Hull Kingston Rovers - 2015 Season preview

Following on from my highly critical article after the embarrassing 28-0 Derby defeat http://www.seriousaboutrl.com/5/archives/08-2014/1.html at the end of last August, as we are on the cusp of a new Super League season, and on the back of comeback win in the pre-season trial at the KC Stadium last Sunday, now is a good time to evaluate the changes that Hull Kingston Rovers have made to their squad and backroom staff in an attempt to improve on a highly disappointing 2014 and ensure that, at the least, Hull KR finish in one of  the all important top 8 positions after 23 rounds this year.

Prior to the 2014 season, Chairman Neil Hudgell stated that Hull KR had their strongest squad in the Super League era and would look to build on an 8^th place finish in 2013.

12 months down the line and 13 new players have joined the club with a similar number leaving.

Three of last year’s major signing’s, Grand Final winning scrum half Kris Keating, former New South Wales prop Justin Poore and former Queensland forward and current Papua New Guinea international Neville Costigan have all left the club.

Poore was unfortunate that the injury he received on Easter Monday at Catalans Dragons, a broken kneecap, has ended his career. He never really got going at Rovers as two early season suspensions restricted his appearances prior to the Easter Weekend.

Keating never hit the heights that was expected of him, came nowhere taking over the mantle of skipper Michael Dobson and never settled in the UK. It was clear that new coach Chris Chester was not keen to keep him at the club and a deal was agreed to release him from his contract to allow him to return home to Australia and join St. George Illawarra.

Costigan is the most disappointing loss of the three. After a slow opening to his time at Hull KR, he put in a number of strong performances in the Rovers pack and was expected to be a major part of the forward pack in 2015.

His decision to remain in Australia and have the second year of his contract cancelled just prior to the start of pre-season training was disappointing and un-professional.

Even greater losses though are those of our joint captains from last season – Travis Burns and Josh Hodgson.

Josh Hodgson - NRL bound.

 Both were outstanding throughout their time at Hull KR with Hodgson making his full international debut in the Four Nations in November. You can’t blame him for wanting to make a name for himself in the NRL and Josh will give it all he has to make himself a success at Canberra Raiders.

 

Travis Burns

 

Burns ran the show for Rovers last year and excelled – his half back partnership with his former Penrith Panthers colleague Luke Walsh at St. Helens could determine whether they retain the Super League crown or not.

Other first team regulars to leave the KC Lightstream Stadium are Craig Hall, whose versatility and skill is a big loss in my eyes, he has joined Wakefield Trinity Wildcats with a view to playing regular Super League rugby, wingman Omari Caro and forward Jamie Langley did not have their contract’s renewed, full back Greg Eden has joined the Brisbane Broncos, Rhys Lovegrove has re-located to London and joined the Broncos of the capital in the Championship, whilst David Hodgson, Jason Netherton and Sean Gleeson have all retired.

Hodgson and Burns are big boots to fill – they were the dominant players in a struggling team in 2014 and with Keating also leaving it means that a brand new half back partnership will be steering the Robins ship around in 2015.

That new half back partnership looks likely to be Terry Campese, already appointed as club captain, and Albert Kelly.

Albert Kelly - exciting.

Both are high quality players but have had their injury problems in the last couple of seasons back in Australia and how well Rovers go will be dictated to by how much game time Campese and Kelly have.


I expect Campese, signed from Canberra Raiders where he had a difficult last couple of years, to be the general and direct the play with Kelly, signed from Gold Coast Titans and not yet 24 years of age,  being the more dynamic and off the cuff half back and I think he has the potential to be one of the most exciting half backs in the competition.

Terry Campese - new club captain.

One of the many things the Rovers backline lacked last year was speed – that shouldn’t be the case in 2015.

We have mentioned Kelly already, he has bags of speed and Rovers have raided the London Broncos for another young back in Kieran Dixon.


Dixon was out injured due to a badly damaged knee for a full 12 months up to the end of last season.

At the time of his injury in 2013 he was in the England Knights squad and was rated very highly – probably higher than Mason Caton-Brown who has since signed for Salford Red Devils and looks a likely England player of the future.

Kieran Dixon
 

In the first two pre-season friendly’s Dixon has started at full back and excelled, scoring an outstanding try in last week’s win at the KC Stadium  as well as kicking three conversions from the touchline.

Dixon will face competition for the full back berth from Ben Cockayne who was outstanding in that position last year until injury ruined his season. Cockayne has had close season surgery and will have a hell of a fight to regain his favoured position.

Although more under the radar than Campese and Kelly, I expect ex Parramatta flyer Ken Sio to be one of the signing’s of the year in the whole of Super League,

At 25 years of age, Sio is in the prime of his career and is the type of player that will set Super League alight – he scored 13 tries in just 12 NRL appearances for the Eels in 2014 and has a career record of 37 tries in 57 appearances.

On the opposite side of the field could line up Italian international Josh Mantellato.

