: Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:12 pm  

cab man wrote:

Rovers will finish in the top four. Probably fourth but maybe pip Hull for third. Also challenge cup up for grabs. Discount rovers at your peril. You heard it first from the cab man.

AKA Martin Offiah

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:38 am  

chukabutt wrote:

Two words

Salary and Cap

Bradford, Saints, Hull, Leeds or who ever you wish to name can make £1000,000,000 if they want (and good luck to them) yet they still CANNOT spend more than any other club FACT!! DUe to CAP restrictions.
Lets face it FC and KR after recent results WILL be up there challenging both got results at Bradford (FC's Better i admit) Rovers won at knowesely Road (believe FC were last team to do that before then) and the so called big four all have to play each other yet.
Dont forget KR have already played Leeds, Saints and the Bulls whom all need to play each other yet. Whilst FC still have to play Leeds and Saints after smashing the Bulls.
Which Wigan side will turn up next week is anybodys guess.

Write both Hull teams off at your peril as this could be a great year for both.

The salary cap has nothing to do with why Wigan and Bradford have become crap. The salary cap can be used as an example of why other teams maybe catching up but not for teams getting worse. Bradford were spending upto the cap when the likes of Lowes, Withers, Vainikolo, Viakona etc where there, and I would think they are spending upto the cap now the likes of Platt, Jeffries, Nero and Sherriffe are there. Same with Wigan when they had the likes of Farrell and Radlinski, and now have the likes of Mathers and Bailey. These clubs haven't exactly lost top players to other SL clubs because of the cap. It's just whoever the coahces have been have been totally crap at signing new players.
Talking of the club I support though. I can't see us finishing ahead of Saints and Leeds after 27 rounds. But despite how negative I was of the team before the season, I think 3rd is a real possibility. Clubs like Bradford, Wire, Catalans and Wigan I thought would make up the top 6 but catching up 9 points, 10, 6 and 8 points (well, maybe not 6 points) is hard to catch up at any time of the season and I don't see the clubs who have started badly really hitting unbeatable form, and I don't see our form becoming so bad that we fall out of the top 6. After this start, I will be dissapointed if we don't get into the top 4 but I certainly don't expect it yet

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:39 am  

The Key wrote:

The salary cap has nothing to do with why Wigan and Bradford have become crap. The salary cap can be used as an example of why other teams maybe catching up but not for teams getting worse. Bradford were spending upto the cap when the likes of Lowes, Withers, Vainikolo, Viakona etc where there, and I would think they are spending upto the cap now the likes of Platt, Jeffries, Nero and Sherriffe are there. Same with Wigan when they had the likes of Farrell and Radlinski, and now have the likes of Mathers and Bailey. These clubs haven't exactly lost top players to other SL clubs because of the cap. It's just whoever the coahces have been have been totally crap at signing new players

Nope, we have cap space. Hence the proposed greg bird deal

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:42 am  

Paul124897 wrote:

Nope, we have cap space. Hence the proposed greg bird deal

Even Greg Bird wouldn't have made much difference to how poor you are at the moment

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:44 am  

The Key wrote:

Even Greg Bird wouldn't have made much difference to how poor you are at the moment

Put him at 6 I bet he would

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:01 am  

Meefy wrote:

So let me get this right, Rovers are helping to break the stranglehold of the traditional top four teams, in 5th place. ?????

The old big four has now gone and has done for a while, Leeds and Saints remain but Bradford and Wigan have slipped away and not been as consistent.

As far as my team Hull go, we have had some excellent league placing in recet years (last year aside) and also challenged in 3 major finals. Along with a top stadium and the third highest crowd average we are certainy candidates for being one of the top sides. However a lot depends on where we finish, we need a big season after last season's debacle.

I don't think there will be a big four again tbh, look at this season, Rovers, Wakey, Quins all challenging for top 6 places and Bulls, Wigan and Wire all struggling.

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:03 am  

Dico wrote:

Put him at 6 I bet he would

The Catalans are better than Bradford and he has lost both the games he has played in so far

[Kosh]

Re: The Big Four are no more!! : Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:42 am  

vastman wrote:

This is why you remain below Wakey? Cabby I like your style and I hope it happens to one of us but it's utter b*llocks for now. Hull FC have consistently been up there in recent years (last year aside) you have not, they probably are in the top 4 at the moment but despite what there fans think they are far from certainties.

TBF although there is a fair amount of (understandable) excitement at our start to the season, most Hull fans are taking nothing for granted - especially after last year.

Re: The Big Four are no more!! : Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:57 pm  

Jake the Peg wrote:

:lol:

Wow that's hilarious I put two instead of three, no really

: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:07 pm  

anybody got a table from this time last year? the year before?

id there that much of a difference?