Hull KR half-back Danny McGuire has stressed that the Robins are capable of surpassing the expectations many have set them this season – as his coach insists he is not worried about their frustrations in the transfer market.
The Robins are still on the hunt for new faces ahead of their return to Super League, after missing out on a number of targets thus far.
McGuire, however – who is their marquee signing – insists that while many have tipped KR to struggle, he insists the Robins have a team to thrive in Super League.
He said: “I’ve heard a few people say getting into the eight would be an achievement for this club but I think for me, we should be setting our goals a little bit higher.
“We want to be pushing ourselves – the challenge is going to be tough, we know that, but Salford were 10 seconds away from the Championship then they finished fourth after 23 rounds.
“We’ve got the quality in the squad to have a good, successful year and I don’t see why we can’t do some good things.
“We’ve got some players who have been around a fair bit. If anyone underestimates us, hopefully we’ll show them what we can do.”
McGuire also insists that despite bringing the curtain down on an illustrious career with hometown club Leeds, he still has plenty to offer the top flight.
He said: “I felt I needed a fresh challenge and Leeds needed to look in another direction. I still feel like I’ve got a lot left to give, there’s plenty left in the legs and I think we can surprise a few people this season.”
McGuire’s comments come as Sheens has addressed the Robins’ recruitment situation – insisting there is not an infinite pot of money to be spent.
He said: “There’s still two quota spots available and a little bit of money, but not as much as people think.
“We spent a lot last year to get back into Super League and guys who took pay cuts last year to play in the Championship get an increase this year, and rightly so.
“They stood by the club last year so they get their money back this year. We haven’t got half a million quid floating around or anything like that. We’ve got a bit of room but I’ve got a strong squad up to 30 players who not only could play Super League, but have played Super League.”
