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| (Rowan Milnes and Elliot Minchella are back for pre-season) |
Hull Kingston Rovers have announced two pre-season friendly’s leading up to their 2022 Super League campaign.
The 2021 semi-finalists have announced they will take on championship outfit Dewsbury Rams and Super League rivals Huddersfield giants in preparation for the new season.
First up for Tony Smith’s men is a trip is a 64 mile trip down the M62 to take on Dewsbury at the Tetley’s Stadium in West Yorkshire, a game which could see new robin, Tom Garratt line up against his old side in his first game representing the red and white of Hull KR. A cold, January Friday night under the lights is instore for the travelling East Hull outfit which may be an opportunity for Smith, his coaching staff and the fans who make the trip over to see their young guns and new signings in action. Along with Garrett, new boys Frankie Halton, Greg Richards and Sam Wood will be expected to play big minutes to impress their new employers against a team who struggled in 2021, finishing 10th in the Betfred Championship with a 0.405% win percentage. The tie will also be a chance for Elliot Minchella to play his first game since April 2021 after suffering a cruel ACL injury away to the champions St Helens. Minchella was tipped for international honors’ after a stellar covid hit, lackluster 2020 campaign for the robins. The beauty of this tie is Elliot can return to the pitch without any fuss or hype, a pre-season friendly against a lower opposition is a perfect way to introduce yourself back into the fold, his rehab and dedication shows what the vice-captain is all about and the reds will hope to see the loose-forward plenty of times next season to make up for lost time. Expect Rovers to predominantly use fringe players and those expected to feature in the reserve system in 2022, alongside regular first teamers including Will Maher, Jimmy Keinhorst and Will Dagger.
Former Robin Owen Harrison will look to make an impact in this trial match after becoming surplus to requirements at Hull College Craven Park which saw him released after three seasons in the first team set up. Promising full-back Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e and rovers youngsters Connor Moore, Max Kirkbright and Daniel Okoro will also be raring to battle with the rams alongside current first teamers Will Tate, Tom Whur and Charlie Cavanaugh, and with the likely absence of Matt Parcell for pre-season, hooker Cavanaugh has a great chance to work with fellow hull born dummy-half Jez Litten and prove he is ready to make the step up to the first team side. The last time the two teams met was back in 2017 when Rovers recorded two thumping victory’s over the rams, which saw the reds beat Dewsbury 10-48 and 64-11 in the championship campaign that year.
A week later will see Rovers return to Craven Park to face Ian Watson’s Huddersfield side in their second and final pre-season clash which may see Fartown new boys Chris Hill , Tui Lolohea, Theo Fages and Nathan Mason representing the Claret and Gold for the first time. Both teams will be expected to name their strongest available squads with the test being the final chance to blow off the winter cobwebs before the regular season starts in February. Hull KR have started pre-season with key players Lachlan Coote, Matt Parcell, Matty Storton, Ben Crooks, Dean Hadley and most recently Ethan Ryan join the “rehab club” after all going under the knife in the post-season.
Smith revealed to the Hull Daily Mail ““They’re all on track pretty much”
Smith is hopeful all 6 will be ready for round one but admits the majority of the group will miss both pre-season clashes. Coote, Storton and Ryan are the most likely to feature against the Giants. Additionally, the game will see exciting England Knights’ half-back partners, Will Pryce and Mikey Lewis against each other as they both build on their respective breakout years which saw the pair line up for the Knights in the 56-4 victory over the Reggae Warriors in Castleford. New recruit Sam Wood swapped Huddersfield for East Hull in the off-season and the outside-back will be keen to face off against his former side and cemente a place on the robins right-hand side with combinations that will be put together in a game situation for the first time which should see the likes of SKD, Ryan Hall, Kane Linnett and England international Jordan Abdull back in the fold for KR. Both games will give a good indication of the squad depth and recruitment of the reds and both Dewsbury and Huddersfield will provide two stern tests in preparation of a important 2022 for Rovers.
Pre-season is pre-season, as long as Rovers come out the otherside with no injury’s and a platform to build on, then Smith and the East Hull faithful will be happy and with a ten day warm weather camp planned in December, Rovers will be chomping at the bit to get back on the field and kick on after defying the odds in 2021 with the aim to go one better this time around.
Joe Appleyard
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