Hull KR's fans give them a boost in Super League promotion bid
Wednesday 1 March 2017 15:35, UK
Phil Clarke believes Hull KR's fans give them the edge to gain promotion back into Super League in 2018....
It's 30 weeks this Saturday until the Million Pound Game which promotes the winners into the Betfred Super League for 2018, and yesterday I saw one of the teams that I believe will be in that game - assuming they don't do what Leigh did last season and gain automatic promotion.
I went to Hull KR to pay my respect at a memorial service for Colin Hutton. For those of you who didn't know him, he is the only man to have attended the Challenge Cup Final as a player, coach, chairman, club president and chairman of the RFL. That's not impressive, it's absolutely amazing.
Colin was one of the very few who maintained his passion for the game throughout his life. It was a brilliant service, held in the Colin Hutton stand, with tributes from Neil Hudgell, Lord Prescott and Johnny Whiteley, who all spoke about the warmth and kindness of a man who has given so much to rugby league.
I felt a little bit like a ball boy, surrounded by so many greats of the game. The sport today may be faster and more skillful than it ever has been, but it isn't as aggressive.
You had to really hurt someone to get a red card in those days and you could clearly tell that by the noses of so many of the old players. Just looking at these players from years gone by you could see how much pain and punishment they'd received, but they still have unbelievable respect for one another.
There were also a large number of supporters from Hull KR in attendance, plus the whole first team squad and staff. Two days earlier they'd beaten Oldham 48-0 in front of a crowd of 7,268. They also had over 9,000 when they played Bradford. They've played four and won four and will face some tough competition, but are almost certain to qualify for the Middle 8s.
Live Betfred Super League
They have begun the longest pre-season ever in the Championship, building up to the seven-game tournament that starts in August. What convinced me that they'll have at least a 50/50 chance of promotion was the commitment of their fans.
Their season ticket holders were given the option of paying the same price as they had when the club were in Super League, or paying a 25% discount because they'd been relegated. I'm told that over 90% choose to support the club and paid the full price, wanting to play their part in pushing the club back up to where they think that it belongs.
I'm certain that Colin Hutton would be smiling in the knowledge that the club that he coached for over 500 games, and was the chairman and president of until recently, is rebuilding itself to become a force once again.
I imagine that throughout the course of the next five months they will sign one or two more players to make their squad an even stronger force. I can't wait to see them in August.
Finally, I'm asked to select five tries each week that I think were the best from that round, and last week was the hardest selection so far. I narrowed my list down to 11 and then spent all night deliberating on which five to choose.
Although they didn't make it I would like to say that both Oliver Gildart and Jermaine McGillvary's match-winning tries were not just spectacular, but also significant as they weren't just worth four points on the scoreboard, but two points on the league table. Let's hope I have the same dilemma this Sunday.
