[quote="Pat Bateman":2k16rq4z]Tough game this. My heart is saying us, my head is saying Leeds by 12. As always would love to be wrong. That would be a big old scalp to take in round 1, I bet the boys will be raring to go.[/quote:2k16rq4z] The loss of Scott shifted my confidence a little bit. From having a strong attacking option we have a left centre playing right opposite Newman. Pratt will either have a hard day or show the world how good he is. Looking forward to finding out.

I’m expecting a pretty even contest against a mid table team. Leeds are the 8th best team in SL and not the team they were a few years ago. If we go and take it to them I can see a win. Home advantage gives them the edge but I’m going to go to Leeds blindly confident in the team to get the points.

[quote="PopTart":2wasjla7]The loss of Scott shifted my confidence a little bit. From having a strong attacking option we have a left centre playing right opposite Newman. Pratt will either have a hard day or show the world how good he is. Looking forward to finding out.[/quote:2wasjla7] I’ve been outspoken on here regarding Pratts size etc, but he’s showed up excellent in Pre-Season. Now’s his chance to absolutely cement his spot and leave hall and Scott to scrap for the other position. He’ll be up against a decent centre Saturday aft so let’s hope he hype is real and does the business.

For many this will be their first SL game, so they will need time to adjust. I recall a winger named Murphy who did quite well despite a less than promising start against Leeds.

[quote="Pat Bateman":11246esn]I’ve been outspoken on here regarding Pratts size etc, but he’s showed up excellent in Pre-Season. Now’s his chance to absolutely cement his spot and leave hall and Scott to scrap for the other position. He’ll be up against a decent centre Saturday aft so let’s hope he hype is real and does the business.[/quote:11246esn] I don’t think it hinges on h this single performance against an England centre. We shouldn’t put that amount of pressure on him. But I’m sure he will do his best, even with a possible broken nose (which I hope doesn’t affect him too much).

[quote="Trojan Horse":1ly4m43r]I don’t think it hinges on h this single performance against an England centre. We shouldn’t put that amount of pressure on him. But I’m sure he will do his best, even with a possible broken nose (which I hope doesn’t affect him too much).[/quote:1ly4m43r] There’s always going to be pressure if you’re a professional athlete. Pressure should be a privilege at this level, it means most of the time you’re doing something right. Pratt has big wraps on him, and he’s really impressed me this pre-season. He’s against a player who in my opinion is in the top 5 centres in SL, he played for England due to injuries to Wardle etc. As Mills says we judge players against the top teams/players not against the lowest.

If trinity perform well and show promise that will do me. I feel the result could go either way but home advantage may edge it Leeds way. That said, winning becomes a habit and we have the quality to win it and that shouldn't be underestimated !

I think leeds will probably take this one however it could rest on the half backs. Providing trinity put a good shift in it w do me.

got 13/2 with ladbrokes and coral, ladbrokes would only take max 150 bet.

[quote="God":3cjwc64z]:WALL: got 13/2 with ladbrokes and coral, ladbrokes would only take max 150 bet. [/quote:3cjwc64z] Not as good as the £50 with bet Bateman

Got rest on with coral

Just seen Jamie jones Buchanan has picked us to finish bottom alongside John Wilkin. Think they need to lay off the crack pipe after watching Cas against us and Bradford. I’m sure the players will be laughing.

[quote="Pat Bateman":pmauprk3]Just seen Jamie jones Buchanan has picked us to finish bottom alongside John Wilkin. Think they need to lay off the crack pipe after watching Cas against us and Bradford. I’m sure the players will be laughing.[/quote:pmauprk3] Never listened to Wilkin on anything, he talks a hell of a lot of rubbish. I suspect Buchanan might be singing a different tune when we turn up and turn over his beloved rhinos on Saturday. Anyway, nothing different to any other season is it, apart from maybe some of the other pundits giving us a chance.

[quote="homme vaste":egz4z3y8]Never listened to Wilkin on anything, he talks a hell of a lot of rubbish. I suspect Buchanan might be singing a different tune when we turn up and turn over his beloved rhinos on Saturday. Anyway, nothing different to any other season is it, apart from maybe some of the other pundits giving us a chance.[/quote:egz4z3y8] Just find it very lazy punditry and shows how amateurish the game is in that department.

[quote="homme vaste":2k0r77dn]Never listened to Wilkin on anything, he talks a hell of a lot of rubbish. I suspect Buchanan might be singing a different tune when we turn up and turn over his beloved rhinos on Saturday. Anyway, nothing different to any other season is it, apart from maybe some of the other pundits giving us a chance.[/quote:2k0r77dn] Even so, you've got to admit it's still pretty amazing to be seen as bottom dwellers. We've got one of the richest owners in SL, sign 3 Marquee players, plus all the other quality SL players to add to the team that dominated the Championship. Ellis has changed the total outlook and ambitions of the club since he arrived, as well as the work on the ground and here we are, same tired old predictions, it's as though nothings changed, it's still 2015 . For so called pundits, they just don't seem to have put any thought into it at all but why change now hey. Even taking into account opinions, it's just baseless rubbish. You'd never see this kind of set up in the NRL, their pundits will have researched and know what they're talking about, who's gonna make the team better, why and how. It's part of the reason we are where we are as a spport in the UK, amateur hour.

