Thought the same until I realised we were running a reserve team next year and then retaining him made more sense.

Completely aside but season related is an interesting clip from 1902 of a Hull v Rovers friendly match at the Boulevard shown on the Old Hull site on Facebook. Played with 15 aside it is remarkably good photography of the ground back then. I first went there in 1945.

Am not on Facebook myself and do not know how to show it on here.

Yes, of course it is. But when did any coach ever make a good decision without the benefit of your perfect 20-20 hindsight?

What will happen here is, as usual, when the new season draws closer you'll big up your new acquisitions (you even did it with Matty Dawson) and make rash predictions about how you are going to do this and that and get all bolshie about the year ahead predicting big things for your side.

Then when the new season gets underway and you hit your first patch of poor form (probably very early on) Radfords signings will be questioned and be used to promote his dismissal. Posts like 'he can't dine out on those two Challenge Cup wins forever' will resurface on here.

There's absolutely nothing to suggest Hull FC are going to remotely compete with the big guns of Super League next season. Upper mid-table and a cup run. (at best)

I think our recruitment next year has been very good, but I just can't get excited about it with Radford still in charge. On paper Saints and Wigan are the two stand outs, but we are as good as anyone after that. But with Radford in charge I just can't see us doing any better than 6th or 7th. Because of the recruitment and the fact that we are making additions to the coaching team I am prepared to give it a chance and see what happens. But I expect to be saying the same things at the end of next season that I said at the end of this.

Why have we given Ellis a 1 year extension? Are we that desperate for him to be on the pitch?

Maybe as he still a decent squad player, made a huge difference at the start of last season

Don't really see why people are whinging about Ellis. He can still cut it and is a massive figure in the dressing room.
Could do a lot worse as a squad player.

Ellis will be as good as ever with a good pre-season under his belt.

He wont be as good as ever, he's 38, he will be a good squad player and add a lot off the pitch as well. In an ideal world everyone else would be playing that well that Ellis only gets used sparingly in the first team.

He may as well go back to retirement then, if he's not gonna be fighting for a place in the team? There was me thinking he came out of retirement to play.

38? A baby.

How having Ellis in the squad can be painted as anything but positive I have no idea. Not like there's a raft of players with similar capabilities queuing up and he'll have retired by this time next year.

Anyone know when fixtures are released?

1st week of November

In RL terms 38 is far from a baby, Ellis will know he is in the squad for his experience and influence, not to play every week.