DimmestStar

The kick for 2 was possible but unlikely given Hardaker's failure to reach from the touchline. A kick to the corner and set up for a DG was not certain but probable. Neither team deserved to lose but this was why one of them did.

That's funny. Two days ago he was signing for Hull Kingston Rovers, a day later it was Hull FC but with a comment that proved it was a joke, then Huddersfield. I don't think the player has really been linked with anybody it's just someone in the UK having a bit of fun amending his Wikipedia entry.

I honestly can't remember them all but as Hull KR fan I remember going to Nottingham to witness our record win 6-100. Don't know what the ground was called but is was close to the M1. I've been to Borough Park (Blackpool) and Preston North End (think that was v Chorley Borough). Also went to the Isle of Man for a RL version of the charity shield versus Wigan. We played Union Treiziste Catalane in the challenge cup at a ground which wasn't where they are now. I've been to all the variants of London Broncos plus London Skolars. I've been to Toronto, Toulouse (both grounds) and both Wembley's. I haven't even seen a picture of Rovers first East Hull ground at Craven Street I don't think one exists but the next 2 grounds on Holderness Road and Preston Road continued to carry the 'Craven' name.

Any team in any sport which dominates will bore people. The unexpected excites like relentless efficiency can never do. We have 2 excellent teams in the Grand Final and either could win. Let's enjoy it.

Total respect to Wigan they knew how to beat Hull and every player stayed on script. They do have some brilliant individuals but it was teamwork which prevailed in this game. Hull are matching Wigan and St Helens for spending but how much brute force do you need? Sometimes they overpower teams and when they do Sneyd is a real craftsman who does the right things at the right time. Connor is a fits and starts flat track player IMO. The balance of the team is wrong. This year was Hull's attempt to join the top teams by spending big but they finished with 5 teams above them and 5 below. Adam Pearson told us even before COVID that they would make a big loss this year which was unsustainable. They'll spend much less in 2021 but it probably won't hurt them too much. I see them being about halfway again. Wigan though look to have signed really well and I expect them to be even better next year.

Hull didn't lack for effort but huge divide in quality between the teams.

If Hull score first in the second half but probably if they get the chance they'll go for goal.

I thought that Hull were ultra negative going for goal but probably they would be on nil if they hadn't.

If Griffin had a brain........

Rovers really need to make more ground on tackles 1 & 2, we were the worst at that this season. That's the main reason Ryan Hall was signed and he should be a big help. He looks in terrific shape and having not played much for 2 years I'm hoping he'll be raring to go. Whatever the question marks he's definitely an upgrade on Nick Rawsthorne and he did have 4 offers to choose from. Vete and Hall add much needed size and with 2 or 3 more to come maybe we won't be outmuscled so often in 2021.

Imagine if (say) Wigan joined the French league and were the only English team in a competition of French teams. Every fortnight or so they fly to France to play their fixtures. Read on; Unsurprisingly Wigan can't get any interest from UK broadcasters to screen them in their French league but they nevertheless get an equal cut of a reasonably lucrative French TV deal. Not bad considering that the French TV pay channel only broadcasts in France and doesn't have a single subscriber from Wigan. Although.... some say that the French TV channels are attracted to having a glamorous part of the UK like Wigan featuring to add to the mundane and deprived areas of France like Perpignan and the rest of the south west France corridor. Wigan fans can't be expected to travel every fortnight to France but 11 sets of French fans travel to Wigan fortnightly, stay in hotels and spend money in the area giving a massive boost to the local Wigan economy. Meanwhile whilst Wigan enjoy the obvious benefits of being part of the bigger French league and the France TV deal, the game in the UK struggles by on a part time basis and the national team is still regarded as a minnow. 14 years into the experiment Wigan remain a team largely made up of French and southern hemisphere players.

Elstone works for the Super League clubs was appointed by them and can only be removed by them. It's entirely a matter for the clubs if they want to keep paying for his services. He isn't working for anyone else and isn't paid by anyone else. They've just voted 9-2 to keep him so I guess that's the end of the matter.

Hull KR own the leasehold but not the freehold. Talks will be resumed soon between the club and the council who both want to see complete ownership in the hands of the club. Hudgell had offered the market value which remains on the table. It's not about income - Rovers already get all of that but the club want to invest in the stadium knowing that the asset will grow for Hull KR nobody else. Rovers have done amazing work in the local community in East Hull which has been recognized locally and appreciated. We are a good club with a big fanbase. I don't understand why there is negativity on this forum.

Rovers would have earned £500,000 this year from 3 big concerts at Craven Park and there are numerous other income streams which are possible due to the club owning the leasehold on the ground. Every penny generated at Craven Park goes to Hull KR. Hull KR have slightly upwards of 6,000 season ticket holders and an average crowd of over 8,000. The corresponding figures for Hull FC are 8,000 and 10,000 but they do not get the income from the stadium that Rovers do. So the real difference is the financial input from Adam Pearson which he himself says is unsustainable. Neil Hudgell has handed the running of the club to Paul Lakin but is still the owner and is still backing the club financially. Paul Lakin said this week that the club is very lucky to still have the financial support of Hudgell and stated that the financial position of the club is stable. Neil Hudgell Law recently represented the sub postmasters in their case against The Post Office (successfully). He is an extremely busy man who is one of those people who never stops. He juggled the demands of Hull KR and his incredibly successful law firm for 16 years, he hasn't abandoned Hull KR far from it. He just thinks he has given it everything and the club isn't where wants it to be. Of course COVID has hit the club very hard as it has most other clubs. Losing the £500,000 from concerts was a real blow because the club has worked very hard to establish Craven Park as a regular concert venue. Regarding private equity investment Rovers have spent the last 2 months preparing a due diligence report on the club and Hudgell & Lakin say this is part of a process. No one expected any new investment before January and everyone knows that in the current climate it's a tough sell we I accept that. Rovers will not be at full cap in 2021 but do have a budget for new signings and expect to fill the 3 vacant overseas slots. The club is not one of those in dire risk if indeed any are.

Think too much is being made out of this. The SL clubs normally receive £1.72 million but this is going to be significantly reduced to somewhere in the region of £1.4m which is for the year Nov 2020 to Oct 2021. The decision about the 12th team will not be made until December at the earliest so it's likely they will only be SL members from January so only 10 months of the period in question. The championship clubs will continue to receive championship funding until admission to SL in the meantime. So the gap is actually quite small. The current clubs have SL players already contracted and are committed to SL levels of spend already. Apart from 2 or 3 clubs it's going to be very hard to make ends meet. So I think they have been quite generous firstly to vote for an extra club and then to offer £1million in funding. I think the vote for 12 clubs was unanimous, certainly Paul Lakin has confirmed that Hull KR voted yes. The decision as to who will be the 12th team is not being made by the clubs. We'll see if the £1m offer isn't enough to tempt applicants but IMO it will be.