A Happy New Year to all. However, if Leigh's pack is consistently bullied (as looks more than likely looking round) this coming one may prove a long, long season resulting in another relegation. Big Ben will have to do much longer shirts as things stand but hopefully a full pre-season will facilitate that.

A 3 way scrap at the bottom for me. Leigh, Wakey and HKR all down there.

not a chance - leigh are the surprise package and will do well - leeds will struggle just you watch

Hi all and Happy New Year.
Interesting thread this one and here's my twopenneth for what its worth. Last year, much of our success was built on superior ruck speed rather than ultimate size. We had two middles in Amone and Asiata who whilst not massive were plenty big enough and who destroyed teams most weeks with pace and power. They were ably assisted by O'Donnell and Sidlow. Sidlow will be a miss but with the exception of the odd impressive handling stint he didn't really pull up any trees in the Championship. These players were the platform on which our season was built. Asiata, Amone and O'Donnell are still here. We have supplemented with a like styled player in Mulhern who was outstanding at the back end for Warrington and fits the style we play. Important to note that Mulhern is like for like with Sidlow in size and weight but for my money is faster, runs harder and with more intensity. Whilst it will be more difficult in Super League, my recollection of SL last year is that there is only really Saints, Wigan, Huddersfield and maybe Hull whose middles can live with the speed and intensity of Amone and Asiata.
Our starting halves, particularly Lam Jnr are excellent.
Ipape has the quality to make a difference but i would like to see a similar set up to last year with Smith playing from the start and Ipape coming on when there are tired legs to get the most from him.
We have a back line as good as most teams and whilst Ferguson will be a big miss we have enough there to win plenty of games if we win the grind in the middle and that is more about ruck speed and intensity than size. I can see us finishing top 6 with a fair wind. All the talk is about Ipape and i love him as much as the next Leyther, but it is Amone and Asiata who will set the tone and win us games.
C'mon the Leythers.

Strongly agree. Leeds have made some unusual signings this close season including two from us who wouldn't get near our first team this year. I can only see them struggling.

Think we are one good prop and a replacement winger away from a great side. If we could get those think we could be mid-table if not may be in the bottom 4 dogfight. If the side gels like it did last year under the mentoring of Lamey and we hit the ground running we could go well all about getting some momentum and hoping we don’t get the early season injuries we always seem to suffer from. I am going for 9th place fingers crossed!

With an initial first team squad of 38 players, Leeds won't need to worry as much about potential injuries as we will do with such a small group.

Seems to be quite a few contradictions in your post here squire

I think we all know our Team will struggle this coming season unless a few quality additions are added , I sure Derek and Lammy dont need telling this , in my mind we have a few fringe players who are not good enough either, hopefully we sign a couple of players soon , it’s no good in SL relying on loan players .

Good point B & B and a happy New Year to you and yours. Leeds do have 38 players in their squad and a very good starting 13. However their depth consists of very young academy players or unproven Championship players. They will struggle as soon as they have any injuries. In addition Nene has been given number 4 which would suggest he will be in that starting 13. He would not get near our playing squad this year.
I still think they will be in for a tough season.

38 players in a squad counts for nowt. Only 25 count on the cap. Only 17 count on the day. Leigh are shy a little weight prop wise. But we have pace..

Pace pace pace..

As long as we don’t sign Hale as well.

Well hopefully another Prop is announced soon to Polish up our front row , don’t want to Chuck away the good work we have done in recruitment

By your capitalisation of both "Prop" & "Polish" are you hinting at Oledzki?

As to "Chuck" (with the greatest of respect), Signor Caroli may be a tad on the light side - though Bongser would love to be proved completely wrong (not for the first time).

Very true Bongser , and of late I must have lost around 8lbs in weight , and I’m not as fast as I used to be.

Unfortunately not heard that one , but hoping this one Shines out for us

Jeez theres going to a lot of Leythers surprised in 2023. Relegation/just staying up? Look at the spine of the team.. Zak, Lockie, Edwin and JA, supplemented with the likes of Amone and Leutele all 6 are top 4 SL players. Yes we have a few wild cards in the squad but im looking forward to see if Lammy can earth a diamond in Wildie, Davis, Gannon etc..

To top all that we are a club with no debt, no government loans, cap money to spend (and will spend it) and now an overseas spot up for grabs. Theres not a chance we will be in the bottom 4 of Super League. Current squad will push for top 6 and the squad will only get better as the season progresses.

No debt, are you sure - do directors loans not count

Difficult for me to grasp where this squad stands, some definite quality in there but deffo missing serious grunt, we only have one “big” prop and from what I saw last season he has a lot to prove

Also seems to be a small squad in terms of numbers, expected more to have been added by now, but it worked for us last season so let’s see how it pans out

Is anyone else concerned about our super experienced wing pairing?
Josh Charnley - 297 games 248 tries
Tom Briscoe - 357 games 183 tries

Somehow this seems to be a weaker pairing than Fergy and Inu. I am hoping experience trumps speed.

Inu did state he didn't think he was up to another superleague stint presuming he he was listening to his body , as for fergy we could have lost him mid way through the season which would have had more of disruption so I suppose we are fortunate to have Charnley and brisco to come in don't think many other teams would have able to do the same . Little rumour going about Jared w Hargreaves would he be the difference to the pack were all saying is needed ?

a directors loan causes difficulty if he/she wants it back and forces club into liquidation to claim a fraction back which will never happen.... id be more worried if we had a million pound of government debt that we had to start paying back but we dont... more clubs next year will spend less on players because they will have to cut their cloth accordingly meanwhile come May we will be cherry picking the best of the best from the rest because we will have a growing fan base, brand with increased commercial revenue and no debt...

As for props Tom Amone will be one of the best in the league, Rob Mulhern will add good punch and there is sizeable back up in davis and big ben behind them... that said i totally agree a couple of stand out signings in that department will add real quality to us and help us achieve play offs.. what nobody can account for is injuries which like any season will be crucial..

If we don't add another couple of big forwards and a class outside back to our small squad, you can forget any top half table finish as injuries and suspensions will no doubt hit in. Re Charnley and Briscoe - lots of welcome experience but both way past their best. Will Briscoe's heart be in it or is he just glad to get another seasons pay cheque. I can see him having another long layoff with injury. Best 17 will give anyone a game but the squad is too weak. Re Big Ben I think he proved himself last season and he was a standout player for Fiji in World Cup. I'm sure Lam and Co have this covered and further signings will come in.

11th. !!!

....and your tip for 12th, Snowy? Whoever it is, it's to be hoped that they're not insulated by IMG's nonsense.

I know you were asking Snowy (and I’m confident he knows the game better than me), but i thought I would throw in my 2 cents. I just don’t see Wakey doing what they have so often done before, that being not come 12th. I actually have huge respect for their resilience as a club, but this may be a season too far for them.
(Happy New Year B&B)