Re: Middle 8 Fixtures : Thu Aug 04, 2016 8:23 am  

craig hkr wrote:

Forget about how many away fans or fc tossers fishing ,this game is very loseable.come out 100mph and keep it up we win was going to say superleague intensity but after our erratic performances nowt is taken for granted.Hoping for a convincing win but expect a few nervy moment

You ok Craig?

Re: Middle 8 Fixtures : Thu Aug 04, 2016 10:19 am  

Yes thanks..last few seasons have brought out pessimistic side.other 7 teams certainly much stronger than last year's middle 8s. Not sure we are and am certainly taking nothing for granted

Re: Middle 8 Fixtures : Thu Aug 04, 2016 10:38 am  

craig hkr wrote:

Yes thanks..last few seasons have brought out pessimistic side.other 7 teams certainly much stronger than last year's middle 8s. Not sure we are and am certainly taking nothing for granted

The SL sides are stronger but I don't think the championship sides are Leigh play a different style to last season but they had played 3 SL sides last year in the cup this year they haven't had that intensity

Re: Middle 8 Fixtures : Thu Aug 04, 2016 10:49 am  

craig hkr wrote:

Yes thanks..last few seasons have brought out pessimistic side.other 7 teams certainly much stronger than last year's middle 8s. Not sure we are and am certainly taking nothing for granted

Possible evidence that the new structure is working as planned? Helped by the slight raising of the Championship salary cap this season (well, clubs allowed to spend a max of 50% of revenue, vs 40% in 2015, up to a max of £1.85m).

In 2017 the same will be done for Championship 1, which if Eric Perez the Toronto owner follows through on his assertions of big crowds & sponsorship deals, should see Toronto in the Championship & probably the Middle 8's for 2018 as one of only a handful of full-time teams.

There's also a strong Toulouse side in C1, which should get promoted this year.

Why does all this matter? The Championship & Middle 8's will get more competitive year-on-year, so perennial middle 8 fodder like Rovers will find it harder and harder to stay up, and harder to come up if/when you go down.

I think you'll be fine this year though.

Re: Middle 8 Fixtures : Thu Aug 04, 2016 5:38 pm  

Perennial = twice.

I never knew that, thankfully RLfans has once again educated me.

Re: Middle 8 Fixtures : Thu Aug 04, 2016 6:30 pm  

SirStan wrote:

Perennial = twice.

I never knew that, thankfully RLfans has once again educated me.

Every year they've been in existence is pretty perennial

Re: Middle 8 Fixtures : Thu Aug 04, 2016 7:05 pm  

fun time frankie wrote:

The SL sides are stronger but I don't think the championship sides are Leigh play a different style to last season but they had played 3 SL sides last year in the cup this year they haven't had that intensity

What you say is true. However, Leigh have assembled a much more experienced side this year and are playing a more structured, less naive style. So they may be able to match that intensity. Anyway, it will be interesting to find out. Unfortunately, the bottom four SL teams seem to be stronger this year, to me.

[Mild Rover]

Re: Middle 8 Fixtures : Thu Aug 04, 2016 8:06 pm  

Jake the Peg wrote:

Every year they've been in existence is pretty perennial

No it's not. Could be remedied with a qualifier about us looking like a perennial middle 8s club, if we're being generous.

However, it isn't the most glaring error in DGM's post. That comes in extrapolating more than 2 months into the future. The typically ephemeral nature of RL structures will likely rescue Rovers from the specific fate he anticipates.

Re: Middle 8 Fixtures : Thu Aug 04, 2016 8:14 pm  

Ghost of Piggys Mate wrote:

We are strange that way. We have a core support who travel well and certainly turn out for the bigger games! It was estimated that we took at least 600 to Swinton for our final Championship game

well your bringing better support than most super league teams bring to hull well done if you do, Kr are bricking it so you will give them a good run for there money for a while

Re: Middle 8 Fixtures : Fri Aug 05, 2016 8:41 am  

Ghost of Piggys Mate wrote:

Reckon Batley will bring about 500, but we make a lot of noise

Expect the stewards to stamp that out-no fun allowed at KR. They confiscated the drum and trumpet we brought- but we managed to smuggle in a cowbell ...... Which they also tried to confiscate.
Was funny watching them trying to catch who had it though - who needs Pokemon!