hi to all you southstander posters out there old and new
it's at this time of the year where us know it all posters predict how the new season will pan out before a ball has even been kicked

as i have repeatedly said each year it's not a serious competition and it is one for fun so i therefor once again urge all of the southstander big hitters to make their predictions

congratulations go to sal paradise who finished top of the league in 2014,can anyone dethrone him in 2015?

the 2015 season will be totally different to preceding seasons as there will be a top 8 split after 23 weekly rounds whereby the sides finishing in the top 8 will then go into a play off series that determines the top 4 play off sides whilst sl sides that finish 9th to 12th will then join the top 4 sides from the kingstone press championship in order to qualify for sl in 2016

i propose for this seasons competition that we
a:predict the regular season finishing positions after 23 rounds
b:predict the top 4 play off sides that will make the play offs after the top 8 split
c:predict which 4 sides will rejoin sl for the following season through their play off series of games
d:grand final winner
e:challenge cup winner

if anyone disagrees with this format then please feel free to post your opinions on here

as it stands now my regular season finishing positions are:

1:saints
2:warriors
3:wolves
4:rhinos
5:giants
6:dragons
7:red devils
8:tigers

9:hull fc
10:hull kr
11:vikings
12:wildcats

the final top 4 play off sides will be
1:saints
2:wigan
3:wolves
4:rhinos

the 4 sides that will rejoin sl in 2016 will be
9:hull fc
10:hull kr
11:vikings
12:centurions

gf winner: saints
cc winner: rhinos

1.Wigan
2.ST's
3.Wire
4.Dragons
5.Rhinos
6.Giants
7.Devils
8.Tigers
9.HFC
10.Vikings
11.HKR
12.Wakey

Final top 4 play off teams
Wigan
ST's
Wire
Dragons

4 returning to SL
HFC
HKR
Vikings
Bulls

GF-Wigan
CC-Wire

I still think we lack in 1 or 2 key areas i.e at 9 ,another go to Prop and on the Coaching staff (i dont think Cuthbertson will be used there) but i think this can be a good year to get the likes of Sutcliffe ,R.Ward .Yates ,Mulhern and Walters ready for much bigger roles next year with hopefully at least 1 top class Prop/HB joining them and depending on R.Wards progress a 9.

Regular season finishing positions

1.Warriors
2.Saints
3.Wolves
4.Rhinos
5.Giants
6.Dragons
7.Red Devils
8.Tigers
9.Hull FC
10.Hull KR
11.Vikings
12.Wildcats

Final top 4 play off teams
Warriors
Saints
Wolves
Rhinos

4 sides returning to SL for 2016
Hull FC
Hull KR
Vikings
Wildcats

GF-Warriors
CC-Saints

Here we go hero to zero

Regular season:
1. Saints
2. Warrington
3. Wigan
4. Catalans
5. Huddersfield
6. Leeds
7. Hull FC
8. Salford
9. Castleford
10 Widnes
11 Hull KR
12 Wakefield

To make the play offs:
1. Saints
2. Warrington
3. Wigan
4. Catalans

4 sides to remain in SL:
1. Castleford
2. Widnes
3. Leigh
4. London

Grand Final:
1.Saints
2.Wigan

1. Warrington
2. St Helens
3. Wigan
4. Leeds
5. Huddersfield
6. Catalans
7. Castleford
8. Salford
9. Hull FC
10. Hull KR
11. Widnes
12. Wakefield

To make the playoffs:
1. Warrington
2. Wigan
3. St Helens
4. Leeds

To remain in SL:
Hull FC
Hull KR
Widnes
Wakefield

GF winner: Warrington
CC winner: St Helens

This has confused me.

However:

1. St Helens
2. Warrington
3. Catalans
4. Wigan
5. Leeds
6. Salford
7. Huddersfield
8. Castleford
9. Hull KR
10.Widnes
11.Hull Fc
12.Wakefield

Playoffs:

St Helens
Warrington
Catalans
Wigan

SL

Hull KR
Hull FC
Widnes
Leigh

GF Warrington
CC Leeds

1. Warrington
2. Wigan
3. St Helens
4. Huddersfield

Same top 4 to contest play-offs

5. Catalan
6. Leeds
7. Hull FC
8. Hull KR

9. Salford
10. Castleford
11. Widnes
12. Wakefield

Same 4 to come back up

Warrington to win GF
Saints to win CC

Warrington
Leeds
Catalan
Wigan
St Helens
Huddersfield
Salford
Castleford
Hull FC
Hull KR
Widnes
Wakefield

To Make The Play Offs

Warrington
Leeds
Wigan
St Helens

4 Sides to remain in SL

Hull FC
Hull KR
Widnes
Leigh

GF Winner: Leeds
CC Winner: Catalan

World Club Series: Warrington

Tony Smith is just what Daryl Clark needed after becoming a much improved player under Daryl Powell. Clark was a revelation this year but couldn’t win any silverware under Powell just like the whole Leeds team couldn’t in 2003. However when Tony Smith came in to coach Leeds everything changed and the same could happen with Clark at Warrington.

