I think technically it's actually more pressure on the home team, they're expected to perform by the home fans given the home advantage but as PW has said it's hasn't been the case.

The only thing this thread shows is how biased people are to their own Club.

Shocking. Who'd have thought it?

No I (was) a broncos fan, until the latest farce this winter and the retention of the Warder as Chief Exec, and I think we will do well to finish 18th!

Hull and Rovers to fight it out for 7th.

Salford and London ready for the drop. Wakey will also the among them.

I really can't call the top 4.

My team in the top 8, anyone but my team in the bottom two.

That's pretty much how this thread goes, right?

www.superleague.co.uk/article/29 ... s-top-four? Koukash will be disappointed with less than 6th place apparently - and some on here are predicting them for the drop!

www.superleague.co.uk/article/29 ... s-top-four? Koukash will be disappointed with less than 6th place apparently - and some on here are predicting them for the drop!

There's nothing wrong with talking your team up before the season. After all, it'd be a funny old boss who said "don't worry lads, I'll be happy as long as you beat Widnes and London. Here, have a pay rise."

But if Salford finish in the top 6, I will personally start a campaign for Brian Noble to be canonized by the pope.

You've done if now.

I reckon he will be disappointed.

Can definitely see noble getting the sack, koukash seems pretty unrealistic talking like this so early into his project.

Wire
Wigan
Leeds
Saints
Hudds
Catalan
Salford
Castleford
Hull
Bradford
Widnes
Hull KR
London
Wakey

Yeah, but to be fair it's usually based on solid, indisputable facts, namely:

1) The players in your squad that I've never heard of are, by default, not very good. None of them will ever establish themselves in the first team, including those that already have.
2) The experienced players your club has signed from my club are [iway[/i past their best. We had their best years and now they're just out for one last payday.
3) The less experienced players your club has signed from my club are poor. Second string at best. They'd never get into our first team past the stellar array of talent we can field.
4) Although you might think the same about the players my club has signed from your club, you're wrong. At my club they'll be surrounded by better players, better facilities and a better coaching staff. They'll thrive. Absolutely thrive.
5) The players your club has signed from elsewhere are players I wouldn't want in my squad. Erratic on the field and as mad as a bucketful of eels off it. I'm glad we didn't get them because they'd upset the delicate balance of our squad. You're welcome to them.

And that's why my club are in the top eight and yours will disappoint this year.

dont think anyone predicted hudds to finish top last season



aiming for top 4/5 this season so not sure we will finish top this time.

warrington
st helens
wigan
huddersfield
salford
leeds
hull fc
catalans
widnes
hull kr
castleford
bradford
wakefield
london

plenty of people, myself included, think itll be hard to pick were any of the top 5 will be precisely, theres nothing between them.

Be very surprised if Salford finish above Leeds though!

Well give me Nobby over Nathan "shrug your shoulders" Brown anyday, has the man started with his hints of moving on to bigger and better things yet ? I'm sure it won't take Mcmanus to long to give him the elbow ala Royce Simmons .

Huddersfield certainly moved forward once Ken Davy showed him the door, and that was with a ROOKIE!!!

To be fair, I think you're taking descriptions which only really apply accurately to Salford.

Salford no chance of Top 4 finish, I'll go them finishing 9th.

1) Wire
2) Pies
3) Leeds
4) Hudds
5) Saints
6) French Dragons

i've definatley used numbers 2 and 4 before

Hull will finish anywhere between 6-8 I think. Too light in the forwards to get any higher than that. Feka and Paea on the pitch at the same time is great, but take them off and we struggle. Backline looks strong from 1-5, even with the loss of Briscoe. Talanoa could be a real find.

Rankin, the Aussie schoolboy 6 that we've signed looks promising too, but who do we play with him?

Hooking wise I'm more than happy with Houghton and Heremaia.

Looking at other teams its difficult to predict really. Wigan have lost Tomkins, Warrington have lost a front row and Briers, Huddersfield haven't really lost anybody, saints have recruited the best of any team on paper and I always write Leeds off only for them to prove me wrong.

Ill go:

1 Huddersfield
2 Saints
3 Wigan
4 Warrington
5 Leeds
6 Catalan
7 Hull
8 Hull KR
9 Salford
10 Bradford
11 Widnes
12 Wakefield
13 Castleford
14 London

Not often I agree with an FC fan but here other than the order of the top 8 I can't see it involving any of the 9-14 clubs. Obviously Salford will more than disagree but as the Dr openly states, he's only been in the game a year so doesn't know everything yet!

