Yeah was fine with that last season but its got to be a fight for both this season but the squad is there for the challenge not getting my hopes up of Grand Finals and going Wembley again as I never thought I would see Wire win at Wembley to be honest, would like to see us consistent in the league for once be around the top 4 for most of the season, main thing am excited about is Richie Myler like you said its been years since we had a proper No 7 just been reading he's training with Joey Johns at the moment which is great for the lad, really can't wait for the season now.

Personally i would like to see us start with King and Atkins as the 2 centres, i would play King at right centre and play Ryan Atkins in his natural position of left centre. Thats a lot of power and pace in the centres.

Matt King has played on the right side at rep level albeit on the wing but he looked sound enough, we played him on the right wing last year and if i remember right he played well.

With a centre line up of Atkins and King i would say that we would have potentially the best starting centre pairing in the league, Matt Gidley is a class at saints but they are weak at left centre.

This current team would beat that 93/94 side.
93/94 side had 3 very good players (Davies, Bateman, Mackay) who carried the rest although the rest were hard workers and a good team unit.

The 93/94 pack was well off the pace of the current team.

I would rather have Penny on the wing then Hicks.The problem i have with Hicks he dosnt take the man on the outside.He seems to cut back in which 9 out of 10 results in being tackled.Penny seems more likely to go round the man.I know Penny has his knockers biut i think a couple of good early games from him we could really see something special this season.

Saints look weak to me in some areas, but I reckon they'll be alright at left centre. If Gary Wheeler stays fit, he could be a revelation in that position this season. They also have Sia Soliola who while better at second row would be a decent left centre in Super League.

Back to our squad, and I agree with other posters who say its the strongest they've seen since they started watching Wire. Only Leeds can boast similar strength in depth IMO.

That's providing that they perform if and when called upon, Neill, Blythe and Mitchell could well be in the last chance saloon.

The reason I put Atkins on the wing outside King is that his assist stats are dreadful, probably the worst of any centre in SL. However, he is big, strong and quick and a good finisher. I would start him on the wing and see how his centre skills develop through coveriing for the inevitable injuries as the season goes on. I like Riley and think he has improved immensely but with my logical hat on, I think Atkins makes us a more dangerous team aginst the top opposition. I think Bridge is streets ahead of Atkins as a centre at the moment but that could change if Atkins develops his skills under Smith.

I wouldnt be suprised to see us take 2nd. Like Hull after their cup win.
Lets hope we dont drop off the pace as miserably as they did

Have you changed your mind? I'm sure you though King was a terrible centre. Why not Bridge?

The first bit of that is a big call. I know what you mean re the cutting back in; he appears to look for the biggest opposition player and then just run at him - he never beats him. Presumably that is some tactic.

The second bit - how wonderful would it be to see Penny fulfil all that promise....

The only thing Atkins has is pace,his awareness is poor.He cant see the pass when its on.Put outside a world class ,who release him.I think we will have a very strong powerful runnning winger.You look at leeds Hall is monster who is fast as lighting saints have Gardner who is big and strong.We had Riley and Hicks who dont really put the fear of life into you,

Atkins would make a tremendous winger, international class imo
We haven't bought him for that. If he works hard he yet still could make a good centre

So your saying Smith will drop King, Bridge to accomadate him.I dont think so. Bridge for me was one of the best in SL last season.King well is Matt King we all saw how devastating how he can be, in the semis thats when he showed how much class he has.So for me thats what my would be come start of the season.

King will play at 5 imo to start the season

No, i havn`t changed my mind about anything. I just think Matt King is a stronger option than Chris Bridge at centre plus he`s quicker and harder to stop close to the line, he also gives you the advantage of height and with the short kicking games of Lee Briers and Richie Myler not many will out jump Matt King.

Having Ryan Atkins and Matt King in the centres gives us pace and power, Chris Bridge just gives you a fairly solid game without the X factor that Matt King is capable of as per the Wigan semi final, his height and strength close to the line is hard to stop.

