Hull Kingston Rovers begin their preparations ahead of the 2022 campaign with a pre-season friendly against Dewsbury Rams

Hull Kingston Rovers get underway for the new year with the Robins face Lee Greenwood’s Dewsbury Rams in a pre-season friendly.

113 days on since that semi-final defeat in the South of France, the East Hull outfit look to carry on where they left off in 2021 which saw the reds go above and beyond expectations last year, setting the foundations in which hopefully will be a successful period for the side.

With the news earlier in the week that saw local company Sewell Group take over the stadium naming rights, aspirations are high both on and off the field heading into Friday’s friendly clash.

Star signing Lachlan Coote, Matt Parcell, Elliot Minchella, Dean Hadley and Ben Crooks will all miss the Dewsbury game as they finish their recuperation periods which saw all five of them require surgery.

For Ethan Ryan, George King and Will Dagger, the match also comes too soon with former Featherstone back-rower Frankie Halton having to wait to make his KR bow as Head Coach Tony Smith, unfortunately, reported earlier in the week that the Irish international has torn his pectoral which could see him be missing for up to four weeks.

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Pre-season friendlies are all about blowing off the winter cobwebs, trying out new partnerships and patterns of play and giving some game time to younger members of the squad, and for Hull KR, this clash will be no different.

This year’s pre-season has seen Tony Smith include an abundance of youth within the first-team environment. Youngsters Bailey Dawson, Tom Wilkinson and Adam Rusling have all been included in Smith’s first squad of 2022 with first-team members Connor Moore, Daniel Okoro and Max Kirkbright also named in the travelling party.

Hull KR Head Coach Tony Smith has stated that he will only use the six youngsters if needs be.

“I can’t see some of our forwards making 40 minutes straight up in the first match so we’ll make some replacements before half-time and there will be a few changes at half-time. Then I’ll just play it by ear after that. The six young guys going over are just there in case we need them. If I need to get a senior player off that I think has done enough on the evening fitness-wise, I’ll take them off so they don’t injure themselves”

The clash will also be a chance for Brad Takairangi to let his rugby do the talking as the Cook Islands star is free to play whilst his ongoing investigation has stolen the limelight in the past few weeks. After being taken into jail on New Year’s Day, Takairangi is the subject of claims made by Humberside Police but will be eligible to play as the logistics of the case are still ongoing.

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The tie will also be a chance for the travelling red army to see some of their new boys in action with new recruits Sam Wood, Greg Richards, Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e and former Dewsbury star man Tom Garrett all set to appear in the red and white or yellow and blue of Hull Kingston Rovers for the first time.

The day will be extra special for Garrett as he comes up against his former employees since making the switch to the Super League.

As for Dewsbury Rams, who have already started their pre-season matches, they were defeated 42-12 last time out by Huddersfield Giants, a team Hull KR will play next weekend at Sewell Group Craven Park.

The Rams and the Robins have a partnership that will see Dewsbury players featuring for Danny McGuire’s reserve team in 2022 and give Tony Smith a chance to send any first-team fringe players to the Rams in the Betfred Championship throughout the year.

Dewsbury finished 10th in 2021 and have Super League experience throughout the side. Veteran Paul Sykes and hard-hitting forwards Chris Annakin and Ross Peltier will be the key trio in 2022 for the heavy woollen side with prolific winger Andy Gabriel providing the main threat out wide.

Former Rovers man Owen Harrison missed out against Huddersfield last week, but if picked by Greenwood, will be aiming to put down a marker and make a statement against the team that deemed him surplus to requirements.

For Hull KR, if the team come away from the game with no injuries and a solid 80-minute performance, Smith, the fans and players will be able to leave the Tetley’s Stadium happy. Nothing is won in pre-season, but if the Rovers can lay the foundations early, you would expect a comfortable victory for the East Yorkshire team.

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