I think I'd be tempted to split them up and start with Ese'ese and Aydin. Aydin is probably the weakest of the the 4 in terms of yardage, breaking tackles etc, but what he does bring is a lot of effort and enthusiasm. Have him set the tone early on with his kick chases and line speed putting himself about, and then you've got Knight to come on when we need to give Herman a rest and you aren't losing too much then.


I can see value in just simply putting our best 13 on the park from the start and trying to blitz them in the first 20 minutes. But my concern is if they hold their own during that period, where do we go from there? Their bench props are stronger than ours and I would worry about them getting on top in the middle part of the game again.

Confident of a Hull win after a loss in the cup match. Almost 80 years since the first derby I remember when dad went on Xmas day and he didn't take me. Hull were at home and won.


Maybe a good omen!

Well getting excited now. Funnily enough not to nervous. Although when I get near the ground butterflies will start. Going in as massive underdogs again. But hopefully think we will do well. Can we win?. Maybe ?.....Massive crowd again. Great start to the season ...COYH

More confident for this as opposed to the cup match, although for that I had pretty much no confidence!


The likes of Lewis, Batchelor, Litten & Sue will play for them however at least 2 of those aren't 100% fit. Play like we did in the opening 40 against Wire and we give ourselves a good chance.


Still think they will just edge us, however you never know on derby day.

Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/

Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/

game SOLD OUT, obviously not full capacity as 10% of seating in each 4 stands and upper west must remain empty for H&S regulations 

Mrs Barista: Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/ I wish you?d go back to your analytical positive constructive self Mrs B your more recent persona has a way of un-nerving me

Mrs Barista: Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/ I wish you?d go back to your analytical positive constructive self Mrs B your more recent persona has a way of un-nerving me

The Dentist Wilf: Mrs Barista: Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/ I wish you?d go back to your analytical positive constructive self Mrs B your more recent persona has a way of un-nerving me  I'm wondering if the real Mrs B has been kidnapped by those red & white dirty dawgs and a doppelganger has been sent out in her place to cause mischief amongst the faithful!! Bring back the real Mrs B, I too get deeply uneasy (and suspicious) of any black & white bigging up the dirty dawgs!!!

The Dentist Wilf: Mrs Barista: Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/ I wish you?d go back to your analytical positive constructive self Mrs B your more recent persona has a way of un-nerving me  I'm wondering if the real Mrs B has been kidnapped by those red & white dirty dawgs and a doppelganger has been sent out in her place to cause mischief amongst the faithful!! Bring back the real Mrs B, I too get deeply uneasy (and suspicious) of any black & white bigging up the dirty dawgs!!!

Wigan showed last Friday that rovers are not quite the invincible they have been made out to be so far. But they did so by matching rovers physically for the first hour, turning it into an arm wrestle, and then it was Wigan who found that extra spark of quality in the last fifteen minutes when the game was in the balance. Also thought it telling that, when put under pressure in those last fifteen minutes, it was rovers who lost their shape and started pushing for that extra magic pass a bit too often.


The question from our perspective is can we replicate the physical intensity that Wigan showed for 60/65 minutes? I think that is where the doubts creep in for most of us. The key for us is how we utilise the bench and how we avoid the drop-off in intensity which decisively swung the game their way two weeks ago. If it's a close game on the hour mark, the crowd will become an increasing factor in our favour, but if they are eighteen points up at the break (as they have been in the last four derbies) it will kill the atmosphere again. We have to find a way of staying in the contest and keeping a vociferous crowd involved to stand any chance of grabbing a win.


Can't make my mind up on the Herman-Knight conundrum, do we continue to run them as a pair from the start or split them so that one of them is always on the park. I will trust JC judgement on this, as the man who has got most things right so far, but if we had another duo to match those two I would back us against anyone right now. I can't escape the feeling though that the first set of interchanges at around the 20-25 minute mark will go a long way to deciding the outcome tomorrow.


The last four derbies have effectively been done by half-time, so it would be nice to buck that trend for a start, and then hopefully kick on from there. Losing last week has also put some pressure onto them, a second loss in a row may sow seeds of doubt in their minds, whereas a win means they simply pick up the thread again after a momentary aberration. But that is something we may potentially be able to feed on, especially if it does become a close game.


