Anyone fancy predicting the top 4 or 5 in the league??

1. TO- Looking strong but French! up and down with travel
2. Broncos- depth and experience in the squad a concern
3. Fev- very much dependant on Leeds DR
4 Leigh- bought big again but will they play as a team
5 Bulls/York

Its an interesting league

Interesting you dont think widnes will feature.
I reckon it's going to be pretty competative though.
Would like to think we can be in the top 3 and in with a shout when it comes to the play offs

I wouldn't write off Widnes or Fax.

As for us with our lack of squad depth we'll do well , really well to make top 5 - realistically we'll be top half of the table and perhaps able to make a serious push for promotion in 2021,especially if our youngsters have learnt from first team opportunities that may have come their way in 2020.

It should be an interesting season. I'd like to think we will be near the top end but not sure we have much depth in the squad. It will depend a lot on how the team gel and work for each other. So far, DW has done very well in that respect.

Leigh will go well this season and they just signed Bienek on a season long loan form hull. Feels like a kick in the teeth

Think it's a bigger kick in the teeth for Bradford to be honest, Leigh's announcement of Bienek and Cameron Scott coming 2 days after the Bulls had announced a DR partnership with Hull.

Another London player who hasn't made it at SL level. Walker will be the next one returning to London with his tail between his legs

In my opinion Bradford wont be anywhere near but Haven and Oldham will be far enough of the pace for them to stay up comforatbly. I don't see Fev reliant on DR unless Im missing something? I think Fev with good use of dual reg again have the strongest squad in the league. Id probably go Fev top followed by Toulouse and York if I had to be pushed on it.
Leigh have probably signed enough to make the play offs without troubling the top 2 but will probably spend again closer to the playoffs. London I reckon they could change position with Leigh but if anyone will be a surprise omission from the top 5 it could be them although I dont see Fax or Widnes as strong enough to make it in reality.
Sheffield are a tough one to predict after last season but comparing squads they shouldn't make the top 5 so they could end up in the group of Widnes and Fax in missing out.
I think that will leave a group of Swinton, Bradford, Dewsbury and Batley, Swinton again always play good rugby and if they pick up some wins early doors then they will be fine. Bradford obviously massively weaker after losing so many players but with Leeds and Hull feeding them players to gain experience they will be fine. Leave Desbury and Batley and other than Lunt signing for Batley both teams recruitment has been pretty poor and they will be thankful for having 2 weaker teams in the division. Haven is tough to go to which should get them some points but I doubt it will be enough and I expect Oldham to get a few spankings, they look way off the pace and struggling for players.

Agree with just about everything in the above.

Not necessarily predicting like GFB that Fev will finish top as there are definitely a few questions to answer - can Webster be more effective as a Championship coach than he was in SL, how will the veteran forward signings Ferguson/Ferres perform, how close to his best and how often will Chisholm be etc - but on paper we have a squad that should challenge for top 3. Yes we will use DR extensively, and if we get McLelland for extended periods that will be a big boost, but as GFB says it's wrong to say we are very much dependent on DR - some of the fringe Leeds players would struggle to get a game if all our alds are fit.

I'm not as down on London as I was a few weeks ago as the starting pack looks really good but the backs and, especially, depth are big question marks. Ward clearly remains a positive though.

Leigh have done a fair bit of recruiting but they looked a bit iffy defensively sometimes last season yet seem to have concentrated more on attack (Sammut etc).

I watched Toulouse in their pre-season game yesterday and they looked the better side for chunks of the game against Catalans. Toulouse are sure to be up there again, they do seem to lose form somewhere along the way though every season, but if they play to their potential with consistency they might be the team to beat.

York have recruited well and what's more they have done it in positions of weakness. Teams will see them as a "big game" this year that they have to get motivated for, but I'd still be surprised if they aren't top 5.

As you know ive changed my opinion on London multiple times during the off season but I think as other teams have strengthened Ive got them a bit lower down. If I had to pick 2 teams with high expectations whos supporters could be disappointed come the end of the season it would be London and Leigh. If Leigh are safe in the playoffs though closer to the end of the season I expect a spending spree from them to go all out for that dangling carrot.

Has alex Waller been put out on loan at wakey?

Interesting comment made re alex walker, has he been sent out on loan by wakey did I miss that?

What are you going on about ?

He's got the No1 jersey at Wakey

Ryan Hampshire is a better fullback than Walker. Hampshire only got the No.29 jersey as he walked out of Wakey believing he was worth more than he thought without getting a gig so it will be interesting if Alex keeps his No.1 jersey spot. Amazed he walked away from the Broncos.

Comment from WQ that Walker will be the next one who will not make it in super league that's what am on about! He has already had a pretty good season in SL and won the plaudits of many. I reckon he will do well at wakey!
Lots of players from lots of backgrounds step up and dont make it in SL a fair few do though, from london LMS! Being a pretty good example.
Clubby ain't done too bad or sarginson
As for Lewis B think everyone was a bit surprised with his move so it's no real shock that he never made the grade, although the fact he is on loan and not shipped out permanent says a lot about future potential

Forget last season, that's gone. We will be fine in defence, my worry is in the halves, I'm not convinced with them yet.

I reckon your backs look good and you would be fine with a Ridyard & Sammut combo but you don't win the championship without a very good pack, thats where I see Leigh's major problem.

Ridyard is 4th choice halfback, and this is a very impressive pack if you ask me. This lot will maul Fax to death, and be a match for the top teams in the championship too.

8. Nathan Mason
9. Liam Hood
10. Mark Ioane
11. Ben Hellewell
12. Andy Thornley
13. Danny Addy
15. Jordan Thompson
16. Sam Brooks
18. Tom Spencer
21. Nick Glohe
23. Callum Field
26. Lewis Bienek
27. Alex Gerrard

Blimey. Five ex-Bronco players.... 6 if you include Sammut.

Fev, London, Toulouse, possibly even York's pack look better if we are honest. I suspect Leigh will be quite easy to read as they really can only have 1 or 2 plans for which half backs are on the field, its not like they can have a different plan for each half back as if they were to try that it would be chaos with the players around them. Having 1 or 2 plans isn't a disaster like its just you need to pummel teams up front for it to work. That pack isn't going to pummel many teams.

With Jarrod in the squad you think there is a plan! Have we forgotten how he plays, half the time am not sure he knew himself what he was doing! Nothing wrong with that but dont think it's something that's predictable.
Think leigh will be a handful.
Hope Jarrod has a decent season I know he has been through the mill lately.

Look Greg, you've always looked for a flaw in the Leigh side every season. It looks like you have some kind of obsession going on. If our halves DO get to do something decent, then Leigh will be a handful,trust me.

He won us a few games when we were struggling to break teams down, thats for sure.