Hocks first available game is Easter Monday, so if he hasn't picked up a ban and is fit he is available for selection

It allows both sides to identify any weaknesses that need working on before the 8's

I think us drawing HKR is the toughest of the draw. Going on what was said on RL show last night. They are a very very good side. "WE NEED THIS GAME" to get some intensity going. Conversely I would say the Salford/Leigh game is evens as its at the LSV. As a neutral it would be a cracker on TV.

Not a team we really wanted at this stage of the CC, i can't see us wining but a good performance will give us a good yard stick for the playoffs if we get into the top 4

COYB

Perfect draw for us. The worst possible draw for them. We desperately need better opposition, they need to send the first team to a first round cup match like a dose. If we lose, it's a much needed wake up, if they lose the clock will start to tick on Chester.

I think this could really liven things up.

Sorry Cibaman , I just can't take this one in. A team at the bottom of SL being 6/7 tries better than us now would not be acceptable.

Many of our squad have been full time for more than just this season while the others who haven't have had quite a few months full time training and have been recruited due to their potential to be full time professionals. Also HKR have had quite an influx of new players so why should that affect us more than them.

I believe that the squad is stronger this season than last so anything other than a competitive performance would be really disappointing.

So he won't be playing then.

It should be a decent game and it does indeed give us a chance to, "see where we are".

The result will depend on how KR turn up imo. They should be favourites as the highest ranking side but they'll need to have the right mental attitude and send a representative side - if they decide to, 'rest', a few or think it will be easy, then they will most likely come unstuck.
Looking forward to it.

Excellent news!

Great news, cracking tie, would lead me to believe that our game will be on sunday

The Cup is a distraction for Jimmy and the team, the fans care more about this draw than he will. Jimmy's team/squad aren't even on first name terms yet so playing HKR at this stage will tell us nothing about how we would go at the business end of the season. Our problem is that we are going shiitorbust for promotion first time of asking, having no alternative, yet such a brand new squad of players really need two or three seasons continuity before they reach their potential. We don't have that luxury. HKR have new players but a much more settled squad so the result is we are massive underdogs in such a game at such an early stage.

The stuff about 40 point or whatever margin is really totally irrelevant. The way the game is nowadays, any game can be highly competitive, yet end up in a bit of a blowout when one team finally cracks in the later stages. Scorelines rarely tell you the full story. (You need look no further than at our scoreline against Workington)

In the unlikely event we won, it would be a huge upset. You can say that if we managed to make some Cup progress then this would breed confidence, but I would say that in this critical year we need the distraction of a Cup run like we need a hole in the head. This season has a single-item agenda and whatever we do for this game mustn't lose focus from that.

I think the Leigh Vs Salford game is a better marker for them that HKR is for us, out of the 4 SL teams i would of preffered Salford or Wakey - Both Hull teams have alot more quality and tbh doubt they will be in the middle 8s.

I fancy Leigh to win , but find we may struggle,

No doubt if Leigh win and we lose there will be some Leigh fans on here giving us grief about the result and how they have SL quality and we dont blah blah blah lol - but for me i hope both of us can set a good precedent for the end of the season.

All good sense but the single-item agenda has the prerequisite that we beat at least one SL side. By this virtue alone, and considering we are competing against teams who are not full time, I think this is a hugely important test and preparation in achieving what you rightly say is the main goal. My own view is that HKR will likely be in the middle 8. We could possibly play HKR 4 times this year.

Where are you getting fourth time from? Once in cup, once in middle eights then possibly once in million pound game surely?

Is it not home and away, then? Or, at least some home and away?

No, Mat's right, it is 3, sorry.

Anyway, I think it's a bit more important than FA does, that's all.