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Rhys Lovegrove: I'll always cherish happy memories at Hull KR
WITH his bags packed and cardboard boxes stacking up inside his Kingswood home, Rhys Lovegrove's seven-year love affair with Hull KR is drawing to a conclusion.
An impending move to London Broncos will bring to an end a link-up which first began in the summer of 2007.
Since then, the Aussie has become an integral part of the east Hull club and he admits being away from Rovers will feel strange.
Having arrived as a fresh-faced 20-year-old who was keen to make a name for himself in the game, he will head south as a player with bags of experience in his locker.
And Lovegrove is hoping to draw on that to play a pivotal role in the Broncos' rebirth next season, when they will aim to win promotion back to Super League at the first attempt.
In many ways, he is heading into a similar situation to the one he first found at Rovers. Back then, senior players like Mick Vella, Clint Newton and Ben Galea were vital to getting the Robins re-established as a top-flight side.
And after signing a two-year deal with the Broncos, Lovegrove hopes what he has seen and experienced at Rovers will stand him in good stead during his capital stay.
"I'm sad and excited about leaving, but it's a new chapter for me in my life," the 27-year-old told the Mail.
"I've been at Rovers a long while, but it's the right time to go.
"I'm approaching the move how I imagine Clint Newton, Ben Galea and Mick Vella will have when they joined Rovers.
"Justin Morgan signed them to create a certain culture he wanted and I hope I'm in the same position to help with that down there.
"If I can influence anything a little bit then that will be great. Hopefully, I can have the same amount of success those players did at Rovers."
For many Rovers fans, it won't look right seeing Lovegrove line up for another team, but they will have to get used to not having him there.
Initially signed as a centre, his own game has developed to the point where he's now a recognised forward who is equally adept at playing as a prop or back row.
Viewing his move to London as a fresh start, the switch will allow Lovegrove and his partner Libby to be closer to her family.
And with coach Chris Chester looking to take the Robins in a new direction for 2015, he does not want to outstay his welcome.
"Maybe I could have stayed at Rovers a bit longer but that wouldn't have been a good decision," he explained.
"The club has been in transition over the last 12 to 18 months and it's not quite the club I fell in love with back in 2007.
"It's different now and when I look back at my time at Rovers, I don't want my memories tarnished in any way.
"I want to make sure the memories I have are of Jim Gannon, Iain Morrison, Ben Fisher and James Webster – and having a laugh and having fun winning games.
"That's why I took the opportunity to leave when I did."
One thing Lovegrove is keen to do when he arrives at The Hive is make sure his young and inexperienced team-mates can approach him for advice.
"I remember what it was like when I was coming through," he added. "There were plenty of times senior players would walk past me and not offer help or advice because they were worried for their position in the team and I never understood why.
"I spoke to my Dad about it and he said they were looking after their job.
"What he meant is that if they helped you become a better player, you could push them out of the team.
"I swore then I would never do that and there's a part of me that wants to help the younger players come through."
Lovegrove has seen a lot of changes during his time at Rovers.
There have been many highlights, and a few lows too, but he is proud to have played in some memorable matches.
Having been part of the side which finished second bottom in 2007 and the one which ended up fourth in 2009, he admits life has "been amazing" at the Robins.
Wins over Leeds at Headingley, St Helens at Knowsley Road and Hull in the play-offs will all live long in the memory.
But even though he is moving over 200 miles away, Lovegrove will keep a close eye on how his former club get on in Chester's first full season.
"Rovers will be interesting to watch," he added.
"It's arguably the biggest transition since they won promotion.
"There have been player transitions before but never players, coach and culture all at the same time. It's a fresh start.
"Chris has some great ideas and he has a certain type of culture he wants at the club.
"Rovers are moving into a new chapter of their own and I'm very pleased to be a part of their last chapter.
"I'm looking forward to sitting back as a fan and watching that develop.
"Perhaps one day I'll come back and play against them. I'd love that."
