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Hull KR: Robins must target four May wins to shake up play-off pack

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With four winnable games coming up, Rovers reporter Charlie Mullan looks at what can be a massive month for Hull KRHull KR may currently be sitting one point outside the play-offs, but by the end of next month the aim will be to sit firmly inside the top six.

That may sound like a tall order, but with four games coming up that they should be targeting maximum points from it's not impossible.

Take all eight points on offer and the Robins will put themselves in the mix for a decent finish come the end of the season.

With Kris Keating, Jamie Langley, Dave Hodgson and Jonny Walker all expected back for Sunday's home game against Widnes, KR's squad strength will give supporters hope and raise their expectations.

Having shrugged off a sluggish start to the season, Rovers have turned things around with four wins from their last six matches. That resurgence looks as though it will see coach Craig Sandercock rewarded with a new one-year contract and after enduring a tough run of games to start the season, the fixtures are about to get a little easier.

While no Super League fixture is a gimme, some offer more hope of getting points than others. And everyone at Rovers will hope that time is now.Widnes (H), May 4 WIDNES may be sitting pretty in fifth place with a game in hand against Wigan to come, but their away record this season has been poor. Their only win from four away games came in a 7-0 success over Hull at the KC Stadium.

Fatigue is certain to play a part this weekend, and Rovers have the advantage of not playing a game last weekend, when Widnes were beating Salford to reach the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup.

Many people raised an eyebrow when Kevin Brown left Huddersfield to join Widnes at the end of last season, but he is the man who makes them tick.

Two points clear of his former Giants team-mates, Brown has bagged seven tries and six assists and will be the player Rovers have to keep their eye on.

Still, Rovers should have enough energy within their squad to claim maximum points to close the gap on the Vikings to just one point.PREDICTION: WinSalford (A), May 10 SO much for the dawn of a new and improved Salford.

After beating Wakefield and London, who are 12th and 13th respectively, the mood around the AJ Bell Stadium isn't great at the moment following their 30-20 Challenge Cup defeat to Widnes on Sunday.

Sky pundit Phil Clarke made a bold prediction that they would take Super League by storm, but now it just looks stupid.

Salford fans are quick to point out that with all the new signings, it would take time to gel. But after a quick enough start to the season, it's not exactly going to plan.

At this stage, they are in a battle with Catalan, Rovers and Warrington for the final play-off place.

Whether Salford will be a threat against Rovers depends heavily on Rangi Chase. Hot one minute and quiet the next, KR need to silence him to gain revenge for throwing away a 20-point lead to lose in the second half of last season.

Red Devils owner Marwan Koukash has called for his players to respect the shirt they wear after doing all he can to bring success to Salford. Failure is not an option for the owner and he will demand points from this game.PREDICTION: WinHull FC (Etihad), May 17 HAVING battled back from 20-10 down to lose 21-20 in the season's first derby, Hull will be fired up for revenge.

Last season's Etihad clash proved to be the backdrop to some bizarre refereeing decisions, from Rhys Lovegrove's forward pass for a Michael Dobson try to Chris Green's offside try which won it.

As we have seen in recent years, anything can happen in derbies. Rovers currently have the bragging rights after their 21-20 Easter win, but FC coach Lee Radford will demand a much-improved performance from his side after they were beaten in all areas at Rovers.

If the Robins can keep Hull's 'awesome foursome' quiet in the front row, Travis Burns and Kris Keating should be able to create openings on the edges, where KR have players who can score from anywhere.PREDICTION: WinLondon (H), May 25 NOBODY has lost to London this season and every team that plays them prays it won't be them. Rovers will be no different because, even with 17 league games to play, London looked doomed for relegation.

Only off the bottom of the table because of Bradford's six-point deduction for going into administration, sooner or later, London's side of loan men and cast-offs will pick up a win.

But Rovers will hope Tony Rea's side have done that before they make their trip to the KC Lightstream Stadium at the end of the month.

Mason Caton-Brown will be the man to watch as he is having a decent season in a struggling side, with six tries already to his name.PREDICTION: Win

Hull KR: Robins must target four May wins to shake up play-off pack


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