Pivotal game coming up but it feels to me like we’re in a bit of a weird interlude, after the exhilaration of a good run of form.

The semi-final itself… the squad is looking a little bit stretched for the first time this year. We might win and we might not. If we do, then I’ll celebrate with or small glass of Chardonnay and a little bowl of foreboding. And the start the futile negotiations in my head with the indifferent Rugby League Fates, Agnes (goes by Aggie, likes a Bakewell) and Jonathan (JonNO). ‘If we could score at least one try…’ ‘Please no, not Saints [iand[/i James Child…’, that sort of thing.
Every so often, unbidden, a ‘but you never know, anything can happen over 80 minutes…’ will bubble up through my consciousness to live briefly before being stomped on by a ‘you ******* do though, don’t you?’

If you’re posing it to yourself, is it still a rhetorical question? He asked himself an unpopulated forum.

So, my mind keep getting drawn to points in the more distant future, to the post-Smith era. Playing new coach Cluedo and looking at the list of Rovers players contracted to the end of 2024 and beyond, rather than focusing on the chance of the current team playing in a major final. It’s like the head coach’s grumpy statement of intent (to leave) is sat like a turd in the bog that we could flush, the toilet isn’t broken, but we daren’t because the silence seems so important and fragile. Was it a tantrum or a justified response to a provocation? Not knowing justifies my fence sitting, but really its about not saying anything that might slightly upset somebody who has a small chance of doing something that might make me happy, or at least prevent me being as sad as on 29th of August 2015. Being honest about my own intellectual and emotional dishonesty, it’ll feel a lot less tantrum-y to me if Rovers win the Cup or even just put up a decent show having reached the final. Whatever happens, at least it’ll feel like we can breathe without worrying it’ll wake any sleeping dogs.

I'll'll come back to this, but ruddy Hell, are you balls deep into Nietzsche at the moment?

Jeez.

On the plus side…

At least we didn’t save this up for White Hart Lane

Minchella sent out the signal early and I’ve been able to get some chores in while nipping back in to catch up on x6, x12 and then x30. Our line speed has seemed pretty good to me, as a result

Tony Smith seems rather less irreplaceable and the new coach should be announced (and maybe even in post) soon

Yay, not nilled!

That went well

That wasn't much fun and then I thought we were going out for a few scoops afterwards and everyone else fecked off home, then the train got cancelled and when I got home, Ms. Goose had bought one, yes count it, one 7 inch pizza.

To be fair to her, she probably thought you wouldn't have much of an appetite.

She was quickly aware that she had not added a positive to my day.

I see that our preference for ‘playing footy’ has seen us start the season slowly on the heavy grounds and then succumb to injuries before summer. Familiar. Has any club, across multiple coaches, ever invited bullyball beatings so consistently over so many years, I wonder?

I really hope Peters doesn’t come in with a philosophy or moral narrative to drive. Just win, or at least make it the top priority. Then you can paint whatever story you want onto it, afterwards.

But you are everyones fav second team and the nickname entertainers. Also according to Rovers Daily Mail the top dog in Hull. So it's not to bad

If we are everyone's second fav team at least it puts us eleven places higher than the hessle road mob.

2 tries in 320 minutes confirms you are indeed the top entertainers

It feels like you might be overestimating how much this will annoy us now, based on how much it annoyed you previously. I always found the ‘good for the competition’ stuff a bit patronising. I hope Willie Peters brings a focus on winning the collision, wrestling and cross-field kicks to the corner. The boredom and misery of opposition fans would be balm to my withered soul.

Also, it has taken you well over 24 hours to multiply 80 by 4. Even allowing for time to sleep, do the laundry etc. that speaks of several pencils chewed to ruination.

When The Face of Hull KR (Rob Chadwick) is trailing Smith's imminent exit as a good idea we should pay attention - it is happening.

lol only a bit of banter. To be fair I had to ask the wife to help me out with the maths part of it ha ha