On paper we will as always have the 12th position squad on ability, we spend the least, and if you had to put money on it nobody would criticize you for picking us to finish last. The reality is there will be some good sides in the bottom four. Every pundit will put Widnes , Leigh and Wakey in the bottom four. They may well suggest Huddersfield or Catalan for the other spot.
I think that Warrington, Wigan , Cas , Saints, Hull have no worries about a bottom four finish. I think the rest, Catalans, Widnes, Leeds, Salford, Leigh, Hudds and us will be competitive and four of the 7 will be disappointed. As always we will need our fair share of luck with injuries, we will need a great team spirit. We have to to be fit and we need to lean how to defend, somehow the coach has to work another miracle and reduce our average points against fro 40 + to 20 in order to give ourselves a chance.

I think until we put back to back play off seasons together, we will always get written off.

Still really hard to predict with I think some player movements to be confirmed in an out with all super league teams.

Out of last years middle 8 teams in Leeds, Huddersfield and Salford, I can see Leeds returning to the top 8, but not challenging the top 4. I see Huddersfield improving but may still be a middle 8 side, or at best scrape 8th, and Salford middle 8's with newcomers Leigh.

I see the top 4 staying as it it was in 2016, with maybe the order changing, maybe Castleford pushing the top 4 but missing out. Potentially, I also see Catalan dropping a couple of positions..

I think we will be among those sides fighting for one of the last play off spots with Widnes and Huddersfield.

They might be but ateotd like you say the finished just one place above us & are far far better odds than us. Anyone remember our odds at the start of last year?
I'm not into betting at all thus don't know how the odds are made etc but I'd have thought Trinity, Widnes, Salford and Leigh would be around the same odds. Leigh at 33/1 and us at 200/1 is a bit crazy tbh. Neither teams have any chance of winning but at least our side has experience at this level and have just finished in the Top 8. Saying that the likes of Kear & CC will love being written off and given the underdog tag again this year and will use it as a tool to get that bit more out of the team.

On the whole Leeds will improve but I'm not sure they'll be Top 4, I don't think they've recruited really anything since last year. Granted Segeyaro made a big difference for them but basically it's the same side. Similarly Hudds I don't think their squad is quite good enough and will be probably fighting it out to not be in that bottom 4 again. I don't think Salford on paper look as good as last year, neither do Catalans. Widnes look to be around similar strength to last year, with little changes to their squad. Cas if they don't get hit by the injury bug, especially in key positions, they should finish in the Top 6 again. Personally though I can't look much beyond Wigan, Hull, Saints and Wire at the top next year.

wakey 10th - Salford and Widnes below us

middle 8's a lottery depending on injuries to squads when time comes

We get this every year.

But just to clarify, these odds show the likelihood of winning the grand final. That doesn't mean they reflect the league position. Completely different thing.

The squads have not been finalised yet, but hey you carry on your defeatist dogma and then wonder why no ones interested in watching the club.

Ever heard of positive publicity?

Carry on being Captain negative.

I'm afraid Belly is to slow to work that one out, doesn't say much for a private education!

So we're tipped for bottom. There's a surprise, just post the pundits prediction on the dressing room wall and let the players prove them wrong. Bring it on I say!

I agree for some reason I'm feeling confident this year I can see Widnes Leigh Salford huddersfield finishing below us n I think Catalans may struggle this year too

Bring it on same every year its like an old record

We have a massive challenge - the season after each good season we have struggled. Can we break that cycle?

Yes thats what I was saying TRB.

We tend to struggle putting two play off seasons together.

Having said that, under Kear, I think we finished 7th,7th and 5th is successive seasons. Unfortunately back then it was top 6 that got in the play offs.

Full Seasons under John Kear;
2007 - 8th
2008 - 8th
2009 - 5th (Play offs)
2010 - 11th

If we sort the defence out for the forthcoming season then we can have another good season. The defence last season was shocking and cost us dearly.

DEFENCE, DEFENCE, DEFENCE is the mantra they should chant for ten minutes before every training session and game. Defence and the points conceded were an embarrassment that marred an otherwise good season last year.

Too true.

The defence is the key.

Even in other sports, such as football.

Didn't Arsenal build from the back when they started to become successful, and also Manchester United.

If you don't concede points. then you are giving yourselves a chance

That's all very true, but Kear was the head coach back then, he's not actually fulfilling the same role this time around is he?

I didn't state he was. It was reference how we have a good season and fail to follow up on that the next season.

I can't see us being any different to any other season.
We'll have some good surprising wins and we'll have some disappointing days too.

The target for me should be to be in the 8, probably 8th and compete well enough that we have a chance of winning a game. Target win at least one game in the 8.
I'd be still happy if we are in the middle 8 but win all our games.
A bad season for me would be the middle 8 and not winning enough games, so risking the playoff game.

Correct PT, there are another 3 or 4 teams on there who you could also make 200/1 because in reality they have very little chance of winning the GF.

I think Shudds and Widnes will be the bottom 2.

The 2010 season, before he left, Kear's playing budget was about £12 due to impending disaster so, perhaps this should be removed from his stats



It's going to be interesting to see what difference it makes, having JK upstairs and concentrating on the management stuff.
You cant help thinking that he will want to have a bit more involvement ?

Ohhhh ok, I must be a bit dim then, I thought you were pointing out that under Kear we kinda did follow it up?!! Unless you count finishing in the same league position, then higher the following one not progressing? We only finshed 11th after that because if memory serves we played half the games with virtually the academy team! Anyway, let's hope he does have a positive impact on his return, I like him as a bloke generally, and hopefully he and CC will work well together, whatever his actual role is.......

Just want us to be competitive, entertaining and perhaps reduce the amount of 50s we get against us. Top 8 has to be the target but not the end of the world if we don't make that cut.

Kear's finishes were

-8th
-8th
-5th
-11th (this is when the wheels started to come off)
-13th (with the youngest side we've had in SL)

Agar

-8th (to his credit after reassembling the squad)
-11th (only a couple of changes)

Agar/Webster

-12th (Webster took over halfway through)

Webster/Smith

- 12th in the league/4th in the middle 8s/winners of MPG (Smith took over halfway through)

Smith/Chester

-8th in the league/8th in the super 8s (Chester took over early on)


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As a Huddersfield fan I think you'll be challenging for the top 8 as you have a decent team and with Kear coming back might kick on a little more. As for us we'll be back in the top 8 as Stone is a good coach and the players we've got already are pretty good who were unfit and underperformed the majority of. last season.