Donaldson expects good things from KR’s new boys

James Donaldson belives that Hull KR‘s new signings have slotted into their new club with few issues.

Players such as Iain Thornley, Rob Mulhern and Ryan Shaw have joined the Robins in the close season, and Donaldson is expecting them to do well.

“They’ve fitted in really easily,” he told Love Rugby League.

“From the day that they’ve come into the club, they’ve felt comfortable.

“They just need to carry on getting used to our structures.

“Every team has their own way of playing and what they want each other to do, and those things have gelled a little bit in the preseason friendlies, despite the results.

“I think they’ll continue to strenghten throughout the year.”

Rovers underwent some unusual tests in pre-season, with the players being split into autonomous groups, who were then set social and community challenges in a variety of locations across the country.

Donaldson felt that the challenges were valuable in preparing players for the psychological tests ahead in the season.

“We got a budget and we got a map, and we had to find these locations,” he explained.

“My first one was going down to Gloucester. We worked on gardening at a hospice, as volunteer work.

“We started off there, then we had to direct ourselves to a gym somewhere else, we had to find accommodation as cheaply as possible, there were different things.

“The thing was that you didn’t know what was going to come next, you were never sure.

“It put us out of our comfort zone, and to not know what’s coming next.

“In some ways that replicates the season. You don’t know what’s around the corner, you might get thrown off track, and need to get back on it, and keep moving forward.”