ON first viewing, the 2014 fixture list looks as if it has served up a very tough start to the year for Hull KR and fans may have to be patient to see their first win.
Rovers' opening three games will see them take on two of last season's top three sides, with Leeds Rhinos kicking off the campaign at Craven Park on February 16, before a visit to table-toppers Huddersfield the following week.
Whilst the Robins will relish testing themselves against the best early on, it may be round three before they can climb the league ladder by beating Castleford in front of the Sky cameras.
With a flurry of fresh faces in the squad, it will inevitably take time for Craig Sandercock's new-look team to gel, and that could be a few weeks into the season.
Although their play-off defeat at St Helens hurt last season, there's nothing to fear when visiting Langtree Park in round four, having won there comfortably in the league last season, before the Robins travel back to Merseyside the following week for a bruising encounter against champions Wigan.
With points sure to be at a premium in the first five weeks of the campaign, the run-up to the first derby of 2014 can help KR gain some momentum with home games against Bradford and Wakefield, both of which they should win.
A visit to Warrington comes before the tough Easter period, which will be the real test for the Robins at a point where so many sides dip in form.
Playing Hull FC at Craven Park on the Thursday and travelling to the South of France for an Easter Monday clash against Catalan, the busy weekend schedule will already be a concern for Rovers.
Backing up after a derby is never easy at the best of times. Doing so against a French side which traditionally goes well on their own patch will make life doubly difficult.
When breaking the season down into chunks, the next period of games will provide a pivotal month in KR's season.
A run of games against Widnes, Salford, London and Castleford, four of 2013's bottom five, means Sandercock's side must target wins and build up momentum.
The Magic Weekend fixture sandwiched in the middle of the run will also be one the fans and players will look forward to, if only to re-ignite their derby rivalry.
Fail to pick up a significant amount of points in this spell and any aspirations the Robins have of bettering last season's seventh-place finish will look like a tall order.
Having seen a lack of consistency become a major headache for Sandercock's men during his two years in East Hull, the midway part could determine KR's season.
Come the middle of June, Rovers take on Warrington and Huddersfield at home, sandwiching an away trip to Bradford on June 19.
Typically, the Robins do not travel well to the Bulls so this must change if they want to avoid what could be a poor run of form. Especially as the clash is followed by a home test against St Helens on July 6, before a trip to face Leeds at Headingley.
KR beat Saints in both league fixtures in 2013, and Rovers showed Leeds can be beaten on their own patch last year in a gritty victory which will long live in the fans' memories. Any similar results this time around would be a welcome bonus and provide extra motivation as the onset of summer arrives.
Rovers should at least be targeting another hat-trick of victories when Salford arrive on July 20, before trips to London and Widnes. Perhaps crucially, KR could finish the year on a real run of form with a run of three 'home' games from their final four fixtures.
After facing Wigan at home on August 17, a trip across the other side of the city is followed by the visit of Catalan. They're not easy sides to face by any means, but it's a welcome change to 2013 which saw KR play two home games in their final six matches.
A short trip along the M62 to Wakefield wraps up the season and could see Rovers end on a high.
Throughout 2013, the Robins could and should have won quite a few close games, but eventually lost five matches by eight points or less.
If they learn to close out games, a target of 16 wins is reasonable and should see KR finish comfortably in the top eight with a rosy 32 points. As always, though, it's far easier said than done.
