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Hull KR's recruitment drive not coloured by their rivals
WHAT'S black and white and red all over? If some people in East Yorkshire are to be believed, the answer to that hoary old chestnut is not the journal you are currently holding, but Hull Kingston Rovers.
Word has it that the Robins are living proof that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery for the way in which they have raided the ranks at their cross-city rivals, Hull to enhance their status as a Super League club.
The capture of Paul Cooke in the middle of last season saw relations between Hull and Rovers plunge to an all-time low and with the stand-off having been joined in recent months by his former team-mate Shaun Briscoe as well as three backroom staff with strong Hull connections, the cross pollination of talent has continued apace.
Hull KR's chairman Neil Hudgell makes no apologies for the recruitment raids, but is dismissive of suggestions that he is intent on building the club in the image of the black and whites.
"I've heard people say that we're obsessed with 'stealing' personnel from Hull, but that's just not the case," said Hudgell, a lifelong Rovers fan who deserved much of the credit for restoring the East Hull club to their rightful place among the game's elite after almost a decade and a half in the wilderness.
"We signed one player from Hull last year and have signed just one more for this season. Paul Cooke was instrumental in keeping us in Super League and I have no regrets about bringing him to Craven Park while Shaun Briscoe was identified by our coach as someone who complemented the other players in our squad.
"Everyone knows how strong rugby league is in this city and our goal is to have a side built around a core of Hull-born players. That's why we've brought in people like (conditioner) Billy Mallinson and (community development manager) Martin Dunn from Hull.
"Our new assistant coach Lee Crooks also has a key role to play in our youth development because of the expertise he brings from his work with the Rugby Football League. Yes, he is a former Hull player, allbeit one who wore the black and white a long time ago, and yes, Martin and Billy came to us from Hull, but they were all recruited on merit and not because of their connections across the river."
Hull KR's achievement in defying massive odds to secure Super League status at the end of their debut season has seen one of the game's sleeping giants show increasing signs of stirring.
They sold 3,700 season tickets in 2007 – 300 more than their average attendance the previous season – and have already passed 5,500 for this year, a season which begins with trips to grand finalists Leeds and St Helens.
"We averaged 7,160 last season and I reckon we could top 9,000 this year," said Hudgell, who is working closely with developers, the local authority and fellow director John Prescott, the MP for East Hull, to expand Craven Park's capacity by extending the East Stand and building a new, 2,500-seater covered North Stand.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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