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Able UK given green light for huge Humber energy park after ABP protest rejected
Ehab Allam furious after Hull City development squad told to stay in lower youth league
'He wanted blood': Robert Hodgkinson jailed for 10 years after stabbing party-goer who bravely leapt to woman's defence
Poop patrols and fly-tipping tours to clean up Avenues in Hull
FLY-TIPPING hotspots are being targeted as part of a crackdown on littering across the Avenues in Hull.
Environmental Neighbourhood Nuisance Officers have so far carried out patrols in Suffolk Street and Sharp Street, off Newland Avenue, following a rise in complaints about dog fouling and fly-tipping.
Now councillors are urging residents to report cases of littering in the tenfoots and are in discussions with landlords about preventing fly-tipping near their properties.
Newland ward Councillor Mike Ross said: "This is a number one issue for the streets off Newland Avenue and the ward and we are doing all we can to get these cleaned up.
"We are also looking to work with landlords in the area on taking this matter forward and we are appealing for everyone's help in getting information that can be used to gather evidence about who is causing these problems in the first place.
"This is an issue that has got worse over the last year.
"While it is by no means a new thing, it is certainly increasing."
Councillors are using part of their local ward fund to pay for the clean-ups.
More dog fouling warning signs and stickers have been placed in the area and there were letter drops along litter-strewn streets warning residents who have waste in their ten-foots.
Absent landlords will meet with councillors because often their tenants will dump unwanted belongings in the street.
Cllr Ross said: "It has been noticed there has been more of a problem lately with bulky items.
"In terms of landlords, that is for a more long-term solution.
"We want to work with landlords on ideas of how to stop this in the first place.
"We have now come together to decide which idea works best."
Hull City Council is able to fine offenders but gathering strong enough evidence for conviction can prove difficult.
Now, Cllr Ross wants residents to keep a lookout and report offending.
He said: "The council will go through fly-tipped rubbish to find that evidence but if they don't find it, they cannot take action.
"From my point of view, this is less about punishment and more about stopping it from happening in the first place."
Visit www.hullcc.gov.uk, email hull.citysafe@hullcc. gov.uk or call 01482 300300 to report littering.
Email Cllr Ross to volunteer your help at councillor. ross@hullcc.gov.uk or call 01482 613631.
Corked wine con earned Jeffrey Hall hundreds from Tesco and M&S supermarkets
A SERIAL fraudster toured supermarkets in the region and tricked them into refunding cash for expensive wine he had not bought.
Jeffrey Hall, 42, was jailed for six months after admitting seven charges of fraud at Hull Crown Court.
Hall, of Buttermere Close, west Hull, conned Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and Tesco staff into refunding £500 of wine and cake.
He would telephone the stores to say he wanted a refund for wine he had purchased.
In fact, he would enter the shop empty-handed and take wine from the shelves before taking it to the tills to ask for his money back.
Prosecutor Nicola Quinney said: "All these frauds were committed in a similar way.
"The defendant would usually contact the supermarkets beforehand to say he wanted to return wine, which he said was not fit for drinking.
"Then, he would enter the store without the wine, go to the wine aisle, collect an item and then go to the till, claiming he had bought it earlier."
On March 12, he conned Tesco in Grimsby out of £140. He later tricked staff at the Tesco store in Cleethorpes out of £154 by claiming to need a refund on wine.
Two days later, he went to Morrisons in Holderness Road, east Hull, claiming to have bought £60 of cake.
On March 15, he went to Marks & Spencer in Beverley and picked up £161 of wine.
The following day, he went to the Morrisons store in Anlaby and claimed to need a refund on wine.
His crimes came to light when he went into the Morrisons store in Goodhart Road, Bransholme, to return some wine, but staff there had already been alerted to a possible scam.
He was seen on CCTV entering the store empty-handed.
When he attempted to trick the staff, they challenged him and detained him in the store.
He was arrested but denied making calls to the supermarket before- hand and was released on bail.
On May 27, he used the same method in an Asda store in Durham but fled when he was told the manager was needed to authorise the refund.
