First try wins, losing fans, and no excuses
KR’S DISMAL DEFEAT AT WAKEFIELD
Hull KR are on the verge of their first-ever Super League wooden spoon after suffering a humiliating 48-18 defeat to Wakefield Trinity. Rovers were outplayed in every department by Chris Chester’s team as their season hit a new low.
Here we take a look at the major talking points.
First try wins
KR’S record since taking St Helens to golden point is remarkable, conceding an aggregate of 150 points before getting on the board in their past six defeats.
Teams know if they start hard and fast Rovers will struggle to live with them and will invariably fold if they concede first. The Robins only start to play when they are well behind on the scoreboard and that is as frustrating as it gets as a supporter.
No excuses
Rovers have faced disruption going into recent games but had a relatively smooth build-up to Sunday’s fixture.
They can point to their list of absentees and Wakefield being the latest team to have home advantage against them but the simple truth is they were nowhere near good enough to live with Super League’s bottom side at the time.
KR now prop up the table heading into the final four games and can have no complaints on the evidence of the season as a whole.
What’s the plan?
It is difficult to keep up with the changes from game to game, with players on their way out of the club brought in for the odd match and others wondering where they are playing half the time.
There has been bullish talk about ending the season on a high but fans could be forgiven for thinking Rovers are just winding down the clock.
While squad management is difficult at a time like this, supporters are not getting any results in the short term and if anything are feeling more pessimistic about the future.
Losing the fans
Apathy has turned into anger in recent weeks and it is clear supporters have finally run out of patience.
This season may have been a write-off for the team on the field but the vast majority of members have left their money in the club during an unprecedented recession and are seeing no return on their investment. Increasing numbers are stating they will not renew for next year and that has to be hugely concerning for the club.
Shot at redemption
One way to get the supporters back onside would be to win the Hull derby against all odds.
Everything is stacked in Hull FC’S favour and it would be a big surprise if Andy Last’s well-rested side didn’t rack up a big score on Thursday night.
But with flak coming at Rovers from all directions, it may just be the perfect game to galvanise a struggling squad.