IMO Rovers have possibly the best pack but the likelihood of them not being at Red Hall every week is slim! If we can keep the first choice pack on the pitch I have no doubt we can trouble the top 6 but 7th or 8th with a good run in the playoffs isn't such a bad place to come with so many new recruits.

Our halves haven't yet played together but Keating seems to have a very good kicking game and I'm looking forward to seeing him on the dry ground. Burns came good last year when Dobbo wasn't running the show, he came out of his shell a little and we got a good idea as to what he can do when given the ball more. I'm more than happy with them leading the pack around the field.

Welham is a very good centre who's had a couple of years bad luck. Charlie and Hodgson two very good try scorers with Omari for when we need some speed out there. A big question over Gleeson but if he plays to his potential I think he could be a solid centre although I'd like to see more of Liam Salter. Now as for Greg Eden he's got to be one of the brightest talents in the English game right now.

It is good that many people have written the Robins off but I can't help but think we will ruffle a few feathers along our way. We will lose our fair share of games but this is our best squad to date and too many people over rated Dobson and shouldn't read too much in to his departure causing us too much trouble.

Don't agree with KR having the best pack in the league at all. I'm a fan of Hodgson and Weyman if you can keep him fit he'll go well for you, Poore is a good signing too but nothing great. But apart from that your pack is nothing special. Costigan is nothing more than a workhorse, same as Langley who's done imo. Who else Larroyer, Cox, Horne, Walker brothers. I don't see how this is considered the best pack in the league?
As for your backs, good with ball in hand. But defensively awful has been for the last few years.

As for Hull, we really lack a player with that X factor who can win you a game from nothing since we lost Manu and Briscoe. Jamie Shaul has this potential and has showed it against quite a few teams including his debut against Wakefield scoring two. He has to cement a place in the first team though.

As for the league;

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

Ah Stats, aren't they wonderful?!

The difference is that Morley will be expected to do a lot of work for you and if you look deeper into those stats you'll find Chris Hill had almost 3 times as many carries as Morley (430 against 15icon_cool.gif and made almost 2000 metres more than Morley.
This would suggest that Morley will not give you as much gametime as you would hope, so although his average carry may be better by half a metre, if he can only do it in 1/3 of your games that's not looking quite so good is it.



FWIW I think Salford will be in a group of teams fighting for 7th-10th and if you can keep your players fit and on the field you could definitely make the playoffs, but the same can be said for lots of clubs. Injuries will as ever play a clear part in who makes the playoffs and who doesn't.

Looking forward to Feb 16th to see how my team match up to yours. On paper it looks like it should be a nice easy opening game for you, we'll see if that's how it works out on the field.

I didn't mean in the league I meant in that area of the league. I watched the derby friendly on Hullkr.tv and I would argue that Poore would fit well in to most SL top 6 sides, he is big, aggressive and not afraid to put his body on the line.

You mention our defence being weak out wide, well that has been addressed. Keating is a much better defender than Dobson while Burns was solid last season too. With a good back row looking after the outside backs I think it will knit in well. Hodgson and Cockayne are pretty good defenders although Cockayne can be caught out of position now and then. I expect Sandercock will improve that part of his game.

Our issues in the past few years have been down the middle, letting teams get a roll on and not being able to recover from it. The size of our pack should help in that area. The Walker brothers are big lads, Cox has been a SL regular for a year or so now and looks the part. James Green could certainly be a regular come the end of the year, one of the biggest (in size) youngsters since the Burgess boys.

I really can't see how you can say Langley is done? Give the game last Sunday a watch, he was a rock, defended very well and while his hit ups are nothing special I would still rather have him than say Rich Whiting!

You seem to dismiss the likes of Larroyer, Horne, the Walker bro's and even failed to mention Lovegrove. Very risky when all of them are big lads who each have dangerous aspects to their game. Individually they might not be world beaters but in a side that has the likes of Costigan, Langley, Weyman, Poore and Hodgson, they are certainly going to be good support. Injuries have hampered us over the past few years but with this kind of back up I can't see one or two injuries making much of a difference to our game plans. It means we don't have to rely on the likes of Paterson, Dobson and Newton...etc.