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

Warrington and wigan will be the top two teams. I am looking forward to seeing ratchford and myler in the halfs. I think obrien will push on and would like to see evans as a starting centre. Asotasi you would like to think will play more than moz. I have heard good things about england and i rate glenn riley and he will push on imo. I also think that we will be a pacy side and am looking forward to seeing russell and hopefully penny has improved. We will obviously miss briers but he did miss a lot of matches last year. Surely if smith thought we were not improving then moran would have surely got his chequebook out. This is a new era .

1) Wigan
2) warrington
3) Huddersfield
4) Leeds
5) saints
6) hull
7) Catalans


Salford
9) widnes
10) hull kr
11) Bradford
12) castleford
13) Wakefield
14) London

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

I just don't see where the optimism is coming from with Wire.
They have lost so many key players that next season will be one of transition.
I think its like the situation at Saints when their great team broke up, a couple of years of odd results beckon.
The bottom three in no particular order will be London, Bradford and Wakefield.
It could be worth a bet that the first two don't even start or complete the season.
My prediction
1. Leeds
2. Wigan
3. Hudds
4. Hull
5. Saints
6. Wire
7. Salford
8. Widnes
9. Catalan
10. Hull KR
11. Cas
12.Wakefield
13. Bradford
14. London

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

Widnes below two clubs that have or are going bust?
Thats just silly!

Not necessarily, there's every chance if teams have players that can put in at least 15 decent performances, together.

Do London have any players though?
And will Bradford either, the way things are going on?
Widnes are a stable club with a settled squad, why would they do worse than last season when clubs are imploding?

Sometimes you have to separate the club from the 13 humans on the field playing the other 13 humans.

Well preferably, we need to finish in the top 3. The WCC that Uncle Garry has supposedly negotiated, will pit the top 3 from SL and the NRL, and we don't wan't to miss out on that.

Unfortunately, unlike last year, we have a lot of unknowns. I don't think many people will have seen Russel, England, or Penny play last year, and only a few will have seen Asotasi. Add to that the likelihood of Dwyer, GOB, Riley and Laithwaite being given quite a few games, and we have quite a cocktail. Lets hope the head barman knows how to get the most out of the individual components.

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

I fancy Leeds to have a very strong season, and Huddersfield to have another good campaign (though I still don't see them as champions).

Saints will stand or fall by how their new halfbacks gel but can't see them higher than 5th and I can't see Wigan repeating last year's success, though I was wrong about them last year.

From 6th-11th could finish in any order but Salford might finish highest, and Bradford, Wakefield and particularly London look set for a long season on and off the field.

I can't see us any higher than 4th, and given the turnover in senior players that would be a decent achievement tbh.

Widnes have done nothing in terms of recruitment to make me think they will do anything this coming season.

It's all opinions and that, but I can't see how anyone can pick any clubs in the bottom three other than London, Bradford and Wakefield.

I imagine that the players who have signed for Bradford will be seriously re considering their decisions, and presumably commitment, if they aren't getting paid.

Widnes finished 10th last year, were inconsistent, but had some big wins, and seem to have gone for steady rather than spectacular in recruitment.
I suppose that is how they are trying to get more consistent on a small budget, and it could be argued that Danny Tickle will give them more than Gareth Hock did.

If you look at Wires recruitment it could be equally argued that it doesn't look very inspiring or ambitious, and I suppose everyone is hoping that some of the really good young talent makes a big breakthrough.

If the situations at London and Bradford worsen, it could render promotion and relegation immaterial, as the clubs might implode anyway.

I can see widnes really struggling they just dont have the quality. I cant see how people are putting us lower down the table. I am sure that smith said in the press that we have been building towards this side in the last few years.

I have put Leeds in 1st but the top 4 could be in any order. Very interesting season ahead. I think aslong as we don't lose a number of key players we will make the top 2.
1. Leeds
2. Wire
3. Wigan
4. Huddersfield
5. Saints
6. Hull
7. Catalan
8. Salford
9. Hull kr
10.Castleford
11.Widnes
12. Bradford
13.Wakefield
14. Harlequins

dont wish to be a picky sod (unlike some on here) but when you say 6th to 11th should be close,then shouldnt salford be 6th not cats..carry on posting mate..do like reading your posts and im a fan of the smiths my self...the queen is dead is my favourite lp

From a Widnes fans perspective I'm quietly confident about the upcoming season. Last year we improved massively on our first year in the league, and I don't see why we can't improve yet again. Last season we only signed 3 players, Hock, Brown and Phil Joseph and we have learnt that continuity is important for us. This year we have only signed Tickle, Galea, Johnson and Carberry (for when Clarke retires) and these signings will improve our squad massively. We're also after one more prop, with Carvell being watched with Bradford's situation. Last year we lost 12 games when the margin was less than 10 points and hopefully with the squad continuing to understand each other and evolving this will be even less next year. Our 3 main players of Hanbury, Brown and Mellor will be key for us and if they stay fit we'll be play off contenders, without a doubt. The only concern amongst Widnes fans is in the pack, we still need another prop and Carvell could be that player. How anyone can say we'll finish below London is absurd.

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

GF Winners - Warrington
CC Winners - Warrington
MoS - O'Loughlin
SL Rookie of the year - Anthony England
Leading Try Scorer - Matty Russell

Leftfield Prediction - Matt Bowen to retire and go home before Easter
12.

I take it that you have just finished off the bottle of malt that you were given at Xmas.

Thats a very strange comment, Hock maybe a loose cannon disciplinary wise but he can also be a devastating runner and excellent off loader...
Danny Tickle however has been in decline for the last 2 years...Usefull goal kicker that is all...

I'm not sure what you are getting at with Wire's recruitment when we sign players for big money we are accused of trying to buy trophies, We've brought in an experienced forward in Asotasi and two promising lads in Russell and England, with more young lads to be promoted to the 1st team...
The players that have been released or retired are the players that other teams fans were calling too old and the reason (a lot of Wigan fans said) we failed to get over the line in the Grand Final last year...

Now these players have been released all of a sudden (according to opinions i've read on numerous boards) we are now going to struggle with the loss of them and we are now in transition...? Strange...

Despite Shaun Wane's protestations at times Wigan's young lads have done their club proud & pointed the finger at youth development being a better route to success than big name ,big money signings. One of the most important necessities these days is for a player to still have enough left in his tank for 80 minutes.

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

heard it all salford above wire..dear oh dear..lay off the vino if i were you son

Weeellllll, I can't quite make my mind up about Salford. I still think some of their signings are questionable but I'll be happy to be proven wrong, most of their fans a decent bunch, they've had an appalling few years, Wilkinson is a good bloke and they sit astride a huge catchment area so good luck to them.

What I do hope is that the expected improvement at Salford means the competition as a whole is stronger and if that means Salford dishing it out to Wigan, Leeds, Saints etc. but saving their worst for us, I'll be cheering as loudly as anyone outside Barton!