Why don't you take your own advice.

The only reason why Gutterfax is not disrupting the forum now is because it is "lights out" time at his convalescent home in Wellington.

The nurses get very angry when Gutterfax is tapping away on his keyboard and cackling loudly while the other patients are trying to sleep.

You know all this from the backwaters of Carcassonne wow

I am not in any "backwaters."

Carcassonne is a major cultural centre in France. You should know that, using Google, even if you live in or around the backwaters of the former pit town of Wakefield.

Convalescent homes are the same all around the western world.

In any case I am now in Kiev, as the mods will know if they check my IP address.

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


Saints have a settled side which always helps. The new coach is a factor but can't see anything but another top spot finish for them. Hull have made some cracking signings for 2020 and their (fully fit) backline is arguably the best in the division. Definitely my dark horses for silverware in 2020.
Wigan are always up there somewhere and Wire are fourth as I'm not convinced when I look at their whole squad. It looks imbalanced to me and their backline looks particularly weak. A lot resting on Widdop and that's a concern given his recent injury record.
From 5th all the way down to 12th it's just a guessing game tbh. The squads all seem reasonably well matched at this moment in time and all it takes is a bad run of injuries for any one of these sides to be looking at relegation.

Just a quick note on Toronto. They have some very good players in their squad, SBW being an obvious name. Keep an eye out for Blake Wallace too, he's looked dangerous every time I've seen him play. However they also have a fair amount of 'average' SL players in their squad as well so I'm not expecting them to take the division by storm as some are predicting. Their realistic goal should be to survive in the top flight this season and build on that year on year. Success does not come easily.

Toronto have not finished with their new signings for 2020.
Any team which has SBW and Richard Leutele in the squad is not going to finish 11th.

Castleford with new half Daniel Richardson is not going to finish ahead of Catalans which has Samuel Tomkins, James Maloney and Joshua Drinkwater.

Just my opinion, based on current squads. Catalans will need to get over their consistently terrible away form before they move further up my predictions table I'm afraid.

Fair point.

However I am optimistic that James Maloney and Joshua Drinkwater are going to make a huge difference to the Catalans' performances away.

That's a huge chunk of optimism there/their/they're jeannie, even if those two(2) plus ratboy don't suffer injuries they will need a far greater effort from the rest of the overrated over payed players' which were the shambles of a team that played last season.

based on last years form they are not

Great players can be an inspiration to other players in any team sport. For example Gregory Inglis and Samuel Burgess were an inspiration to other team members when they played for South Sydney Rabbitohs, and won the NRL Grand Final in 2014. I am calculating that James Maloney, interacting with Joshua Drinkwater in the halves, with Samuel Tomkins at full back, will provide new inspiration to the rest of the Catalans team.

Looking through this thread, you need to heed your own advice Jean that you posted in another topic.

The problem is mon ami neither Gregory Inglis or Samuel Burgess will be available to provide new inspiration to an under performing squad of players, your so called great players of last season did not do much inspiring and even Bernard Squash did not seem too impressed.

Strange phrase to use their Jean.
I an hoping, or I am guessing, but for you to "calculate" means you have entered data into an algorithm and the resultant data has declared that "it will happen".
The reality is that Sam was there last year and inspired mid table mediocrity. London, Leigh and East Hull reject josh failed to inspire any of those sides to anything other than lower table finishes whilst Maloney's star has waned over the last 2 years and he looks like another average aussie in France for the money. Whilst the Maloney of a few years back was a potent attacking weapon, he's lost his pace and that was shown last year in the NRL.

I wonder what your opinion of this trinity would be if they were at say Wakefield?

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

Joshua Drinkwater had a great season at Catalans in 2018, steering the team to a Challenge Cup final victory that year.

Joshua's release from Catalans at the end of 2018 in favour of the incompetent Matthew Smith was an inexplicable and monumental blunder by Steven McNamara and Bernard Guasch.

Joshua's return in 2020 is a recognition of the past blunder, and he can be expected to be an important factor in the renaissance of Catalans in 2020.




That is why Maloney was recalled to the prestigious State of Origin for games two (2) and three (3) this year, in which he kicked ten goals, created two try assists, and one line break assist, and thus was a crucial element in a winning team, even if overshadowed by the world's greatest full back -- the player of the series ward winner James Tedesco.

Maloney was rated one of the top three five eighths in the NRL in 2019, along with Cameron Munster and Luke Keary.

Beating a queensland side in transition is hardly an endorsement....Penrith (as wall as cronulla before them) didn't get their VFM.......he looked good in a Roosters side on the front foot, but mid table sides is where he was found wanting....and I've already explained what is required to be the worlds best player and being the best in Australasia isn't it

Maloney was found so wanting at Penrith in 2019 that he was recalled by selectors to State of Origin for games 2 and 3 (following a failed performance by South Sydney's Cody Walker in Game 1), and helped the NSW Blues side to a victory.

.

Cas will finish above Catalans. Doesn't matter which imports have been drafted in. Heard it all before with Greg Bird, Sam kasiano, Kenny Edwards, davis mead, Sam moa luke walsh, Glenn stewart, dave taylor, and so forth.

£50 bet to the charity of either choice ? I'll pay to which ever charity you want if Catalans finish above Cas, you pay £50 to Prince of Wales hospice if Cas finish above Catalans ?

Machine Gun Poster Jean is missing in action it would seem

He'll need to work out the exchange rate for the Euro,[size=50 or maybe the Australian Dollar[/size

no you won't........the lights have gone out in Kiev

He may have gone on strike in empathy with his fellow countrymen

, although I do believe that Chorley hasn't yet been affected by the walkouts in France



As for predictions, you would have to go for

Saints
Wigan
Wire
Hull
Warrington

Top five in no particular order

The rest could finish in any position from 5th to 12th

With London gone and Toronto spending big, the wooden spoon position is not so easy to predict

So you think that Warrington is entering two teams in Super League this year?

I hadn't heard that. Is it possible?

He probably meant that little old pit village Wakey.