Miss Quinney said his record was "littered" with similar previous offences, dating back to 2000. He was jailed in 2012 for fraud and shop theft.
In mitigation, Richard Thompson said Hall was now a carer for his partner who suffers with multiple sclerosis. He claimed Hall was expecting a share of £300,000 inheritance from his father in the West Indies, so would no longer have to commit fraud for cash.
He said: "Clearly, financial issues have lead to this offending, due to his lack of employment and so on."
Sentencing Hall to six months in prison, Judge Michael Mettyear said: "You are a systematically dishonest man and you have been for a long, long time.
"You wanted money and you regarded this as an easy way of getting it, so you fell back into your old ways.
"It was a well-tried path by you that needed a degree of planning, preparation and thought."
New Hull FC signing Steve Michaels'move delayed until mid-November
HULL FC will have to start pre-season on November 1 without new signing Steve Michaels.
The 26-year-old centre has had his application to enter the country held up due to the lack of games played last season in the NRL.
There are no issues with Michaels' visa application however, with the former Gold Coast Titans player told he can start his contract at Hull at the end of the second week of November.
Michaels has agreed a one-year deal at Hull and is eager to make an impression.
He has started his training in Australia and will miss just the first two weeks of pre-season, alongside England international Joe Westerman, who is also absent because of his Four Nations involvement Down Under.
Michaels and Westerman will be Hull's only absentees, with fellow new signing from Australia Curtis Naughton already in the country and Aussie Mark Minichiello expected to arrive next week.
Hull coach Lee Radford had wanted his entire squad to start pre-season training together on November 1, but won't be concerned at having only two of his 34-man squad absent.
Michaels has been booked on the earliest possible flight out of Australia and is understood to have been given an individual programme which will ensure he is up to speed when he arrives at the end of the second week of pre-season training.
Hull KR's Sonny Esslemont will benefit from Scotland games, say club
HULL KR coach Chris Chester believes Sonny Esslemont will return to Rovers a better player as a result of playing in the European Championship.
Esslemont started at loose-forward for Scotland in their 42-18 win over Wales to get their tournament up and running with a resounding victory.
The 20-year-old, who spent most of the season helping Gateshead qualify for their first ever play-offs, is likely to keep his place in the side as they face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday in a game which could determine who plays against England, New Zealand and Australia in the 2016 Four Nations.
A win for Scotland will put them in pole position ahead of their third and final game against France at Netherdale, Galashiels.
Ireland go into Saturday's crunch match having beaten pre-tournament favourites France 22-12.
Chester, a former assistant coach for the Scotland national side, knows Esslemont is playing against top players in the tournament which will serve him well at Rovers next season.
"Sonny will get a lot out of this tournament. He is playing in a good Scotland team against quality players," Chester told the Mail.
"Gateshead play in a good competitive league, but it's not as strong or as good as playing international rugby.
"His confidence will definitely grow with this tournament and that will only benefit us next year.
"He will come back to pre-season training a much better player without any doubt. Sonny will toughen up playing against the calibre of players he is.
"There is a lot riding on the outcome of this tournament with a place in the Four Nations at stake."
Chester is delighted Esslemont has been rewarded for the hard work he has put in over the last couple of seasons.
Esslemont has only played once for Rovers, coming off the bench in the 32-14 home defeat to Catalans Dragons at the start of September – so to start for Scotland before starting a game for his club is something Chester says he can be proud of.
"I was very pleased with his performance in the win over Wales," Chester said.
"I spoke to Dave Rotherham who was just as happy with how he did on his international debut.
"Sonny has worked very hard over the last season or so.
"It will be a massive job for him to force his way into my 17-man squad every week because of the quality players we have at the club.
"I hope he is ready to fight for his place after representing his country.
"He has been one of our stand-out performers in the academy in recent years.
"There was nobody happier than me when he earned his first professional contract.
"What happens next is up to Sonny."
Young Hull City striker Karim Rossi rising to new challenge after switch from Stoke City
Car attack DJ Darren Duckworth refuses to complete community service – because his family comes first
A RADIO DJ who smashed a baseball bat so hard over a bailiff's van he broke it in two narrowly avoided jail after refusing to complete his community service.
