Im not sure how you can say we dont have the skill level..... we are clearly the most skillful side superleague has had for a long time. I know we would have to improve in other areas but skill....

Sorry this is Bull $hit, you run really good set plays and are really well coached. You are getting great return out of some very average players and all credit to the club, players and coach for that! But you have Shenton tearing it up who is garbage. Ben Roberts total garbage and Eden who in a team like Wire or Widnes would be as $hit as he always has been. That's just a few players.

Fair play to you, it's great to see Cas up near the top, but you have got well ahead of yourself.

Watching old games the standered hasn't changed much. The only things that are frustrating now in the game in comparison to back in the day is the wrestling in the tackle and shoulder charges.

The officials don't bully the weaker sides more than they did.
Our England side doesn't ignore form as much so isn't half Leeds and half saints.
More competitive games make a season. Who wants to see Wigan, Leeds & Saints cruise into the top 3 every season and make the most grand finals.
Our sport in that respect is better.

I completely agree. Agreed, they play some really good rugby, but it was noticeable when we beat them at the KCOM, that an effective defensive side, caused them to just panic, go offload crazy, which wasn't skill it was headless chicken stuff

On the main topic though. Can only see Leigh, Widnes and Catalans as bottom 4 certainties. I suppose the Giants should be favourites for the bottom 4 too.

Haha! That sums it up really, nothing more needs to be said.

I think it's difficult to predict the winner of SL at this point in the season. Leeds were average during the regular season in 2011 and 2012, Wigan were falling apart at the back end of the 2013 regular season, as were Saints in 2014, and Wigan were really struggling with injuries throughout 2016. Yet they all went on to win at OT.

I guess this means then the Crown Jewels such as Williams and Percival must be e then?

That's you opinion and I respect it... I just think it's a little tinted by a nostalgic haze...

In my nostalgic opinion there haven't been quality props since players like jimmy Thompson, Trevor Skerrett and Jim Mills ... and Kevin Ward has never been surpassed!

Which says more about the period, in which I first started watching the game...

That said I'm really enjoying Superleague this year as my team is doing well... funny that isn't it?

If you think it's tinted by nostalgia fine...ehafs your argument against. Which SL props are in that class?

As for it being about how my team is doing, you couldn't be.more wrong. My team is joint 2nd in the league. They are doing fine. It's not a great team. 2 years ago we won the treble, I don't think the 201t treble winning side were a patch on the 04 side the 05 side or the 08 side.

yep that points difference the giants have is like and extra point...

widnes and leigh to come at home too, certainly in the giants hands at the moment a top 8 finish which was the aim for 2017 after finishing bottom last year.

Not poop just not as good as the top players 10-15 years ago.

Is Percival better than Jamie Lyon?
Is George Williams better than Adrian Lam?

I dont think that the Giants have anything to worry about, they seemed to have turned the corner.
It's going to be a tough ask for KR (or any of the Championship clubs) to compete with the current bottom 4 in SL and the prospect of a French derby plus, some of the other games, the middle 8's again promises to be more enthralling than the top 8, where Cas look nailed on for the LLS.

Certainly wont be easy but it never will, the inclusion of 2 french sides will make it a lot more interesting as a side that has to go to France twice vs a side that gets them both in the uk will be a big factor.

The middle 8's is always more likely to be the better entertainment due to the points total being scrubbed, from a KR POV I hope one team runs away with it and wins all 7 and that will give us a better opportunity to get up and avoid the MPG (can't see it though)

We had some great centres...King,Lyon,Gleeson,Hape,Senior,McKenna,Gidley,Connelly etc..

We had some great halves.. Long, Briers, Sinfield, Lam, Deacon, Paul brothers, Barrett, Johns, Stacey Jones, Harris, Martyn..i could go on in all positions thats just off the top of my head.

I agree its good that the competition seems to have leveled up, but it has certainly been the big clubs dropping down in standards than a general rise for the usual lower down clubs.the star quality is thin on the ground in comparison to a few years ago and before, it's blatant and you are in denial if you think otherwise imo.

Thing is this has reared it's head because the big clubs aren't doing so well. When (or if) they get back to where they 'belong', I'm sure we won't hear a peep about player quality.

TBH there is an element of truth in it. I've seen a lot of SL games on Sky that aren't much better than what i've seen in the championship this year.

Maybe there is, but like I said whose going to be bothered about it when Wigan or Saints are back at the top.

Are we pretending that people haven't highlighted a quality issue for the last 3/4years?

Agreed.I very rarely watch SL unless it is Leeds these days. Maybe watch Cas but there is a lot of poop on show.

And the big club jealousy is nonsense. Agree with Smokey, my club sit second and may well win the double this year after the treble 18 months ago, still held this opinion for a few years.

Of course we won't. The 'big clubs' aren't doing so cracking, which must mean the whole comp is at their standard - as soon as that tide changes we'll see 'Super League back at it's best'. That's how it works after being in those lofty towers for so long.

Firstly, I agree that it's typical to overlook the actual quality of your side as long as it's winning. I'm as guilty as anyone of this.

Secondly, I do agree that our current crop of players is inferior to those of a decade ago. Some exceptions but as an average I believe it to be true.

What I would say though is that those bygone players would find playing the current game, with its better-organised defences, wrestling, holding down and synchronised tackles a much bigger ask than in their day. And I don't for a minute believe that all of them would excel.

Short memories for sure. When we won the double most fans noted that it was because the competition was so poor. Our run to the final in th CC in 2013 our average score was something like 48-4. And we were dreadful for most of last year but finished 2nd and won SL.

The drop in standards was predictable. Its been ongoing as we're continually downgrading the quality of overseas players and are losing many of our best to the NRL due to cap differences, and no longer have RU to draw on for talent - and we'll continue to lose a few players that way as well.

The only way to improve is to focus all efforts on youth development. Its a long, slow process but its also sustainable - being a parasite on another league (NRL) or even sport (RU) hid how dreadful our development efforts have been almost since the sport started if we're being honest.

One of the things I do miss since the inception of superleahue and the advent of summer RL.. is the opportunity for top players to guest with clubs at the other side of the world... as a trinity fan I loved seeing players like Geoff Gerard, Wally Lewis, Steve Ella, Ray Price... even Dave Topliss took his opportunity to guest with Penrith and Balmain to become s better player.