impressive and consistent defensive line speed
- Defensive intensity
- Desire
- Attacking support play
- Running the ball hard at first receiver
- Excellent kicking game
- Good game management
- Imaginative attacking play
- Fitness and conditioning
- Good performances from everybody but especially all the new debutants. Addy looks the part.
- Pace in the backs

Despite the mediocre opposition, it's been a while since I've witnessed all the above components from a Rovers team at the same time and so early in a season. Reasons to be cheerful.

An accurate appraisal. My only worry is the lack of a recognised goal kicker. It probably won't be such a problem in the league games but come the middle eights against super league opposition it might just make all the difference.

Jamie Ellis 3 from 3; Ryan Shaw 1 from 4 and Jordan Abdull a great impression of Don Fox. Suggest we continue with Ellis for now.

The obvious improvement is they appear very well coached. It appeared a highly technical high intensity game executed by enthusiastic players.
We won rucks and the defence was much better organised. I can't recall them making a break. They kicked better than us. We kicked cleverly but executed the kicks badly. Lots of deception. Ellis went very well under no pressure. Addy was the pick of the back rows.
Quinlan looks a bag of tricks. Abdul promising. Lunt excellent again. Never seen a recent Rovers side move the ball so much and so efficiently.
Sheens looks like he can get 30% more from players and the team looks a far more energetic serious threat to others.
Looking forward to seeing more

Looking forward to watching it back. Impressed that Sheens had put some thought into the new rules. I'll be looking out for whether anybody tried to put the ball dead as if the old rules were still in force - the sort of dumb ass play that had become so familiar in the last couple of seasons.

The brief highlights looked very promising - but that Hull FC team contained quite a few unheralded youngsters. Given that heralding youngsters has been something of a theme on the Hull board in recent times, that says a lot.

Anything better than catastrophe feels like progress for now though!

What are the new rule?

Not that I've ever known what the old rules are.

A very good assessment, and accurate, the most important one for me and most fans I talk to is the desire one. Ive watched Rovers for long enough now so really appreciate it when the team play with desire, it is evident when this happens, on Sunday when we played with desire FC dropped ball, kicked badly and missed tackles, this because we hunted in packs and it looked like they were playing for each other.

Really looking forward to every game this season. I think it`ll be like the season we finished 4th, plenty to look forward to!!

What did you make of the Leeds game, now playing against a full strength super league side?

Thought we did ok we bombed a few tries we matched them for long periods losing Abdul didn't help but we will get better

Score line didn't reflect the performance Tim says?

It didn't really they scored 3 tries either side of half time but the fact is they did it was a good test and we can only improve

The Leeds game means nothing. They may be back on form this season after last season's blip. Can't judge anything from the final scoreline. Only thing Tim can take from it is seeing where we still need to improve.

Our season starts in two weeks time. I'll worry about the results from then onwards.

I thought that Leeds looked a very different side to the one we played in the middle 8's. They looked organised and composed. I thought the game was played at S/L speed and intensity and some of the tackling from both sides was ferocious. Rovers did hold them for large periods of the game and looked ok. A few bombed chances and poor decision making let us down a bit but on the whole I came away relatively happy. On an aside, I know it's not easy to see things from an end rather than side on, but I don't think the ref (whoever he was) will be getting much praise, he made a few major errors, the most obvious one where one of our players was tackled his legs clearly above the heads of those around him let alone his own waist yet play was allowed to continue!

We looked like a side getting to know each other versus a side that has been together a long time. Barring the 15 minutes across ht we didn't look like a team playing a team a division apart and if anything looked better than last year.

Give it a month or so and think we'll be pretty good. Was impressed with our warm up too, no sign of aimless arm flapping and looked pretty intense. Overall I can see a difference already.

I agree with that compare this years pre season to last years and it's a world of difference

very little in it despite scoreline bombed 2 tries, and a couple of daft tries from leeds ie tap on a penalty no one there and a loose pass that fell kindly otherwise nip and tuck leeds looked better than last year but I thought we also were slightly better moss looked the part 2nd half. bad missed tackle by Jason Abdul for opening try needs to do better in middle 8s

I went last night with my Rhinos mate and stood with my Rovers hat and scarf in the middle of their South Stand just to the right of the half way line. I like a walk on the wild side, but all I got was some good natured stick last night and some favourable impressions of our side. I suppose it was a pre season testimonial game, it was a supportive Rugby League crowd and we are a division down this year so that obviously helped.

First half we played well at a quick tempo. The try before half time was flukey. Rhinos fans were impressed at our defensive line speed and attacking intensity. We were making over 10 metres every play, but our execution was crap in their 20.

Half time. I know I always pee myself seeing our Hull KR dancers undertaking shamateurish and poorly timed routines at home games, but on the evidence of last night we are well ahead of those Rhino lasses, who were beyond pants.

Second half and Leeds upped their intensity, we switched off, lost our intensity, dropped off tackles and lost composure and concentration and went 24-4 down in the blink of an eye. Rest of the game was a bit aimless tbh, although we kept squandering opportunities in the final 20. I thought Kieran Moss was impeded jumping for the ball for the Keinhorst try, but will have to look back on Hull KR.TV.

My man of the match was Donno. Jamie Ellis was good too. Everybody else OK only. Leeds looked better last night than they did at any time last season and their new hooker Parcell looks a good acquisition.

How did Salter look in the second row?

rubbish. once leeds upped it they were a country mile better, as they should have been.
however rovers impressed in parts and I hope you come straight back up.
good luck for the season

Pretty anonymous. He played about 15 mins, Dud. Like everyone else in our side, he wasn't able to stop Garbutt and Singleton and the Leeds offloading game.

you only played fc b team you got hammered by leeds a team

Could only listen from time to time at work, and much as I wanted him to be a success you didn't hear him mentioned much. Think he'll struggle for game time this year unfortunately.

Better - yes. Country mile - nah. More like country 5 yards.

Leeds looked like a team who had played together for a long time and their systems showed that. Defensively solid too. Burrow and Garbutt a class apart and Golding excellent at Fullback.

Hull KR a team of strangers getting to know one another equating to below par execution.

you must have been in the cricket stadium the game I watched was pretty even baring the odd thing as mentioned

and