Darren Duckworth, of Market Weighton, had been ordered to complete 150 hours' unpaid work after he was convicted by a jury of criminal damage and affray in April last year.
Duckworth threatened to smash into a bailiff's van, who had arrived at his house to take away his girlfriend's car for unpaid court costs.
He then threatened him with the bat, hitting it so hard on to the van that it split in two.
Prosecuting, Cathy Kioko said: "The defendant came out of the address and went towards the complainant with a clenched fist.
"He said 'move your van or I will knock seven bells of s*** out of you'.
"The defendant got into the Corsa and began reversing it towards the complainant's van as he tried to get inside.
"Each time he tried to get into the van, he reversed at speed.
"As the complainant was on the phone to police, the defendant came out of the house holding a wooden baseball bat.
"He moved towards the complainant's van and tried to open the doors but he had locked himself inside.
"The complainant then started to reverse away from the defendant, who started to hit the van with the baseball bat.
"Before the complainant could leave the area, he hit the van with such force the baseball bat split in two."
Since June, the Vixen 101 community radio DJ has managed just 29 hours of unpaid work.
When challenged by Judge Mark Bury at Hull Crown Court about the breach, Duckworth told him he did not have time to do it.
Representing himself, he told Judge Bury: "I didn't know I was committing affray, I thought I was perfectly within my rights to chase a man away from my house who was threatening my wife and child.
"I am not prepared to do it, I can't fit it in, I just don't have time for it. No one is going to die if I don't do this community work, so I am not going to do it."
Judge Bury said: "I have to tell you, your attitude has put you in a situation whereby I am considering sending you to prison."
Duckworth said: "I have had enough, it has already cost me so much of my life that I can't be bothered any more.
"It has destroyed me."
In the middle of proceedings, Duckworth's mobile phone rang and he apologised, saying: "Sorry, I am on the school run."
He also asked for his travel expenses to be covered if he were to complete the unpaid work, to which Judge Bury replied: "No, you will be taken there in a van."
Judge Bury said: "You have to do this work, it is as simple as that.
"I am trying to keep you out of prison but as hard as I am trying to keep you out, you seem to be trying hard to get in."
Duckworth said: "I have just had enough of this life, there is nothing to offer me any more.
"I am not suicidal but I have lost the respect I had in Market Weighton for being an idiot with a baseball bat."
A probation officer then informed the court he could do unpaid work on a Sunday, which Duckworth agreed to.
Increasing the unpaid work order by ten hours, Judge Bury said: "Be under no illusion if you do not complete this work, there will be a custodial sentence."
Return of the 'World's Worst Singer': Dave Watson back on Britain's Got Talent – after a helping hand from Hull's New Griffin pub
PIERS MORGAN branded him Britain's worst singer.
But five years after first auditioning for Britain's Got Talent, Dave Watson, 57, is determined to prove him wrong.
The west Hull factory worker will audition for the show for the second time next month.
Although Piers is no longer on the judging panel, Dave can still remember his words.
"After I had finished singing I knew I had done really bad," he said.
"There's three reasons why I did bad.
"Firstly, I had a bad chest infection. Secondly, I was left to wait several hours in the holding room to perform and thirdly my nerves just got the best of me.
"I know I can do better this time."
As Dave sang The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens, judges Piers Morgan, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden all pressed their buzzers to bring his performance to an end.
Simon was the first judge to comment, saying: "No competition, that was so awful it was beyond description."
Amanda added: "Basically, David, it was rubbish."
Piers completed the criticism by saying: "I think you might be the worst singer in Britain."
All three then voted him out of the competition.
Dave, of Walton Street, said he chose to sing The Lion Sleeps Tonight because he had heard it was a favourite of head judge, Simon Cowell.
He said: "I knew Simon liked the song and that is why I chose it, but things didn't go to plan and it wasn't as good as it should have been."
