We're targeting top 4, and you're targeting top 8. Both may seem unlikely to the opposing set of fans, but both are ultimately achievable. Super League isn't as strong as we all like to think it is.

Just because you was a one man team with Dobbo, I still think with a partisan crowd at home games, you can scrape the eight. If our young kids equal or improve upon last year - there's no reason we can't scrape 4th.

But that's where your wrong. It is achievable. Yes we may of not finished 4th but that's our owners ambition and since it's his club i think we all can think that also. We have the squad of achieving it IMO but the problem with us is consistency. We beat the good teams an lose to the lesser teams in a way.

As for winning trophies, you need to be in finals to win them which in fact we have been to 4 finals in 8 years and won once. Can't say same for yourselves. Or maybe i should say MAJOR finals.

The top/big 5 clubs are practically set in stone for the foreseeable future, their squads are too strong, the rest of us are fighting it out for 6th and so on.

May as we'll not bother then have we.

But what makes you think the squads being stronger is set in stone? Squads change, and can deteriorate quite quickly. There are also some big losses that can already be seen on the horizon for the top sides, there's no way of knowing for certain how they will cope with them. Wigan have now lost Tomkins, Richards and Mossop on top of their departures the previous year, and O'Loughlin is now in his 30s. Leeds have Sinfield, McGuire and Burrow all approaching retirement age and a good chunk of their pack already there on borrowed time. Wire also have several in their 30s, particularly their main talisman Briers. Saints are going to be going through a fair few changes for a couple of years. Hudds looks about the most potentially stable squad over the next few years, but even their key player can't last forever.

Now it may well be that all of those clubs seamlessly replace those players, but given the quality in question I just don't see how it's possible to be so confident that they all will. There just doesn't seem to be enough players of the required quality available to SL for it to happen.

I'm not saying that we will catch/break the top 5 btw, just querying why you think that nobody can.

Don't agree with that, There’s major rebuilding needed at wire who are an aging squad that is being ‘dimantled’ and there doesn’t seem to be a production line of younger talent coming through. Losing Briers will be a big loss when it happens and they still look short in that area.
Leeds will need to replace the Sinfield, Burrow, McGuire, Peacock spine of their team. I know they have a decent youth set up but that’s a big job to replace.
Wigan have shown this year that without Tomkins they are a considerably weaker side, add the goal kicker to that and the look weaker.
St’s will be stronger and Hudds look like they will get better the more they are in the place to build on experience.

SL is getting weaker, the better home grown players are going to the NRL and the quality of imports is dropping so in essence a couple of good signings can make all the difference

All of the above means that anyone can look to force their way into that group, I look at Rovers and see no reason why we can’t have a decent run and force a fourth place spot, let’s be honest we were the last Hull club to be in that position. As for us targeting 8th and you 4th is just laughable, we are both targeting exactly the same thing, that’s to be as good as we can be and aim for the top. I remember Morgan saying he was targeting winning things and being ridiculed on here by FC fans, now Pearson is doing the same thing its all ok.

Beat me to it

I'm optimistic about Radford although he has a huge job to try and break into the top 5. Think he will bring some pride and passion back into the team and demand consistency.

Will be straight talking to I hope, he usually is.

agreed, I didn't say hed pick the side or take training, but I think if somethings not going smoothly then he'll gave LR dishing the detentions out for him. I think coaches like Tony Smith are left to do things there way because of there experience and reputation, I just don't think LR will be

Wigan, Wire and Leeds all have top quality young kids coming through, still IMO the three teams you need to beat if you want to win anything. Saints again, have good youngsters coming through and have added some real quality. Hudds have added Broughton today to an already strong settled squad. These are big clubs, the teams to beat.

thats rubbish, you should always set a target. last season Rovers finished 8th this time with some very good experienced signings we should be targeting top 6 (hopefully) Hull should be targeting top 4 every season IMO but never seem to get things right for some reason.

so is it pointless trying to catch them and compete with them then? maybe the rest should start there own league as there's no point competing in SL anymore

I dont think AP will interfere in that regards at all, what he will most likely do is give Radford & the team what he wants them to achieve as a minimum setting clear and defined goals then leave them to get on with the job. If the job isnt going to plan then I think he will do what all other chaiman/owners do and ask the coach/manager as to why it isn't etc. It doesnt matter who you are if you are not looking like achieving a goal you will quite rightly be asked for the reasons why no matter how experienced you are.

I agree for us, we have replaced some good players with good players plus added experience. Top 6 is achievable for us and with better luck on the injury front there is no reason why we can't achieve that.
Realistically the top 5 clubs have better squads than everybody else, this is not a myth, its the truth. Hull can target the top 4 but my point was that in reality it ain't going to happen, same as us IMO.



Not at all, take Hudds for example.

So your not buying into it then bud? or you just having a moan? coaches can only hand shirts and instructions out the rest is down to the players, but 1 thing is for sure LR will get the very best out of what players he has/gets that is a fact he has a very good rugby head on him, we are not wigan/leeds or any other top 4 side and the quicker we believe that the easier it will be to take when we dont win the games we look at and say we should have won that. theres a difference in AP & co saying were top 4 and been top 4 but in time who knows.