Worzel

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.

Don't come here with all of your reason and logic

This whole series of events really is the gift that keeps on giving. I’m trying desperately hard not to enjoy myself, but honestly after 20 years of sneers from that lot when we were in the doldrums very hard. But I’ll be strong! I really don’t understand the media strategy though: Why leak this to their compliant, “client journalist” at the Hull Daily Mail when it’s nowhere near being in the bag? Just didn’t seem necessary to take that risk of it blowing up in their faces. I’m sure FC fans have more patience and didn’t need to be fed some interim potential news

Think that would be a good appointment. Hull would have to commit to at least a couple of player cycles with him though, he needs to be able to build his own squad - and has 2 years left on his Salford deal so won’t be leaving that without some belt & braces guarantees I’m sure.

It was meta self-deprecation. That was my whole point. But never mind

That’s rugby league, you win some, you lose some. I always said the next 5 weeks were a test of whether Rovers were a Top 4 side, or “just” a play-off side. Failed the first test, but let’s see over the remaining weeks. Mind you, that said, at least we’re not letting in 50+ every single time we play despite a £2.5m wage budget and being the city’s Big Club (TM), so at least there’s that to cling on to eh…

No that wasn't a new overider, it was contained in your initial question: "If this IMG project in its present form results in clubs below SL struggling and maybe closing down, do you want it to succeed?" The success I talked about was assumed in your question, I just restated it back. The project exists to save and grow the elite comp. Those are its terms for success. Only by saving and growing the revenue-generating elite comp does rugby league at any level have a chance for long-term survival. So if some lower league clubs fail in the transition, they would have failed anyway - whether in the same timeframe, or later. I would rather we have a stronger Super League in 5 years time, with Keighley and Swinton (or whoever) having folded, than a weaker Super League where many more clubs will be in a far worse position than they are today. The sport as a whole comes first, before any individual club.

Yes. If the project strengthens the elite comp, enabling us to grow audiences and revenues, then yes I’m fine with some clubs below SL struggling and closing down. I’d rather they didn’t, but unless we secure the elite comp we’re all ultimately doomed anyway so they’d end up closing down regardless. The sport should come before preserving a few clubs.

Oh please. The French rugby league barely has 2 francs to rub together. Does the NRL expect Fiji RL to organise and pay for internationals? If the RFL had any strategic gumption they'd understand it is their role to lead the development of northern hemisphere rugby league, and that it is in its own interests to do so.

A full international taking place as a curtain raiser to a 2nd division match, with one of the international sides being weakened by not having players who are instead playing in the more important second division match taking place afterwards? Only in rugby league. Announcing a Test match only 9 weeks in advance, and then still not putting tickets on sale, or even saying what they might cost and when and how you might buy them? Only in rugby league. How does this sort of thing happen? Hmmm. Appoint a succession of administrators from within, who’ve all “failed upwards”, culminating in making the sponsorship manager who didn’t sell any meaningful sponsorships for a decade the MD of your new commercial venture? Only in rugby league. You really couldn’t make this stuff up