Joined: Jul 15 2005 Posts: 29816 Location: West Yorkshire
Mild Rover wrote:Covering 6 and 7 is always tough, but Withers replacing Fisher gives us a wee bit more flexibility.
1-5 I kind of agree with you, which is why I think Senior is worth considering. Latus is competent and still young and Horne can do a job at centre. If Sherriff recovers from his injury and continues to develop, we'd be no different to most clubs - your cover is Lyne, Turner and Whiting, iirc. Salter seems to be highly rated, going by the club's press. His realistic ambition is just to make his debut this year though. It is an area we could do with some luck, either avoiding injuries or 1 or 2 kids really kicking on.
Fair enough. Your cover in the backs (1-5), excluding rookies is therefore: Latus G Horne
Ours is: Turner Whiting Lyne
Not much in it really, as both Horne and Whiting have said they want to play back row IIRC. So we have 2, you have one. Neither is that great a place to be IMO. We do at least have genuine HB cover, albeit unproven at this level, but championship POTY at least. Withers will be your starting hooker I'd imagine, but you do then have 3 hookers vs our 2. I think rotating hookers may be seen less with fewer interchanges.
The forwards is an interesting one with reducing interchanges. Rovers have tonnes of options here, but some may have to play 80 minutes to optimise the collective performance of the competition's most destructive pack. Clinton, Mika, Paea all players that need spelling, of course, and with Galea turning 34 next season, he will probably too. Does O'Hara do the full 80 perhaps. FC are in a worse position unfortunately. I'm happy with our starting pack, and bench, and think we should be able to accommodate Moa's short spells through Andy Lynch's stamina (assuming he stays fit). After that it's a bit ropey though. We can both list player after player who's "getting great raps" in training and being tipped for making a breakthrough, but most of these don't seem to make it, sadly.
I think you're being looked over by fans of the other clubs (and the bookies) because you're a bit of an unknown entity for the new year. Morgan did a lot for you guys with not a lot to work with at times and got you playing to your potential a lot of the time. If the Sandercock doesn't live up to Morgan's standards then you could have a really poor season. If he does, with the squad you've got compared to last year, most people can't see much, if any, significant difference to last year's mid-table finish.
It's a bit opposite at Hull with our new coach, as Agar was that bad that surely anyone must be an improvement!
Joined: Jun 01 2007 Posts: 12672 Location: Leicestershire.
Wellsy13 wrote:It's a bit opposite at Hull with our new coach, as Agar was that bad that surely anyone must be an improvement!
Tbf, I think that is a Hull FC perspective rather than one that is very widely held. I haven't seen much evidence that fans of other clubs rate your chances highly for next year. I think there is a belief that the new regime might help your club fulfil more of its potential in the medium- to long-term, but I don't think many expect too much from the current team. And, while I don't think many regard Agar as brilliant, they also won't see mid-table as quite the appalling failure Hull fans did, in the last 2 years. His uselessness has been exaggerated, IMO. Which isn't the same as saying he was good, btw.
I think SL will be a bit tighter next year than it was this, but for now, realistically, both KuH clubs are seen as pretenders, rather than contenders - at best. Only success sustained over 2 or 3 years will change that.
Predicting the predictions - I reckon RLW will have you down as 6th and us as 8th. We've done better than they expected every year in SL, iirc. Maybe not 2010, I shall check.
edit - Just checked the odds for next year and the above is about right. Hull 6th favourites at between 16- and 25-1, Rovers 8th at 33- to 40-1 on oddschecker.
'Thus I am tormented by my curiosity and humbled by my ignorance.' from History of an Old Bramin, The New York Mirror (A Weekly Journal Devoted to Literature and the Fine Arts), February 16th 1833.
Joined: Jun 12 2003 Posts: 4022 Location: Kingston Upon Hull (East)
Lovegrove has also been training in the centres which I guess is going to mean he will become our back up centre or wide running second rower. After his debut season in 07 he has proved he can be devastating running at centres and full backs while Sandercock has already pointed out his defence is being worked on.
Like I say too, if we were to get both our wingers injured at the same time people like Webster and Latus can cover there while Horne and Lovegrove could go in to the centres. Both those players could probably play in the centres all season and we'd be very difficult to attack out wide due to the size of both those players. And if our full back gets injured we have Hall and Sheriff to go in there who can both do more than just a job.
I honestly do not see a problem with the cover among the backs. If it were an issue I'm sure we'd have done more to offload a prop and brought in cover, someone to replace Cockayne.
Injuries should not be an issue for us next year. The quality of player may not be up there with Warrington and the like but just going on what I have heard the team seem to have bonded better than any of the previous SL seasons which could give us that edge we haven't had before. There does seem to be a feel good factor around the place and this fresh start is just what we needed.
I'm sure most clubs feel optimistic, all signing some decent players who should better what they already had. Think Wakey have a new starting 13 which will be hard to gel in just one off season but that is like having two newly promoted sides that are unknowns. Add to that the amount of signings we have made I have to agree it must be difficult for bookies to put their finger on where we will finish.
Sorry for butting in - must admit to being suprised at how other fans seem to be writing you off this season before it starts, potentialy i think you have a lot to look forward to (slightly weak in the backs like us, and the signing of Senior could be a bonus to both of us - though most Cas fans would disagree on Senior !
After taking interest in other fans 2012 predictions i feel the fans of some clubs being 'slightly optimistic' to be an 'understatement', in particular that of the Bulls and the Wildcats who are now dead cert's for the play offs (i do believe Widnes/Wildcats fans and teams optimism may see them through the first part of the season for differing reasons but also think the season will take its toll).
I think in the main the Cas faithfull have accepted this year will be at best 8th and down to 11th not a suprise with a poor start down to players still unavailabe whilst recovering from last years injuries and off season surgery.
Injuries to key players at all clubs will have a massive bearing along with the progress of up coming youngsters - some thing we have certainly put a lot of emphasis on.
Hard to predict finishing positions but groups generaly more likely ;
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