Dave is determined to impress new judges David Walliams and Alesha Dixon, who have joined Amanda and Simon on the panel, when he auditions for the talent show at Headingley Stadium in Leeds.
He would not reveal to the Mail what song he is going to sing.
Mr Watson said: "I am setting out to prove everyone wrong.
"I will knock them dead with my performance or, failing that, I will be thrown out of the competition.
"Some people, when they hear me sing, say I sound amazing.
"Everyone has their own opinion at the end of the day, but I know I can and will do better this time."
Dave started singing when he was 43 and says his favourite artists are the Lighthouse Family and Scissor Sisters.
He said: "I had always wanted to sing.
"One night I had quite a few drinks and did some karaoke with my friend.
"The next day, when I was sober, I sang the songs again and thought I sounded quite good.
"Now I really study the songs I sing and love it.
"I am going to make everyone proud this time."
Staff at The New Griffin pub in Anlaby Road, west Hull, have been helping him get more experience performing on stage, ahead of his big audition on Saturday, November 1.
The landlord Paul Metcalfe has asked Dave, a regular at the pub, to perform a special set on Tuesday, October 28.
He said: "Dave decided to enter Britain's Got Talent again this year to prove to the judges he can sing.
"He wanted somewhere where he could perform on stage in front of an audience, so we invited him to help us here with a special charity night."
As part of the event, which will raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind, Dave will take part in a special sing-along-bingo.
Mr Metcalfe said: "Dave has chosen 81 songs for the evening.
"People will pick a number at random and he will then sing the song for that particular number.
"For every song he sings we are asking people to donate £1 for charity."
So far the pub has raised £3,600 for Guide Dogs for the Blind, but Mr Metcalfe is hoping to take the total to £5,000.
Mr Metcalfe said: "The charity has said that if we raise £5,000, then we can name one of the guide dogs Griffin after the pub, which would be absolutely fantastic."
'Together we can deliver a brighter future for Hull and Humber'
THE Hull Daily Mail is today appealing to all politicians across the four Humber regions to join together and deliver a better future for everyone.
And we hope people from across our proud region will back this call.
Why are we doing this? Because central Government has made it quite plain in recent months that this area will miss out on huge public investment unless we speak with one voice.
Why are we doing it now? Another report was released yesterday discussing growth issues for northern cities and once again Hull and its satellite areas do not feature as a priority.
What are we asking? That politicians from Hull, the East Riding, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire agree to talk with one voice and stop bickering between themselves when it comes to gaining Government investment on key economic infrastructure projects, such as road and rail transport and devolved spending powers.
This does not entail a return to the dark days of a combined Humberside authority and it does not mean that these regions lose their independence.
It does mean that Hull – as the regional city – will take the lead, as stipulated by the Government. However, talks can happen behind the scenes beforehand and agreement reached.
Hull and the Humber has been a northern powerhouse before in its history and it can be again, led by public sector co-operation aligned to working together with bodies such as the Local Enterprise Partnership, not trying to derail it.

If we dither and argue over parochial or historical local political issues, we will miss out.
All other major city regions now speak with one voice a voice speaking on behalf its citizens, in conjunction with a strong private sector link.
It simplifies the process, encourages joined-up thinking and cuts down time spent on decision-making. This gives confidence to those private companies seeking to invest in an area.
Projects such as One North or Northern Gateway are well advanced on creating a northern powerhouse that will bring better transport, more jobs and the chance of a brighter future for our children, as well as the current working population. The aim is to draw in investment by simplifying how that can be done.
Cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle have been talking as a single entity for some times – leading the charge for their own regions and for each other.
Hull – and by definition – the other three authorities occasionally get an honourable mention but we are not a member of this exclusive club because of our fragmented approach.
And that means everyone living in this area is being deprived of further investment and opportunity because of the refusal to unite – for the benefit of us all – and to allow Hull to be the "spokesman" for the group, as requested.
This does not mean that East Riding, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire have to give up their own identities or independent status. They don't and proof of that can be seen by the combined authorities of the likes of Liverpool and Manchester.
