If you're looking for a distraction from the Christmas chaos, predict your final league table for 2019.

St Helens
Warrington
Castleford
Wigan
Leeds
Catalans
Wakefield
Hull
Huddersfield
Hull KR
Salford
London

St Helens and Warrington's squads look stronger than the rest - Walmsley and Thompson should easily be the best starting front row. Austin looks a good buy for Warrington though other high profile NRL players have come here and flopped. I think Cas will be at a similar level to last year - just depends on whether they can finally get it together in the big games.

We'll likely drop off a little but I still think we have enough to get in the playoffs and have a crack from there. How Hardaker goes on and off the field will be key. I think we have enough to cover Bateman and Sutton in the pack and the backs are unchanged bar Tomkins. If Zak can stay on the right path and get onto the field consistently he could be huge for us.

Leeds will surely improve significantly with Furner's arrival though Im still not convinced about the halves or their front row. Catalans won't start as badly as last year and Tomkins will give them an added edge. I would have had them higher before I saw their squad numbers yesterday - a strong 17 but no depth whatsoever.

The size of Wakefield's pack is frightening but Im not convinced Danny Brough will work out for them. Wouldn't surprise me if they made the 5 though - they've done it for the last couple of years. Hull and Huddersfield will have their moments but can't see them being consistent enough to get in the playoffs.

Salford have a good halfback combination that will cause some damage but the pack just isn't good enough for me. Hull KR are a bit of a mystery - last year one week they looked very strong, the next very poor. If Drinkwater signs they could get up towards mid table. London look to have the poorest squad by far so will surely finish bottom.

Leeds will bounce back, Wire will be stronger but I still have some doubts about them being better then Saints or Wigan tbh. If Saints stay as injury free as last year they’ll be up at the top you’d think. The front row of Walmsley, Roby and Thompson is international class and there can’t be many better at club level around the world.

I’ll go-

Saints
Wigan
Warrington
Leeds
Catalans
Wakefield
Castleford
Hull
Hull KR
Salford
Huddersfield
London

On paper I think 1.Saints, 2.Wire and 3.Leeds will finish in the top 3 with us 4th.

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

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

No way will Hull kr finish below Salford, they have made some cracking signings, Jimmy Keinhorst [Leeds Rhinos, Weller Hauraki [Salford Red Devils, Ryan Lannon [Salford Red Devils, Mitch Garbutt [Leeds Rhinos, Kane Linnett [North Queensland Cowboys, Josh Drinkwater [Catalan Dragons

London and Salford will certainly be the bottom two clubs, we should have a really competitive league with the exception of those two sides.

Warrington
Leeds
Saints
Wigan
Catalans
Hull FC
Huddersfield
Castleford
Hull KR
Wakefield
London
Salford

The sad truth is that it really doesn’t matter where anybody finishes as long as you’re in the top 5 and then the season can start. Reward for mediocrity awaits.....

Route to Grand Final
Finish 1st = at home to 2nd or 3rd. If you lose you get another chance at home to 3rd, 4th or 5th
Finish 5th = away to 4th then away to 2nd or 3rd, then away to 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

I know which route I prefer!

Not with this format it isn't

We'll smash it

I’ll go for my top four as..

1,wire,
2,Saints,
3,Leeds,
4,Wigan

Saints
Wigan
Wire
Leeds
Catalans
Cas
Wakey
Hull KR
Hull
Hudds
Salford
London

Realistically, I think that top 3 could finish in any order, as could the group Ive stuck down for places 4-10. Fairly competitive season, hopefully, and a better play off system to cap it off.

Of course it is. It’s slightly better than last season but the reality is that a team can probably lose 10 games and still become champions. It’s better to finish 1st for sure but it’s definitely not the end of the world if you don’t.

You said it doesn't matter where you finish as long as your in the top 5?
Finish 4th or 5th and we 99.9% won't win it.
Everyone will bust a gut to finish 1st or 2nd
How's that rewarding mediocrity?

Remember when we finished fifth two seasons in a row and won the league?

Not under this system though.

I stand by my comments but time alone will tell. I’d genuinely love to be wrong on this. I really hope teams go all out every week but I can’t see it happening. Taking Wigan just as an example, I can’t remember us putting a full strength side out in a game against Widnes. I put this down to the fact that we can afford to take a chance and risk losing a few games. As long as we have a play off system it’ll remain the same. Bet your life if finishing top made you champions then every team would put their strongest side out week in and week out. I know it’ll never happen and as I said, I’d love to be proved wrong.

Teams would still rest players for CC semis and finals and probably the earlier rounds too, were the payday that is the grand final removed from the calendar.

You’re right they would but it would less tempting. I’m just not a fan of the play off system, regardless of format. I suppose I’m just an old fashioned old sod!

One man's "resting players against Widnes" is another man's "giving some of the promising youngsters some valuable game time". Sometimes I wonder why I don't see equivalent complaints from Aussie fans about the regular season not mattering. With a top 8, too, in the NRL!

Under the top 5 system no team from outside the top two 2 even made the Grand Final.

I see use as an unknown quantity this year. New coach/backroom staff, potentially new playing style, player changes etc. Hard to predict this season.

Was it top 6 when Bradford won it from third?

Yes, 2005.