Hull KR the dark horse for 2015? : Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:28 pm  

As a Catalans fan I am amazed at how well Hull KR have recruited for 2015.

The club will have a majority NRL back line with Albert Kelly, Terence Campese (assuming he is not wasted at hooker or loose forward), Maurice Blair and Kenneth Sio, and fringe NRL player Joshua Mantellato at full back. Plus they will have Kieran Dixon on one wing, to make up (with Kenneth Sio) the fastest pair of wingers in Super League. Moreover Mantellato is an ace goal kicker. I would rate the Hull KR backline somewhere between No 3 and No 5 in Super League (with Catalans and Leeds having the two best backlines).

Plus the club has a real quality NRL player in the forwards with Michael Weyman at prop. Their big deficit is at hooker, where they will rely on inexperienced players to perform (though they may play Campese there against his preference).

My only question is whether the Hull KR forward pack is going to be strong enough to dominate the middle of the field. If they can do that for the majority of their matches, they will win the majority of their matches and march easily into the top 8.

I am surprised that most fans on here don't recognise the club's strengths on the playing field. I don't see them winning silverware, but I do see them with a top 8 position and they could even go higher if their forwards perform.

Re: Hull KR the dark horse for 2015? : Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:58 pm  

I see no mention of British players, but then that isn't a problem, because any british player with sense and talent will go to a far better run club.

Re: Hull KR the dark horse for 2015? : Fri Dec 12, 2014 11:05 pm  

B*ll*cks to all those NRL players......they have their best signing in Ryan Bailey.

Re: Hull KR the dark horse for 2015? : Fri Dec 12, 2014 11:31 pm  

I'm not just saying this because I'm a Hull fan, but we are a mid table team, and yet there aren't many players you've mentioned there that I would have in our first 17 (probably just Sio as a centre and Kelly if he's injury free).

Making the 8 would be a good season for them, and secretly I reckon that is what they are targeting. Not a chance in hell that they will win it.

Re: Hull KR the dark horse for 2015? : Fri Dec 12, 2014 11:36 pm  

Catalans back line is not better than Wigans lol

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Re: Hull KR the dark horse for 2015? : Fri Dec 12, 2014 11:37 pm  

Mr. Zucchini Head wrote:

I'm not just saying this because I'm a Hull fan, but we are a mid table team, and yet there aren't many players you've mentioned there that I would have in our first 17 (probably just Sio as a centre and Kelly if he's injury free).

Making the 8 would be a good season for them, and secretly I reckon that is what they are targeting. Not a chance in hell that they will win it.

We know that Jean gets overexcited by NRL and French players to really take him seriously with his 'positivity' about HKR......for all their recruitment though for me it will come down to how well Chester does as coach in his first full season. Those players they've signed MIGHT be able to do good things, but if the coach isn't yet proven to be able to cut it at this level then question marks still remain at how effective they'll be.

Re: Hull KR the dark horse for 2015? : Fri Dec 12, 2014 11:41 pm  

ThePrinter wrote:

We know that Jean gets overexcited by NRL and French players to really take him seriously with his 'positivity' about HKR......for all their recruitment though for me it will come down to how well Chester does as coach in his first full season. Those players they've signed MIGHT be able to do good things, but if the coach isn't yet proven to be able to cut it at this level then question marks still remain at how effective they'll be.

I'd agree with that. We are in the same boat in that I think we have assembled a handy squad, but I have my doubts over Radford.

I just don't think those signing are particularly exciting, and they badly need to bring in a hooker.

Re: Hull KR the dark horse for 2015? : Sat Dec 13, 2014 8:26 am  

Jean certainly has an obsession with NRL players who ply their trade in S.L, you would think he was Australian!

Re: Hull KR the dark horse for 2015? : Sat Dec 13, 2014 9:19 am  

Lets get real I hope we can get into the top 8, but to say we are dark horse for 2015 can I have some of what you drink please and I am a life long fan but I hope you are right

Re: Hull KR the dark horse for 2015? : Sat Dec 13, 2014 9:36 am  

cravenpark1 wrote:

Lets get real I hope we can get into the top 8, but to say we are dark horse for 2015 can I have some of what you drink please and I am a life long fan but I hope you are right

You dont drink what ' Jean ' is on