My gut feeling is they will again have too much firepower out wide for us to contain (we had the devil's job containing Wire in last week's second half when they moved it wide quickly) and I worry that if they get a roll on we might find it difficult to stop them, but this team has been confounding all our expectations since kick-off on night one and I sense their internal belief is growing with every week and they are relishing being given a weekly challenge to prove themselves again and again. If we do go down it won't be for lack of effort, that's for sure, it's just a question of can we stay in the physical fight and, if it is a close game, can we produce the moment of quality at the optimum time.


Reckon it's going to be a thumping atmosphere once again, let's hope it's as noisy as hell with thirty seconds left on the clock! Either way, my stomach will be doing its usual somersaults come 12:30 tomorrow!!! I love these games and hate them in equal measure!!! There are times when I wish I'd taken up stamp-collecting as a hobby, it sure would have been a good less stressful than sitting in that ground tomorrow will be. I've made myself nervous just by typing out this post, God help me!!!!! 

BP1: The Dentist Wilf: Mrs Barista: Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/ I wish you?d go back to your analytical positive constructive self Mrs B your more recent persona has a way of un-nerving me  I'm wondering if the real Mrs B has been kidnapped by those red & white dirty dawgs and a doppelganger has been sent out in her place to cause mischief amongst the faithful!! Bring back the real Mrs B, I too get deeply uneasy (and suspicious) of any black & white bigging up the dirty dawgs!!!  More likely some on here have over the years stifled her creativity still in there batting for us though!!   I think.......??? Incidentally if anyone is like me a bit distracted tonight his is a great read and worth a go! https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/how-hull-fcs-secret-weapon-is-shaping-success-from-12000-miles-away

BP1: The Dentist Wilf: Mrs Barista: Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/ I wish you?d go back to your analytical positive constructive self Mrs B your more recent persona has a way of un-nerving me  I'm wondering if the real Mrs B has been kidnapped by those red & white dirty dawgs and a doppelganger has been sent out in her place to cause mischief amongst the faithful!! Bring back the real Mrs B, I too get deeply uneasy (and suspicious) of any black & white bigging up the dirty dawgs!!!  More likely some on here have over the years stifled her creativity still in there batting for us though!!   I think.......??? Incidentally if anyone is like me a bit distracted tonight his is a great read and worth a go! https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/how-hull-fcs-secret-weapon-is-shaping-success-from-12000-miles-away

The Dentist Wilf: Mrs Barista: Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/ I wish you?d go back to your analytical positive constructive self Mrs B your more recent persona has a way of un-nerving me  Unfortunately all the objective analysis points to a big Rovers win - not being negative just realistic - hence the crushing odds. Doesn't detract from an insane start to the season by us in the context of the last few years - exceeds any and all expectation!

The Dentist Wilf: Mrs Barista: Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/ I wish you?d go back to your analytical positive constructive self Mrs B your more recent persona has a way of un-nerving me  Unfortunately all the objective analysis points to a big Rovers win - not being negative just realistic - hence the crushing odds. Doesn't detract from an insane start to the season by us in the context of the last few years - exceeds any and all expectation!

Mrs Barista: The Dentist Wilf: Mrs Barista: Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/ I wish you?d go back to your analytical positive constructive self Mrs B your more recent persona has a way of un-nerving me  Unfortunately all the objective analysis points to a big Rovers win - not being negative just realistic - hence the crushing odds. Doesn't detract from an insane start to the season by us in the context of the last few years - exceeds any and all expectation! Since when was 1/4 "crushing odds?"

Mrs Barista: The Dentist Wilf: Mrs Barista: Rovers 1/4 favourites with Paddy Power and almost full strength, oh dear. Get there early - fans to be searched/sniffer dogs etc as a result of previous trouble https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2025/04/17/match-day-info-guide-good-friday-hull-derby/ I wish you?d go back to your analytical positive constructive self Mrs B your more recent persona has a way of un-nerving me  Unfortunately all the objective analysis points to a big Rovers win - not being negative just realistic - hence the crushing odds. Doesn't detract from an insane start to the season by us in the context of the last few years - exceeds any and all expectation! Since when was 1/4 "crushing odds?"