WATCH: Hull KR boss Tim Sheens on breaking unwanted record
Having beaten Huddersfield Giants a week ago, they will look to remedy that ill by defeating Salford Red Devils when they arrive at Craven Park on Sunday.
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Hide AdThere is a genuine need to start amassing wins if they are to have any hope of pulling clear of the bottom-four or, more likely, gain the confidence required to attack the Qualifiers.
“I’m told the last time we got two Super League wins together was some time in 2015,” said Sheens, with those victories coming against Warrington and, ironically, Salford in June of that year.
“I told that to the boys today and they didn’t realise it, particular new guys to the club like Joel (Tomkins) and Danny (McGuire) who are so used to winning.
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Hide Ad“It is a real ‘wow’ (statistic) and I didn’t realise it either.
“Last year we were winning regular but that wasn’t Super League and I hadn’t really had a record of the club’s previous records other than against Hull.
“In 2016 they actually got back-to-back points which was a draw and a win but not two wins.”
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Hide AdThey will replace Salford in 10th spot if they do prosper but Sheens is not getting carried away, despite so many positives shown against Huddersfield.
“The last two times Salford have played us they’ve beaten us so that’s all how I look at it,” said the Australian, who left his role as City Reds director of football at the end of 2016 to move to the relegated Robins.
“They beat us at the start of the season and in the Challenge Cup last year.
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Hide Ad“I know (Josh) Jones will play and (Craig) Kopczak which strengthens them but there’s stories that Kris Welham has broken his hand and the full-back (Niall Evalds) is in trouble too
“But, knowing them as I do, we won’t know until an hour and a half before kick-off who’s playing and we’ll just adjust accordingly if we have to like we always do.”
Sheens was pleased to see another two of his in-form players commit their futures to the club this week, Australian full-back Adam Quinlan signing until the end of 2020 following on from centre Junior Vaivai’s lead.
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Hide Ad“It’s been in progress for some time and people have been jumping up and down about it,” said Sheens.
“But they are important signings and it’s a critical time of the season; there’s a lot going on, in the club’s life as well as theirs’, but both boys wanted to stay and big Mose (Masoe) was the same.
“It was just a matter of getting the right deal done and their managers are overseas boys as well not local managers so there was a bit to it.
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Hide Ad“But in the meantime they have kept their head down which has helped both them and us.”
With just four regular rounds remaining, Rovers are four points adrift of the top eight and, in all reality, looking to gain form for the Qualifiers.
Sheens insisted: “The pressure’s not eased.
“It’s a matter of continually taking it stride by stride and being as healthy as we can be and ready to play.
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Hide Ad“We’re chewing the pressure at the moment. It’s going to happen from now until the end of the season. If you think about it all the games are going to be pressurised.
“And it’s not in our hands either. We could win all these games until the break-up and still not make the eight.
“But I have some senior guys in the team who have played some big-time football and they understand about what needs to be done. And how we play now influences how we’re going to play later.”
Back-row Chris Clarkson needs a check before being passed fit for the game while Lee Jewitt hopes to return after missing the Huddersfield win due to a back spasm.