Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Sep 2008
- Posts
- 10,152
- Location
- Burscough
Happy New Year Rugby League fans and welcome aboard the new Rugby League thread for the coming year and season. Last year was a great season of rugby league culminating in a fantastic Grand Final. Lets hope this year will be even better.
Post the following:
1. Your team.
2. Your expecatations this season.
3. Your most anticipated new signings.
4. Who will win the league leaders shield?
5. Who will be the dark horses of the competition?
6. Any updates from your club, new ground etc?
7. Final league position of your club?
As usual I have compiled the following list of rugby league supporters on this forum and who they support for the first post, so feel free to speak up if there is anything wrong.
My answers:
1. Hull Kingston Rovers
2. I expect improvement from Rovers, as always. But this year I am hoping for us to start being competitive for 5th-6th place and in doing so this means taking it out of the hands of the likes of Catalan and Huddersfield. We have signed quite well this year, but there has been a big clear out too which means it will take some time for the team to gel and so realistically anything above 7th will be a bonus this year. Top 4 is a very hard thing to get right, we got it in 2009 but that was a blip year for many teams and it won't be so easy again.
Additionally, I no longer want us to get our arses handed to us so easily against the bigger teams. Many times last season we would concede early and then go on to have 40-50 points put on us. I don't mind us losing again to the likes of Saints or Wigan, but if we can decrease the margin of loss from the past few years then that will be very pleasing.
3. Shannon McDonnell coming in from the Knights at full back is an exciting prospect, he's fast and very attack minded which will hopefully bring something more to our game than Shaun Briscoe, no disrespect to Shaun, he did a fantastic job for us. My only slight doubt is defensively but I think we will cope better this season than last. Con Mika (Clint Newton replacement) signed by our new coach Craig Sandercock seems an exciting prospect, as does the signing of Mickey Paea who will probably add a bit of that nasty agression and power that we may have lacked in the forwards over recent years.
4. Wire - although they have lost a couple of folks like Matt King, they will be there or thereabouts but I am expecting another big year from the Wire.
5. Rovers! I think many bookies have already completely written us off for next season and have us placed at 9th, so I think if you are they kind of person who likes a bet, maybe the odds for Rovers are actually quite good.
6. The new stand has now got the go-ahead and the golf stand will be moved to the south shortly so that is extremely pleasing news.
7. Head says 7th, heart wants 5th.
Pre season games got underway for Rovers today with a defeat to Featherstone 20-12. The was side comprised mostly of the youngsters but they put up a great fight against the Championship winners today. I fully expect a few of the youngsters to pop up during the season with senior team appearances, Chris Heil, Jordan Cox and James Green being the most likely contenders.
Wigan next at home (couldn't have chosen a tougher pre-season game!), then FC then we are onto the first game of the season at Headingley so doubt we will get absolutely soaked in rain, I always do when we go there.
Exciting times ahead.
Please tell me if I have anything wrong about the list above!
Post the following:
1. Your team.
2. Your expecatations this season.
3. Your most anticipated new signings.
4. Who will win the league leaders shield?
5. Who will be the dark horses of the competition?
6. Any updates from your club, new ground etc?
7. Final league position of your club?
As usual I have compiled the following list of rugby league supporters on this forum and who they support for the first post, so feel free to speak up if there is anything wrong.
My answers:
1. Hull Kingston Rovers
2. I expect improvement from Rovers, as always. But this year I am hoping for us to start being competitive for 5th-6th place and in doing so this means taking it out of the hands of the likes of Catalan and Huddersfield. We have signed quite well this year, but there has been a big clear out too which means it will take some time for the team to gel and so realistically anything above 7th will be a bonus this year. Top 4 is a very hard thing to get right, we got it in 2009 but that was a blip year for many teams and it won't be so easy again.
Additionally, I no longer want us to get our arses handed to us so easily against the bigger teams. Many times last season we would concede early and then go on to have 40-50 points put on us. I don't mind us losing again to the likes of Saints or Wigan, but if we can decrease the margin of loss from the past few years then that will be very pleasing.
3. Shannon McDonnell coming in from the Knights at full back is an exciting prospect, he's fast and very attack minded which will hopefully bring something more to our game than Shaun Briscoe, no disrespect to Shaun, he did a fantastic job for us. My only slight doubt is defensively but I think we will cope better this season than last. Con Mika (Clint Newton replacement) signed by our new coach Craig Sandercock seems an exciting prospect, as does the signing of Mickey Paea who will probably add a bit of that nasty agression and power that we may have lacked in the forwards over recent years.
4. Wire - although they have lost a couple of folks like Matt King, they will be there or thereabouts but I am expecting another big year from the Wire.
5. Rovers! I think many bookies have already completely written us off for next season and have us placed at 9th, so I think if you are they kind of person who likes a bet, maybe the odds for Rovers are actually quite good.
6. The new stand has now got the go-ahead and the golf stand will be moved to the south shortly so that is extremely pleasing news.
7. Head says 7th, heart wants 5th.
Pre season games got underway for Rovers today with a defeat to Featherstone 20-12. The was side comprised mostly of the youngsters but they put up a great fight against the Championship winners today. I fully expect a few of the youngsters to pop up during the season with senior team appearances, Chris Heil, Jordan Cox and James Green being the most likely contenders.
Wigan next at home (couldn't have chosen a tougher pre-season game!), then FC then we are onto the first game of the season at Headingley so doubt we will get absolutely soaked in rain, I always do when we go there.
Exciting times ahead.
Please tell me if I have anything wrong about the list above!
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