Fair points but I can see you winning this game but us finishing above you, all depends when our players are back, if fit westy green and Bowden are big players for us, throw in Kelly and connor and am sure we will do ok, this season is gonna be a close one that's for sure, cert wont run over you this fri

fc are 1/2 and kr 13/8 with most bookies to win the game , dont think injuries will be a factor 4 or 5 starters missing from both sides with it being the first game and maybe awkward weather conditions you could toss the coin ,

You are one of the more upbeat FC fans and you may end up being proved right? Who knows? Most ones I know are fearing a long poor season but hoping to be proved wrong. Rovers wise maybe we are getting ahead of ourselves before a balls been played in anger.

Think most fans are upbeat pre season you gotta be lol, but you never know till it gets under way, hope its a good game no injuries for either team and let battle commence,

The only outcome im confident about is that it wont be a draw


In all fairness it could go either way, not having Lunt and Quinlan is a big blow but obviously Hull have there own big players missing too, should be a cracking atmosphere and im ready for the seasons start now. As for league finishes i think Hull will probably finish above us but not by much.

That's not an unfair summary. I rate Westerman highly and would include him in your "class" list, but he won't play in this one anyway.

I would be very surprised if Connor gets let off and whilst I hope I am wrong I am not expecting Kelly to play either. If I was to have a stab at the team I reckon it will be this:

Shaul
Faraimo
Griffin
Tuimavave
Dawson-Jones (don't rate him fwiw but I think that's how Radford will go)
Washbrook (I would go with Miloudi but again I think Radford will take the safe option)
Sneyd
Taylor
Houghton
Paea
Hadley
Minichiello
Manu

Matongo
Lane
Nzoungou
Fash

I would also find a place for Litten on the bench but think Radford will go for 4 (relatively) big men on the bench.

Edit: Keep forgetting about Jordan Thompson. He will probably be in instead of Levy or Fash.

Liam Harris will play before Washbrook surely?

No I don't think so. Washbrook isn't a match winner but he is dependable and Radford trusts him, and in an important game likely to be played in poor conditions I think he will go safe.

As I said my personal preference would be Miloudi, but that would be a bold move.

That's an embarrassing Hull side Washbrook at half back FFS and a shocking bench for a so called top club. The mismatch in quality at prop is equally shocking. Rovers by 24 points and onto an actual contest in round 2.

Can't quite decide if that's just straight up trolling or if you are a little bit delusional.

Here's hoping. Lots of doom and gloom west of the river going into this one. Can't see passed a rovers' victory, start the season off with a bang. Most looking forward to seeing how Dagger does hopefully he is rewarded and Sheens picks him. RRTR

What do you disagree with?
Washbrook in the halves an embarrassment?
A bench of 21, 21, 22, 23 year old against Masoe, Lannon etc?
Matongo, Taylor, Fash and Nzoungou vs
Garbutt, Mulhern, Masoe..

Delusional indeed mate if you think those are anywhere near equal...

Said a while back this is a dream set of opening four games. With Wire perhaps disrupted regards Brown we should be looking at a target of 8 points.

An embarrassment? Really? He's average and unspiring, I'll give you that, but he will do a job.

We have head and shoulders the best prop in the fixture in Taylor. You edge the rest of the head to heads, but it's all pretty much tit for tat. I like Garbutt, he's better than Paea, and Mulhern is a good young prop, but so is Matongo. Masoe has his moments but often goes missing. I fancy Nzoungou to be the surprise package of this year. Lannon is a nothing player, you must have just as good in the academy?

Anyway, we don't have long to wait to find out.

I'm not saying you won't win this game, there's every chance you will, but your prediction of 24 is either just bravado or you are massively over rating yourselves/underating Hull.

If you are really that confident then the bookies have you as sizeable outsiders. I'm sure you'll make a killing.

Mulhearn is one of the best props in the division, never mind just young and good. He’s light years ahead of Matongo.

[list=[/list
Completely, shows how things have been turned on their head since the end of the season and even since the fixtures came out. Seemingly everything has gone right for Rovers this off season whereas across the river they is a lot going wrong there.

This thread is starting to fill me with dread.



I’m hopeful about this fixture and the season ahead. However, I do wonder whether after relegation and having to drag ourselves back from that, we’re getting carried away just because we don’t have any glaring deficiencies in the squad for the first time in a while.

Not being cannon fodder doesn’t automatically mean we’re going to take a Great Leap Forward.

Hope Zook is right but looking at Mr Zucc's likely line up their pack is fairly intact. Don't think Its a huge drop in quality from Green/Bowden.Westerman has hardly played 2nd stint. The halves are yet to be confirmed and I expect 2 of the 3 big earners to play,possibly all 3 if Connor gets off? The bench is where we look much stronger. I've been pretty confident in build up so far and just hope we do the business

I doubt Washbrook will start in the halves, i get that Radford might not have faith in Miloudi yet but just cant see Washbrook starting there.
Its a similar scenario to Dagger for us, Sheens see's a lot in him but does he have the faith to give him a shot? Im not sure he will play againt Hull.
As for comparing packs, Hull have always had one of the stronger packs in SL but it doesnt look that way this season, losing Watts and Ellis has hit them hard, i dont think they'll really miss Green that much, but Westerman if fit is a big loss. Like the look of Matongo, big future ahead of him.
As for Rovers pack we need Garbutt to stay fit, he only played 9 games last season and some Leeds fans questioned his attitude too. For me Mose doesnt do enough, couple of big drives and he's hiding behind the play the ball IMO.
Weve got a good set of fixtures though as someone above stated and should hopefully get points on the board, 8 from 8 im not so sure

6 from 8 id snap your hand off. 4 from 8 would still be ok as long as 2 come in Friday.

I was thinking 6 from 8 myself, for me i think if we can start well on Friday we'll win it. Tough game away at Warrington though.

I rate him highly, but you are really stretching it calling him one of the best in the division, how many are on this list? He has the potential to be, but he is still developing. He is better than Matongo, but light years is really over exaggerating.

Mulhern is first forward down on team sheet as far as I see it. Amazing progress in relatively short period.
Matongo looks the part. Seems not to have pushed on as expected but still plenty of time. Light years? Maybe maybe not but Mulhern is turning into a leader and as stands is well ahead imo

Zooks predictions have been pretty disastrous in recent years who can forget him predicting us going through the qualifiers unbeaten with ease only to get relegated so although I’m hoping for a win and we will have a good chance I’m not that confident to come out with the sort of hammering Zook is predicting after all this just about the same Hull side that beat us with 12 men last year

One of the best in SL I think. Could even be the best on show but definitely not head and shoulders above everyone else. He did not even make the final England squad.