-With the new season just a few weeks away, how do you think we will get on???

-What are your expectations for the new season/ goals for the season???

-Who do you think will end up being the best signing?

For me this is the first season, in a long time that we don't have massive expectations on us. Most season, people/pundits etc are saying "top 4 for FC" or saying we're going to make a real challenge in the play-offs. But, this season nobody really knows what to expect or really make of the 'New' Hull FC. Changes from the top to the bottom, not much hasn't changed. I reckon, top 8 finish again (about 6th) and much of a C.C run, and probably go out in 2nd round of play-offs. Same old really.

Signing of the season for us, for me its between 3 players. Feka, Talanoa and Rankin. Feka and Talanoa are risk signing which I think will be worth taking. Rankin I think he will be a Top class player that many clubs will be chasing come the end if the season.

9th and paea is miles better than any of the 3 players you've listed

Rankin & Feka

For me this the worst Fc side we've had since we was in the championship. Add in an inexperienced coach, a clueless owner, joke signings like Talanoa. And Feka, inexperienced rookie half backs and a very poor season awaits. We won't even make the eight

£50 to the Steve Prescott Foundation if we do? I'll pay if we don't.

I thought I was feeling pessimistic about the coming season but you make me look like a pure optimist Recruitment is not something that fills me with optimism but there are signings that have the possibility of being very good. Rankin & Miller could well gel (That sounds so Essex) and become a very good partnership but with them both being inexperienced it is a big risk but a risk I believe the club need to take. Of course it would have been great to get a very experienced halfback partner for Miller but salary cap restraints and increased Aussie cap makes that a thing of the past for the time being.

I think we are lacking up front and putting a lot of pressure on the homegrown props to produce the goods when injuries inevitably hit. This is the part of the team that has surprised me with Radford being a prop and mentioning last seasons 'mobile' pack in a negative way a few times.
Add into that our rookie coach and I am not expecting much this season. I expect we will finish anywhere between 7th & 10th.

Have you been reading the same book of Standee and Jake?. The season has just started and no one knows how it will turn out. Its intresting that the bookies have us as a top half team again and they are rarely wrong.

I don't worry at all about the new signings, I think most of them will exceed peoples expectations. I worry for Crooks, Lineham and Shaul who all have been hyped beyond their ability. I like all three players, but all 3 have weaknesses that can, and will be exploited.

Rankin will turn out to be our best signing, and Miller's season will depend entirely on whether the fans support him, or jump on his back and make him a scapegoat.

Nonsense his season will depend on his ability/application and attitude just like everyone else's. What you've offered is a ready made excuse for failure.

I'm not convinced about our recruitment either baring Paea. It painsme to say it but I think we will struggle to make any impact and I wouldn't be surprised one bit if we didn't make the eight. The team is littered with average players.

No I haven't. I'm basing an opinion on how every single season one of our players becomes the main focal point for the entire teams poor performances. Form goes hand in hand with confidence, and when our extremely fickle fans jump on said players back - there is no chance of them performing to their optimum. I only mention Miller because already he seems to be the player that will be this seasons scapegoat, reading the opinions of some of the numbskulls on here. Good support and backing from fans can make average players put in good performances, heckling and poor support can make good players perform badly. I'd like to see some fans take a little responsibility when their actions have had a negative impact on the teams performance.

In the atmosphere vacuum that is the KC, we don't have the advantage of being able to intimidate opposition players, and make them perform worse like we did at the Boulevard, but we can try and lift our own players. If you search my posts, you'll see I'm anything but a slack jawed optimist, but you need positivity from the fans as well as the players to achieve any kind of success.

if our youngsters can kick on and our pack stays more or less injury free i think we will do ok, to many on here pull us down before we even started, we have lineham crooks shaul who are 3 of the best youngsters around, arundel who i believe could be a gud un, rankin who fingers crossed could be the real deal, watts green bowden 3 young props , micky top class ,feka could turn either way,ellis still top drawer imo, westerman hope for good things this year, houghton azza good hookers if used correct, throw in our average players and hey presto we won the league lol,

If you look at other teams, such as Hudds as an example, they have a lot of average players, but together, they make a class team.

If Radders can bring them together, make them 1 unit, 1 team, also lose the chitty attitude FC have had for years (so paea called it "arrogance"icon_wink.gif then who knows....

Wish I could meet up and shake your hand for this post at least someone talking with a lot of sense.

agree 100%

You can on the basis that you'll buy me a pint?