My main point about Matt King previously is his lack of centre skills with ball in hand, he should beat more first tacklers than he has done previously and you don`t see him stepping past many players with nimble footwork, its his skills close to the line with his height and size that are a big plus which is why i would have him in ahead of Chris Bridhe especially now that we have 2 good kickers from hand.

Bridge is better beat the man sort of player than King.

Its pretty good depth and shows your level at around 4th or 5th on par with the likes of Wigan and Huddersfield.

Compared to Leeds' 18th man onwards...

18 Carl Ablett - SR
19 Luke Burgess - PR
20 Jay Pitts - PR
21 Kyle Amor - SR
22 Michael Coady - CE
23 Kallum Watkins - CE
24 Luke Ambler - PR
25 Paul McShane - HK

I think I'd take pretty much all of the above. Only ones who havent made a leeds SL appearance yet are Ambler, Coady and Amor. Amor is no doubt a rea talent and after seeing these 3 really impress in the Wakefield friendly. Also expect to see big seasons from Ablett & Burgess, both very good players and vastly underrated.

Leeds are head and shoulders above imo.

As for Rob, Bridge is quicker than King easily.
I'd take Bridge as my first choice centre in the team next year. In fact he's the first outside back on my teamsheet

Just a bit! You guys seem to have a good squad next season, better than most (including Saints) but without trying the boast, the Leeds squad especially the forwards is unbelievable! Players like Bailey, Kirke and Diskin, who have all won 3/4 GFs may find themselves watching from the stands in the big games. Our young, powerful and very talented forwards are going to storm SL!

I'd add Kelly Shelford to that list of 3 ... fantastic player when he could be bothered and for alot of that season he was.

You're dead right about that pack though - the word "workmanlike" was invented for a pack like that.

Honourable mentions also to 2 very underrated players IMO from that team - Chris Rudd and Rob Myler.

I think the 93/94 backline would comfortably hold their own. As has been said, the pack would run out of steam againt the current setup.

I had included Deacon in your 17 as inter-change hooker type bench spot. Do you not think he'll be in your first choice 17?

Karl Pryce and fit go together about as much as Katie Pryce and celibacy do. He'll be as much use as he has been for the last two seasons - why was he given a contract extension?

Farrell against McCarthy is a toss-up but Mossop rather than Vinnie Anderson is being silly.

I think Coops is going to have a big season and with TS prefering one prop on the bench rather than two I can see Woody having trouble getting in the 17.
With the likes of Grix, Clarke, McCarthy, Atkins, Woody and Kev Penny also in the squad I don't see why we can't have a really good year. More quality in this side than we've had since the start of SL imo, and at last a proper scrum half not a hooker who can play a bit of 7.

Mathers
Hicks
Bridge
King
Riley
Briers
Myler
Morley
Monaghan
Carvell
Westwood
Louis
Harrison

Subs
Higham
Cooper
Vinnie
Solomona

I personally think that Deacon will be first choice scrum half with Leululai interchanging with Piggy at hooker, or at the very least on the bench like you say. At times last year we looked lost and clueless in the opposition's 20 and lacked a kicking game throughout the season- we had the Jekyll and Hyde version in Tim Smith who was terrible at times, and neither of our halves (Tomkins and Leululai) can really control a game. This is where I see Deacon fitting in well.

On Karl Pryce, I don't know why he has been given a contract tbh, none of us Wigan fans do. But one thing is for sure Lenegan really does rate Karl, actually saying he has the potential to be "world-class". Somehow I don't see it.

By the way before going too off topic with Wigan discussion

..
I agree with you guys that you probably do have the deepest squad depth other than Leeds and can certainly see you being top 4 if not higher especially with a coach like Tony Smith.

Don't expect Deacon to deliver the killer pass. He will kick teams to death, especially with the short kicking game.