: Sun Mar 29, 2009 6:37 pm
Okay, here's how I see it...
We don’t possess individuals like Gidley, Burrow, Webb, Pryce etc. that will scare teams whenever they touch the ball. The big threat to Hull is Rovers style of play.
Hulls approach is a physical one – the “Bulls” model. Big centres, back rowers in Tickle & Radford that could easily be playing prop & 4 forwards on the bench. They try to out muscle teams. This is exactly what Sharp was trying to do at Huddersfield – Wild & Lolesi in the centres, Snitch playing 2nd row, Crabtree at loose forward. He even bulked Kevin Brown up to nearly 100kg to play stand-off!
Rovers approach is now about speed – the “Saints” model. Back rowers moved up to prop (Newton, Netherton, Lovegrove), centres in to the 2nd row (Walker, Webster) & our fastest player in Fitzhenry moved to hooker. Cockayne spends most of his time in the forwards & even Galea & Murrell are just bulked up stand-offs.
A clash of styles…Hull vulnerable to quick sides, Rovers run the risk of being out-muscled.
For my money, heavy conditions / Rovers make plenty of handling errors / referee that allows a slow play the ball = probable Hull win.
Hot dry conditions / Rovers don’t make too many handling errors / referee that wants a quick play the ball = probable Rovers win.