I think the world club series will take a lot out of the participating Super League Clubs but Warrington will finish as WCS winners and top of SL regardless. However they won’t have enough in the tank to become SL and CC champions.

Finally I believe Leeds are in for a massive season finishing second in the table and then going on to become SL champions. The lethal combination of emerging young talent to compliment ageing but still world class on their day stars, in the autumn of their careers will see the team do good.

Warrington= World Club Challenge series



It's not a round robin tournament. It's Saints v Souths for the trophy. The Warrington & Wigan games are just 'friendlies'

1. Wigan
2. Warrington
3. Leeds
4. Saints
5. Castleford
6. Huddersfield
7. Salford
8. Catalans
9. Hull FC
10. Widnes
11. Hull KR
12. Wakefield

To make the playoffs:
1. Warrington
2. Wigan
3. St Helens
4. Leeds

To remain in SL:
Hull FC
Hull KR
Widnes
Leigh
GF winner: Leeds
CC winner: Wigan

Just goes to show how out of touch I am with this series



Souths to win then.

1. Saint Helens
2. Wigan Warriors
3. Warrington Wolves
4. Castleford Tigers
5. Leeds Rhinos
6. Salford Red Devils
7. Huddersfield Giants
8. Catalan Dragons
9. Widnes Vikings
10. Hull FC
11. Hull Kingston Rovers
12. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

Final Top 4 play-off teams
Saint Helens
Wigan Warriors
Warrington Wolves
Leeds Rhinos


4 Returning to Super League
Widnes Vikings
Bradford Bulls
Featherstone Rovers
Hull FC

Grand Final Winners - Wigan
Challenge Cup Winners - Saint Helens

FB- I think only one team can get promoted into SL can't they?

I thought it was 2 down - 2 up.

As far as I understand it, the top four of the middle 8 go up, so anywhere between 0 and 4 clubs can be promoted.

League position

1) Saints
2) Wire
3) Wigan
4) Catalan
5) Leeds
6) Hudds
7) Salford


Cas
9) Hull KR
10) Hull FC
11) wakey
12) Vikings

Top 4 play off
Saints
Wire
Wigan
Leeds

Returning to SL

Wakey
Hull KR
Hull FC
Bradford

CC winner CATALAN
GF winner Wire

I've mis-read it then

Yep. The middle 8 start again on 0 points so it's all dependent on those 7 games. You could have none promoted, you could have 4. Highly unlikely, but possible.

After the end of the middle 8's the top 3 go straight to SL for 2016 and the 4th v 5th play off for one one remaining place in SL

So in 'theory' if the 4 teams dropping down from SL into the middle 8's had mares against the likes of Leigh, Bradford, London and say Fev then it is possible for all the teams finishing in the top 4 of the Championship to get promoted to SL for 2016, although obviously unlikely given difference in funding, playing squad etc but it is 'possible' for more than 1 championship club to be in SL in 2016

this article explains how it all will work in the 2015 season it also explains how the top 8 play off games will be seeded www.superleague.co.uk/rlnewera

this article explains how it all will work in the 2015 season it also explains how the top 8 play off games will be seeded www.superleague.co.uk/rlnewera

Quote ="Jonesy's a Legend"this article explains how it all will work in the 2015 season it also explains how the top 8 play off games will be seeded www.superleague.co.uk/rlnewera'" Thanks for that. I must admit I've been quite lazy in reading up on this but the article is pretty good and has helped me understand it better. Hopefully the changes will mean more intensive games from round one onwards

Quote ="Jonesy's a Legend"this article explains how it all will work in the 2015 season it also explains how the top 8 play off games will be seeded www.superleague.co.uk/rlnewera'" Thanks for that. I must admit I've been quite lazy in reading up on this but the article is pretty good and has helped me understand it better. Hopefully the changes will mean more intensive games from round one onwards

I like all the positive comments about Leeds finishing in the top four, but based on the end of season and the lack of new players, we could easily end up in the bottom four. I fear the side is to old

1. Saint Helens
2. Warrington
3. Wigan
4. Catalans
5. Huddersfield
6. Leeds
7. Hull FC
8. Castleford
9. Salford
10. Hull KR
11. Widnes
12. Wakefield

7th down to 10 will be very close in points.

Final Top 4 play-off teams
Saint Helens
Wigan Warriors
Warrington Wolves
Catalans


4 Returning to Super League
Hull KR
Bradford Bulls
London
Salford

Grand Final Winners - Catalans
Challenge Cup Winners - Warrington

1. wigan
2. Warrington
3. saints
4. huddersfield
5. leeds
6. catalan
7. castleford
8. HKR
9. salford
10. Hull fc
11. Widnes
12. Wakefield

play off teams

wigan
saints
Huddersfield
warrington

returning to SL
leigh
hull fc
Salford
London

cup warrington
GF wigan

After being caught out last year by injuries picked up in pre-season I'm waiting till the latest time to make my predictions.