BLACKBURN Rovers know they have to be wary of West Bromwich Albion in tomorrow's Premiership curtain raiser.

While the opening day fixture conjures up memories of that glorious sunny day a year ago, when Rovers made it a black day for another bunch of newly promoted Black Country boys, they won't be taking a repeat showing for granted.

This time last year Rovers handed Wolves a harsh lesson in adapting to life at the top with a 5-1 thrashing at Ewood Park.

While this result hardly set the tone for the rest of Blackburn's campaign, it certainly sent Dave Jones's men on the road to ruin as, 38 games later, they still propped up the Premiership.

So it only requires Gary Megson's men to take a sly glance across at their Midlands neighbours to know how important avoiding an opening day disaster can be to compiling a Premiership survival package.

In other words, the Baggies are going all out to make sure they don't get the thrashing Wolves got as reward for their promotion.

And it's something Blackburn defender Craig Short, who has been in a similar position with promoted teams in the past, knows only too well.

"You go back to last year and we hammered Wolves but West Brom will have eyed up that result and will be determined not to go down that road," said Short.

"The bad start Wolves made sent them down because after the game with us they were hammered by a few teams early on and all the doubters are tipping West Brom for relegation already.

"So they know they have to start well.

"Everyone wants to make a good start but newly promoted sides need to because, as they are new, they need to adapt as quickly as possible."

But in truth, the recipe of surprise that unknown quantities like Albion can throw into the cauldron often comes to the boil in the early stages of the season.

"It's always difficult to play promoted sides in the first game, you'd prefer to play them later in the season," Short added.

"I remember being promoted in the past and doing quite well in the top flight as you've got nothing to lose.

"It's a bit different for West Brom because they were up here two years ago but this will still be a big day out and new signings will be trying to impress.

"I remember being promoted in the past and doing quite well in the top flight as you've got nothing to lose."

And Albion will be keen to ignore past omens as much as possible, particularly as Rovers have held an opening day hoodoo over their opponents since their own return to the top flight in 2001.

In the three seasons that have passed since then, the sides that have visited Ewood Park on the first day of the season (Derby, Sunderland and Wolves) have all ended up being dumped into Division One by the end of it.

West Brom's cause isn't helped by the absence through suspension of midfielder Jason Koumas -- and it's not something Short will be losing any sleep over.

He said: "He's a match-winner and he scored a great goal here last time, he ran through about four of us before scoring.

"But l don't expect Albion to be too attacking in their system. They will make it difficult by being very defensive and organised.

"I think they will sit deep and consolidate, which puts the pressure on us."

Albion are also missing striker Rob Hulse (stomach strain) and central defender Larus Sigurdsson, who is continuing his recovery from a long-term knee injury.

Manager Gary Megson will hand starts to summer signings Riccardo Scimeca, Darren Purse, Jonathan Greening and Kanu.