It just means the four authorities must get together; agree on issues affecting the people they often forget they represent and then provide a single vision, in conjunction with the local and regional business community.
This all sounds very simple but remember, this is a region where the bid to gain central money under the City Deal process was handicapped by the refusal of some politicians to accept the name of Hull being included in the name of the bid. A City Deal bid without the name of the city in it? Beggars belief.
And it is this old-fashioned paranoia (or arrogance and self- aggrandisement) that needs to stop before its paralysing effect means we miss out for evermore.
All areas north and south of the river need investment if we are to thrive in the future – especially if it helps raise the aspiration and opportunities for our youngsters. Local authorities arguing among themselves is not helpful.
The Government (and it will be the same if that colour changes next year) has made it quite clear that they will only deal with a single point of contact for each areas on these particular investment priorities. Other major cities have echoed that call.
This area has had investment in recent months and for that we are grateful to a good number of local politicians and officers working behind the scenes as well as private bodies such as the LEP. But local authorities must never become self-satisfied or, worse still, allow personal political agendas to deprive the population of a better life.
Belief and ambition alone are not enough. We need cash.
Failure to act together to the detriment to the future of ordinary people should leave those not prepared to work together wholly ashamed.
10
'Hull City have nothing to fear from misfiring Liverpool'
I DON'T think there has ever been a better time for Hull City to go to Anfield to face Liverpool.
The Reds have shown their weaknesses in Premier League matches recently, and I think Steve Bruce's side can come away with a point at least.
Harry Redknapp will still be scratching his head wondering why his side lost 3-2 to Liverpool when everyone admitted afterwards his side deserved a draw at the very least.
The performance of Brendan Rodgers' side will give City hope and that's before the small matter of Liverpool's Champions League clash with Real Madrid last night which they lost 3-0.
That will have taken its toll on the players who will have to back it up on Saturday in the league.
We might see Rodgers rest a few of his players like Raheem Sterling, who must be absolutely shattered at this stage of the season.
But Liverpool have a big enough squad to be able to chop and change from one game to the next.
If that wasn't enough to give City fans confidence going to Anfield, the performance at the Emirates in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal last Saturday should.
Had it not been for Danny Welbeck's late equaliser, City would have claimed another famous 2-1 win at the Emirates.
The Tigers made life difficult for the Gunners last Saturday and they will have to do the same against Liverpool.
Liverpool were simply shocking at Loftus Road last Sunday and I'm sure Steve Bruce's eyes lit up when he saw how Rangers went toe-to-toe with them.
Rodgers will want a response from his players after that game and if he doesn't get it, Liverpool could be in trouble.
Crosses seemed to be a major problem for them and that will be one area of the game City will be keen to exploit.
In Ahmed Elmohamady and Andy Robertson, they have two players who can deliver deadly crosses into the heart of any defence.
The Tigers' wide players are definitely one of the side's strengths and they must utilise that as much as they can.
Elmohamady and Robertson are two very important players for City in any game, but against the so-called better sides, their role becomes even more important.
City didn't have a lot of possession at Arsenal, but they still did well.
At Anfield, City need to make sure they get more possession and feed these two as often as they can so they can get the ball into the box and hope to force an error.
With Martin Skrtel, anything is possible.
Remember his nightmare at the KC Stadium last season when he could have been credited with two own goals?
Last weekend, we saw four own goals and four penalties scored so anything is possible.
I wouldn't go all out against Liverpool because they have enough quality to hurt you on the break, especially if Steven Gerrard is on top form.
His role has changed now he is moving towards the end of his career.
He is staying further back rather than charging forward as we saw in his early Liverpool days.
From City's point of view, I'd rather have him further forward so he can't dictate the pace of the game.
Liverpool threw him forward against QPR, but it didn't work out too well, but with Mario Balotelli ahead of him, maybe that was why.
Balotelli is like a circus and anything can happen with him in close proximity.
With Daniel Sturridge missing, there is nothing for City to be scared of at Anfield.