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Hull KR must be prepared for a sharp rise in pre-season intensity when taking on Toronto Wolfpack tomorrow.

That’s the view of winger Ryan Shaw, who is ready to take on the Canadian outfit at KCOM Craven Park ahead of the campaign’s kick-off.

The Robins blew the cobwebs off in a 30-16 win over a youthful Widnes Vikings last Sunday but Brian McDermott’s new-look Wolfpack will bring a much greater challenge.

Toronto narrowly missed out on promotion to Super League via the Million Pound Game, where London Broncos prevailed in a nail-biting 4-2 win . Recruiting the likes of Jon Wilkin, Ricky Leutele, Bodene Thompson and more, the Wolfpack will once again have their eyes set on the top-flight for 2020.

Keen to make individual improvements as well as tighten up as a team, Shaw realises KR must be close to their best to take down Toronto.

(Image: Touchline Pics)

“Toronto will be a bit more of a step up to Widnes. They’ll probably put their best team out on the field and set a marker for their season,” Shaw told Hull Live.

"They’ll be wanting to show to us Super League teams that they want to come up in time for next year. I think we’ll also put out our strongest team too and it’s going to be a tough one.”

Overcoming a knee injury sustained last August to ensure his first run out in five months last weekend, Shaw was glad to be back in action on a steady comeback.

“I was a bit hit and miss, but I was literally just happy to get out there,” the Cumbrian added.

(Image: Richard Addison)

“It’s been five or six months since I last played a game so it was good to get a few carries. Fair play to Widnes, they had a dig at us and it was competitive. It was what we needed.

“We took some good opportunities on the short side, but we have to improve our skills. We did OK.

“It was the start of August when I had the injury and after a long recovery I feel as good as I’ve ever been. I feel like my speed is up to scratch too and I’m ready.”

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