Worzel

As I said last time, Paul Kent is more of a typo than he is a journo.

You either don’t get it, or pretend not to get it to be obtuse. It was a turning point, because the club changed its whole approach. I watched it happen. The results of the changes made then we are now seeing. As I said earlier in this “debate” (if I’m being generous), the fact you only see a turning point through the prism of immediate results is probably a cultural problem in your club. You’re unlikely to make progress until you look at other more important short-term inputs and outputs. Finally, my original point was wholly relevant to the discussion at the time: Harry S was asking if Koucash’s call for an end to the salary cap would have led to a stronger league. I pointed out it would not, as Koucash himself was an example of the financial mismanagement without limits. My club was one of the victims of his Walter Mitty approach. You then derailed it into this dull discussion, because you’re struggling to cope with your own season. Boo hoo.

He’s a good player to be fair, deserves a good run at this level

I know, I know. But I did that on purpose to make the point as confronting as it needed to be: The SMC don’t run it as if it was a joint stadium, they run it as if it was Hull City’s stadium and you lot are the slightly-resented tenants. One look at their ridiculous Tiger vestibules tells you that. Seeing as a large chunk of City’s fan base come from the wider East Riding rather than Hull itself, and the ground was built with City Council funds in a rugby city, to be honest it winds me up let alone you lot.

The tone of pretty much everything you’ve said. Let’s just remember, this whole conversation started because you couldn’t bear me seeing our 2016 relegation as a turning point, and so tried to bring the club’s progress down by reference to some later league positions. As if short-term league position was the only measure of long-term progress. Like I said, absolutely insufferable. #bigclub

Have they finally given up even trying to mark out a rugby league pitch on Hull City’s ground now? The Stadium Management Company are absolutely taking the p*ss at this point, I’d be livid if I was a Hull fan.

I’ve zero insecurity on this subject. I’ve absolutely loved being a Rovers fan, even when Barrow were beating us 1 nil in the 3rd division. Life’s far, far better lived in colour than in black & white. As you’ve shown in this discussion, many Hull FC fans are entitled, thinking they deserve success by some sort of right, and yes you were all absolutely insufferable at the start of the Super League era. But we put our heads down, and did what we needed to do. A period of reflective humility from some of you would be very welcome, but based on your response here I’m not expecting it.

Tanginoa’s try is even better with Rovers’ in-house commentary

I’m not deluded about anything. Rovers are a Top 6 side trying to do the right stuff to be a consistent Top 4 side. I know exactly what we are. Ambitious, but still striving. There’s only one set of fans in Hull with “big club” delusions, as a result of having a free ride in a big rugby league city for more than a decade. Partly on the back of being gifted another club’s TV money and playing squad…!! We know where we are right now, and trying to change it. 2016 was a tipping point, but it’s still a long road ahead… not as long as yours mind, but long enough

I’m not sure Lewis fits into any typical NRL attacking structures to be honest. If he came through the Aussie system, they’ve have developed him at full back (if at all)

Harsh

Potentially great move for him… just hope whoever the new coach will be buys into him too! Could be a nightmare if not Hope his agent hasn’t sold him cheap. Lots of prior Brits have been hired by Aussie teams because they were initially cheap, certainly the Canberra strategy. But great half-backs are on $1m down under, and even average first team ones must be $700k+

I thought Farrell was below his best last night, yes, but he’s still all class and I’d have him at Rovers every day of the week Lewis was good, especially in the first half when him, Litten and Sue were immense. That said, what works about KR at the moment is the decision-making options rather than it being a “Lewis team”: May is a Rolls Royce player who looks like time slows down when he has the ball, Minchella is nailing that James-Graham-style pass from the defensive line role, and Hiku is just always an extra pivot threat. I thought the issue last week wasn’t Lewis’ absence, it was Catalans monstering us down the middle all night.

Is this the place where I say “nobody would notice if the 3 home fans at Huddersfield matches booed”? Asking for a friend

Aaaaw, bless. Every word I said was true. Entitled.

It will be at Leigh and Doncaster. On a Thursday night. In the rain.

Sadly, I think we have. Hope that I'm wrong. No idea what Paul thinks though - anyone know?

Always admired Lee Briers as a player. I really hope he stays in Australia and builds himself a long-term career there. You can be employed securely as an assistant for years, steadily growing your experience in truly professional sports organisations, and earn a far better living in the NRL whilst having a far better lifestyle in Australia. Think it'd be a crying shame if he came back "home" for a head coaches position too soon. What a life opportunity for him and his family.

You're hilarious. I watched the progression of the club behind the scenes, the better decisions we were making, and understand how that has ultimately led to the improved performances of the last 3 seasons. Unlike you lot I don't expect immediate, miraculous turnarounds, or assume that success is our birthright. The progression of a club can be measured by much more than some short-term league finishes. Do you think the last few years sprang out of nowhere, like some lottery win? Just naive. Like I say, when Hull FC address some root causes, some things that need long-term fixes that might even take place whilst first team performances get worse rather than better, then maybe then you can start to turn things around. In the meantime, enjoy the ride.

No. He should have defended the play-the-ball, like an adult would.

Connor losing his team the match because he’s moaning like a toddler instead of doing his defensive job is peak Connor. He can retire happy now, all the muppet boxes ticked.

You know nothing about our club, and how we felt during those years. Relegation was a turning point in our club's entire approach, culture and mindset. It created the platform for where we are now. You could feel the change. The prior decade was one of short-term thinking and no long-term strategy, even if we sometimes got a better league position. Not all clubs' fans are like your own. We're not entitled, thinking we're some sort of "big club" with a God-given right to be in the play off spots. On the East side of the river we're genuinely happy with the progress we're making, and enjoying the journey even though it has yet to create the sort of "destination" that you think is yours by right. Some of that journey was behind the scenes, in seasons you'd otherwise write off as failures based on league position. Frankly the sooner Hull FC focus on the hard yards involved in those years of Hull KR "failure" that you perceive, the sooner you might actually make some progress.

Maybe he could coach Hull? (Crosses fingers and toes…)

Oh purleease. One of us was there, the other one has a certain axe to grind. The now-bankrupt, “Lancashire’s BestvWalter Mitty Tribute Act 2021” Marwan Koucash led a pitch invasion whilst waving a giant comedy £1m cheque at all the Hull KR fans. That’s off-the-scale, classless behaviour and downright dangerous. Getting relegated that season, the local community’s reaction to it (we sold more memberships the next year), the emotional impact that had on Neil Hudgell, and the consequent transformative changes to how we do things, was the best thing to happen to Hull KR since 1985. We were reborn that day. So no, I’m not bitter about the result. Unlike you though, I’m still able to take my blinkers off and call a spade a spade. Koucash spent money he didn’t have, Salford left a trail of debt behind them, and yes they cheated that season. It’s beyond debate. Financial doping, nothing less.

I'd think it would be far more likely that we'd have ended up with a load more club owners spending money they didn't really have, chasing success they were no more likely to get, before crashing and burning like Koucash did. That bloke was a terrible human. Running around on the Craven Park pitch inciting the home crowd with his daft giant cheque, after he relegated Rovers with a team his club couldn't afford and in large part didn't end up paying the bills for. We should be relegating clubs or at least doing points deductions for financial mismanagement like that. It's as bad as doping, still cheating however you cut it. More "visionary" people like that in the game? No thanks.