Not a lot is known about Mantellato in the UK – he is best known for kicking the drop goal that secured Italy a historic 15-14 victory over England in the lead up to the 2013 World Cup.

He has little NRL experience, having made only 2 first grade appearances for the Newcastle Knights, yet he is a prolific points scorer in the reserve grade New South Wales Cup and has been named on the wing in the team of the year for the last 3 years.

It will be interesting to see if that form translates well to the Super League.

Darrell Goulding

Experienced Wigan centre Darrell Goulding was signed half way through last year and is now fully recovered from injury and will be a useful signing. He will certainly help to bring on the young local born centre Liam Salter who had such a good 2014 season.

Maurice Blair, a team mate of Kelly’s at the Gold Coast Titans, has also signed but I am not sure where he will fit in at the moment.

When he signed it was presumed that he would form a half back partnership with Kelly – but then Campese was recruited and you can guarantee now that Campese and Kelly will be the half back pairing for as long as they stay fit.

This means Blair will be a back up or will be moved to the centre where he has experience as well.

Centre is a hotly contested position – Goulding will definitely have one side tied up – and I would like to see young Salter handed the other centre position.

Throw in the experienced Kris Welham, who had a nightmare 2014 including being loaned out to dual registration club Gateshead Thunder on a couple of occasions, Graeame Horne, who is more of a back rower these days, Mantellato who can also play centre and the youngster Macauley Hallet, who made a try scoring debut at the end of 2014, and you can see it’s going to be tough for whoever is left out.

The pack actually looks stronger all round than last year but we will do well to cover the loss of Hodgson at hooker.

Keal Carlile will take over the hooking duties backed up by the unknown Frenchman John Boudebza who was signed from Lezignan.

Keal Carlile - big opportunity.

Carlile will let no-one down and makes few errors but he does need to up his game out of dummy half if we are to have anywhere near the same potency that we had with Hodgson – it was clear the club wanted to bring in a hooker but could not close deals for Matt Srama or Shaun Lunt so they have decided to give Carlile the chance he has been craving for a few years now to prove that he is up to the job of being a Super League first choice hooker – I hope he is.

Mick Weyman had a great first season in Super League scoring 7 tries and being a very popular player with the supporters who loved the effort and desire he showed every week.

The front row has been strengthened greatly by the arrival of Mitch Allgood from Parramatta and the surprise signing of Ryan Bailey from Leeds Rhinos.

No-one saw the Bailey signing coming as everyone assumed that he would stay at Leeds for life – but he has come to Rovers for a new challenge and more game time and I expect to see a more mature and disciplined Bailey line up alongside Weyman.

Youngsters Adam Walker and James Green will, hopefully, continue the improvement they have shown over the last 12 months.

If they do, we have a strong front row rotation and the back row also looks stronger.

Kevin Larroyer - outstanding in 2014.

French international Kevin Larroyer was outstanding last year and if he continues that fine form he will be a certain starter – add in the fact he is comfortable playing 80 minutes and he is a great option to have.

Graeme Horne had a solid 2014 and local youngsters Jordan Cox, who was courted by St. Helens before agreeing a contract extension, and Aaron Ollett both had impressive years.

Another young local, Sonny Esslemont also made his first team debut in 2014 and big things are expected of him.

The back row has been strengthened by the addition of James Donaldson from Bradford Bulls, the experienced former Warrington Wolves Challenge Cup Final winner Tyrone McCarthy who was signed from Northern Pride in Australia and Wigan back rower Greg Burke has joined on a 12 month loan deal.

There is certainly more strength in depth and the recruitment seems solid and, in places, inspired.

But the biggest signing could have come off the pitch.

Willie Poching - winning experience.

Willie Poching has joined as assistant coach and his experience in winning cultures at Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves over the last few years could prove the difference between a struggle to make the 8 or competing for a top six place.

Despite the poor end to last season under Chester, he does seem to have recruited well and there is a feel good factor floating around at the moment – especially after coming back from 22-6 down to beat Hull FC 28-22 at the KC stadium last Sunday.

That result will mean nothing unless the team aims up in Round 1 against Leeds Rhinos at the KC Lightstream Stadium – the exact repeat of last years round 1 fixture when a stadium record crowd of over 11,000 packed in and had high hopes for a successful year.

Drawing 6-6 at half time the optimism was still there – 40 minutes later and the Rhinos had scored 28 unanswered points and won the game easily – we cannot have that repeated if the team, and Chester, are to be taken seriously.

The number of second half collapses under Chester last year was frightening and that has to have been resolved if we are to be competitive this year.

Hopefully, if everyone stays fit I think we will make the 8 and challenge for 7^th or maybe 6th – no higher than 6^th – but I must admit I will be happy to avoid the middle 8 play offs and secure our Super League position for another year.

Having said that, we saw what happened at Castleford last season – who says this can’t be the year of the Robin – it’ll be about time.
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Albert Kelly in action - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI1Kl0XdkOU

Ken Sio in action - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54czfT_nWHs

Josh Mantellato in action - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A3LD-Uq14g