Here's my prediction

1. Warrington W
2. Wakefield T
3. St Helens
4. Castleford T
5. Hull FC
6. Wigan W
7. Leeds R
8. Huddersfield G
9. Salford RD
10.Catalan D
11.Hull KR
12.London B

A very bold prediction at the top with only one of the big three in it. I think Catalans will be higher up the league, top 6 although I think you've got the Salford Rubber Ducks about right in 8

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

GF to include 2 from Wigan Saints Leeds Warrington.

My theory is based on the returning system where wins all season do really matter because there is no 6 7 8 cushion.
You don't make 5 then out.
So I'm looking a squad depth as the backbone of consistency...I think Wire and now Wakey who have bought big men and released no one. They realise that it was only forward depth that kept them a win off 4th.
So they were already a top 5 team. Hull FC have depth but had bad luck being hit on all areas of the spine...they'll not be so poor with those class middle backs in.

Catalans whole top challenge will rely on Tomkins and that constant flying didn't suit him in NZ.
Tbh I don't think there's much between 8 9 10. They could finish anywhere between themselves.

Leeds will be back next season. They've signed well and have a top class coach.

I'd have gone Leeds over Wigan if SOL hadn't resigned.

Why? He'll be injured for over half of the games and is on the decline.

I disagree, i think the leeds mystique has well and truly burst, they need to rebuild and start from scratch now, whilst we weren't a champion side in 17, we were still a capable team underperforming(severely) i think leeds' team is just broken, and is going to need a lot of work.

I would have SOL as our 13 and captain any day of the week for 2019. Proven winner and proven winning captain.

1. Wigan
2. Saints
3. Wire
4. Catalans
5. Salford
6. Cas
7. Wakey
8. FC
9. Huddersfield
10. KR
11. London
12. Leeds

Not sure about that. They still have a good team and lots of talented players. They've recruited the best out of all the SL teams so far in signing Loholea, Hurrell and Merrin. Three players who would walk into every SL team in my opinion. They still have players like Walker, Watkins, Briscoe, Parcell, Cuthbertson, Ward even Myler is a decent player.

I can see Furner having a similar impact as Price did. I was surprised Leeds managed to get him. He's one of if not the most highly thought of coaches in the NRL.

I wouldn't. Don't get me wrong he's been a top player. Probably one of the best in his position in the SL era but I would not take him now. He'll be 36 by the time the season starts, he was awful in the semi final and the Grand Final and he seems to be injury prone nowadays.

You say proven winner but what you really mean is he played in a successful team that won things otherwise Ryan Bailey is a proven winner, no? Or in football are West Brown and John O'Shea is proven winners? The four of them just played in great teams.

Wasn't Furner interviewed by us, but KF was more impressed by Price as he was the only one who actually analysed our performances video? I seem to remember reading somewhere that we were not very impressed by the responses of most other NRL coaches during the interviews... Maybe Furner is taking things more seriously now.

.....or leeds are so desperate they aren't so fussy??

I understand your point and comparisons, I would counter that SOL is a far better individual player than those you state. He will be rightly remembered as a legend of the Northern hemisphere game - in the way Peacock is.

Of course he is passed his best but he still had the vision to split our defence for the last try in the GF by switching play. What he would bring off field would be of great benefit too and he would be a far more effective captain than Hill.

Shows how low our game has sunk that SOL is considered a LEGEND! Very good player yes but not fit to lace Farrell or Sculthorpes boots. I dont think hes injured either....he got the hook from Bennett due to three consecutive errors led to a try. Cant be a legend (in a forward capacity) if your tackling technique has been consistently suspect at best. Wildly overrated IMO.

SOL is a legend.
He is up there with the near modern day best.
Farrell Sculthorpe and not out of place with Gregory and Pendlebury.

Yep understood. If Peacock is a legend, then SOL must be.

He has been wildly overrated by a lot of coaches Raper, Mike Greg, Betts, Millward, Noble, Maguire, Wane and now Lam.

Don't forget Smith...he loved him! Not saying he can't be rated highly...just IMO he's thought of a bit too highly. Farrell was a much better player. As an aside in his last 3 games he's been absolutely abysmal but he went on to win a GF and represent his country....so legend he is.

I agree with this entirely. In my opinion a very over rated player, who is a good grafter and captain, but that's it. Has got away with more offences at the disciplinary tribunals than any other player I can remember.

I won't bang on as I'm not saying SOL has made a career out of being getting a favourable deal from commentators. However, if we look at last Saturday after his poor kick it was treated as 'unlucky right idea' by the commentators, twenty seconds later his lazy penalty was ignored....as was 40 seconds later when their centre waltzed through a gap he'd left wide open. Now imagine another player had made those errors - theyd be caned in the commentary box and on the internet yet for him....nothing!

He's been a very good player not sure about legend status, it's probably a bit overused like world class IMO. However, if Wigan fans think he's a legend then that's their business as it would be ours when judging one of our own?

Would I have him at Wire next year? Not for me he's definitely on the wane, it happens to all players, but his excellence is based on being a pivotal force and I'm not convinced he's got that in him (cue a GF winning performance 2019 GRRR!!!)

I would not consider sol in the same division as A Farrell but he has definitely been a standout player, genuinely think his body is shot and has been very carefully managed by Wane over the last couple of seasons. Don't think there is enough left for me to want to sign him for next season. But then I wondered why we signed B Hodgson!

Played 26 games this season excluding internationals. The same as Murdoch-Masila.