I was feeling optimistic until you posted that team. Full of kids, old men, players out of position and unfit and/or injury prone ones

Newman is talented but continually loses his head over nothing plus seems to switch off

Why was you optimistic then?

You know who Hull have signed. Who else was going to be in the team?

Agree on signings. Still think there will be some to go and hopefully 2-3 to come in.
As others have stated, most important pre season of Abdul's career.
I still think we might see Cust start with Sezer in the halves and if Ligi goes then we need a couple of more props.
Not sure who is available,
Bienek?
Cooper?
Or do we use the quota spot on a prop and try and bring in an British centre?

You? Optimistic?? Have a word!

As per Irregular hoops response, you know who weve signed, you know what positions they play, please do offer some form of constructive feedback as to who you would have in the team o improve it with what will likely be available? I mean aside from maybe moving rapana to wing and moy to full back i think its best we have right now no?

That may well change with new signings etc but id say the above with the right team off the field behind it would be capable of moving up the table IMO, say around 8th? I don't see anything or anyone that give me reasons to think the likes of Huddersfield, or Cas will finish above us, even Wakefield tbf, im not buying all the hype around them, i still think they will be bottom 2 or 3 and Salford will surely struggle to go round again, think they will likely have a drop off too, Unsure on how Leeds will go, they could finish anywhere from 4th to 10th IMO and Leigh are gonna go through HUGE change so there's no telling how much the players leaving will hurt them aswell. The gap will close between 6th to 12th next year i think.

Be different if we signed Lee Kershaw.

That's been his one and only suggestion so far, says it all really.

From what I've seen this season he has developed in to a lot better player and worth taking a punt on. Fitness has always been an issue but the new regime should address that.

If Sao goes replace him with Cooper and use his quota spot for Leutele. The jigsaw falls in to place

If that had come to pass (which it obviously didn't!), his appointment would have been a huge 50/50 gamble on our part at a time when we really are not in a position to take wild stabs in the dark.

If, in five years time, Briers turns out to be a top class coach then we may find ourselves looking back at this moment and thinking 'what if?' but there is no guarantee that will be the case and, as I said, we really are not in a position to throw the dice and hope a double-six comes off.

Don't think he was the right fit for us, at least for 2025/26, and we almost certainly would not be the best option for him right now. Hull Fc 2024 is no place for a rookie coach looking to make a name for himself. We represent the supreme gamble for anyone in that scenario.

Think Briers appointment would have ended in tears all round if it had come to pass.

your new left centre is called Chamberlain

Using “Your” and not “Our”

Rookie error there Keef

I don’t think the side is great and lacks quality, strike and should be way under the salary cap but what players are out of position? Cust is questionable but looked ok playing for Wigan at 9 in a league winning side.

There will be a few unhappy posters but well deserved Jordan Lane, player of the year.
Thought him, Ese Ese and Lewis Martin were stand outs.
Separate comment, I noticed
Jed Cartwright at end of the game with his shirt off.
He looks absolutely ripped.
a good sign of our strength and conditioning to come for next season.

Well deserved for what? Putting in slightly more effort than the dross around him? If this is the clubs standard for a top player then god help us

I'd removed it from my memory then you planted it right back in there

I'll bet you were one of the ones predicting we'd challenge for the play offs with the signings we made last season

Cheap and better than what we have currently. People don't agree because they don't want to admit I'm right but I am. If we picked up 2 or 3 solid forwards at the same level as kershaw we'd be a whole lot better

The half back at hooker, the winger at full back, the full back in the centres

Ese ese way above anyone else in the team

If you think Kershaw should start in front of Martin then where F ucked

As far as Rapana goes, Stuart has mainly selected him at full back this season and the player himself said he's loved it and it's his prefered position for next season.

Zak Hardaker has played centre far more than full back since switiching there for Wigan in 2020 when they signed French.

I just don’t get it though, since when in rugby league have you had to register one position and then stick to it? There’s no rule, It’s just daft to suggest players can’t swap and change positions at different points or evolve to new roles over time. How many grand finals and cups did Leeds win with Sinfield playing at 6? Arguably better at 13 but had long successful spells at 6.

Hardaker is a decent centre. He might have played more at fullback but he’s simply better than what we have at centre. Richie Barnett played almost all his a career as a fullback and was one of our best centres of the modern era. Gary Connolly is another, Greg Inglis, Latrell Mitchell, Joey Manu are off the top of my head and probably hundreds over the years have played both positions well.

Rapana can play fullback. He’s played there this season at NRL level. He has loads of experience and has a strong kick return, it’s a natural progression. If say Moy has an absolute beast of an off season I’m sure we’ll see Rapana on the wing again at some point but he’ll likely start the season as our best fullback.

Cust I’m not going to argue as a great signing, but he can play hooker at decent level. He did for Wigan, I just don’t think that can be argued. Just because you say ‘he’s a halfback’ doesn’t change that, but like I say Cust is an odd one on every level, I think the coach wants him here for whatever reason.

The kid has played every game apart from one I think it was., when those around him were busy getting sent off. He’s tackled his heart out, had to play in numerous positions to cover for others. If his team mates would have put as much in then we may well have done a tad better.
So yes that is why he was voted for.
I’m not saying he’s a world beater either. We all know why we finished bottom , the squad of 50 plus were just not good enough.
Ese Ese outstanding and caught the eye but for all round effort I’d have to agree lane was stand out.

Yes, lots of players change positions but we've signed 2 players at the ends of their careers who have moved away from their long held positions recently. It would have been far better to play hardaker at full back and sign an actual centreminwhat is probably our weakest position. No one is going to convince me, or any other objective person, that hardaker and Chamberlain are anything other than a bottom 2 or 3 superleague centre partnership

Yet the rest of the players disagree with you. Go figure

Hardraker has played over 100 times at the top level at , think he will be fine, nit sure he has the link play to play fullback anymore.

If Rapana is good enough to play fullback (and play really well) for most of the season in the NRL, I'm sure he will go well there in SL.

Cust is an odd one, but at least Cartwright has coached him and maybe sees that he would be a useful signing at halfback or 9.