[quote="Shifty Cat":2hhj4qwb]Even so, you've got to admit it's still pretty amazing to be seen as bottom dwellers. We've got one of the richest owners in SL, sign 3 Marquee players, plus all the other quality SL players to add to the team that dominated the Championship. Ellis has changed the total outlook and ambitions of the club since he arrived, as well as the work on the ground and here we are, same tired old predictions, it's as though nothings changed, it's still 2015 . For so called pundits, they just don't seem to have put any thought into it at all but why change now hey. Even taking into account opinions, it's just baseless rubbish. You'd never see this kind of set up in the NRL, their pundits will have researched and know what they're talking about, who's gonna make the team better, why and how. It's part of the reason we are where we are as a spport in the UK, amateur hour.[/quote:2hhj4qwb] I hope the club and socials bookmark these comments and predictions and come end of season rip in with some socials / reels.

[quote="Shifty Cat":1r2mvwub]Even so, you've got to admit it's still pretty amazing to be seen as bottom dwellers. We've got one of the richest owners in SL, sign 3 Marquee players, plus all the other quality SL players to add to the team that dominated the Championship. Ellis has changed the total outlook and ambitions of the club since he arrived, as well as the work on the ground and here we are, same tired old predictions, it's as though nothings changed, it's still 2015 . For so called pundits, they just don't seem to have put any thought into it at all but why change now hey. Even taking into account opinions, it's just baseless rubbish. You'd never see this kind of set up in the NRL, their pundits will have researched and know what they're talking about, who's gonna make the team better, why and how. It's part of the reason we are where we are as a spport in the UK, amateur hour.[/quote:1r2mvwub] Until we win anything in SL or go on a mega unbeaten run we will always have the basement club stigma, it’s Wakey and for some reason most pundits have the same mentality, we need to prove them wrong, we’ve made a very good start off the field so now need to do it on the field, it still baffles me when you have Cas and Shudds with poor squads rated higher, but it is what it is, bring on SL

Wilkin has obviously not seen Cas play the last couple of weeks? Barring Milnes they are just about at full strength. And look way off. Huddersfield have had to pull in Richardson on loan 2 weeks before the season starts which doesn't look good after losing to Fev. FC won't be up to much either, despite Mylers claim of a change in culture. I think we will be better than those 3 sides. Anything more will be a bonus. If Leigh or Salford suffer injury problems we could sneak above them as they are thin on depth in my opinion.

[quote="Big lads mate":3i2nknlc]Until we win anything in SL or go on a mega unbeaten run we will always have the basement club stigma, it’s Wakey and for some reason most pundits have the same mentality, we need to prove them wrong, we’ve made a very good start off the field so now need to do it on the field, it still baffles me when you have Cas and Shudds with poor squads rated higher, but it is what it is, bring on SL[/quote:3i2nknlc] I agree. We still carry that stigma, which is easily jumped upon by the likes of Wilkin, and other lazy Sky pundits who don't actually know what is happening around the game in general.

Sit that numpty Wilkin on one of those plastic seats with all his Saints mates when they come to BV!

It’s the Laziness of the punditry that just baffles me as to how they just scrape on by. You wonder why RL is lower than a snakes belly in the U.K. The NRL has Joey Johns, Brad Fittler, Billy Slater, Cam Smith et al detailing the team’s and their strengths/weaknesses etc. SL has these Doughnuts, Wilkin an above average player who thinks he’s more articulate than what he really is and JJB who sounds like Lenny from of Mice and Men. Right laugh.

[quote="Richard1":2q8s4s8a]Wilkin has obviously not seen Cas play the last couple of weeks? Barring Milnes they are just about at full strength. And look way off. Huddersfield have had to pull in Richardson on loan 2 weeks before the season starts which doesn't look good after losing to Fev. FC won't be up to much either, despite Mylers claim of a change in culture. I think we will be better than those 3 sides. Anything more will be a bonus. If Leigh or Salford suffer injury problems we could sneak above them as they are thin on depth in my opinion.[/quote:2q8s4s8a] I’ve been cautiously not getting hyped up with Wakey, having watched them for many years and been let down on many occasions, but having watched them over the last few weeks I honestly believe that we are definitely a mid table team and possibly even better with a strong tail wind

[quote="Pat Bateman":1bx6yos5]It’s the Laziness of the punditry that just baffles me as to how they just scrape on by. You wonder why RL is lower than a snakes belly in the U.K. The NRL has Joey Johns, Brad Fittler, Billy Slater, Cam Smith et al detailing the team’s and their strengths/weaknesses etc. SL has these Doughnuts, Wilkin an above average player who thinks he’s more articulate than what he really is and JJB who sounds like Lenny from of Mice and Men. Right laugh.[/quote:1bx6yos5] I agree. It's as if some of them don't do any research and work around the scenes. They only seem to know about what is the buzz at this moment in time. Stevo was just as bad back in the day.

[quote="Richard1":343o0i36]I agree. It's as if some of them don't do any research and work around the scenes. They only seem to know about what is the buzz at this moment in time. Stevo was just as bad back in the day.[/quote:343o0i36] I think they only really look at teams like Wigan, Saints, now KR more in depth and just shuffle round the rest. I would suggest Wilkin etc don’t even know who we have signed. SL rookie of year, champ player and young player of year, two England internationals, a starter from the team finished second last season, a quality half who was expected to play for England and hoping to get back on track. All very positive signings. They’re not exclusive to that. Look at the Boxing Day game. SL socials posted a few times after about Leeds including clips of Sivo to promote Leeds. Trinity didn’t get the same representation. The boy way to change that is like KR, sit up near the top of the table.

No one really knows what we'll be like. Including us. Both Wilkin and JJB speak very well. If you heard JJB speak about Rob Burrow at the GB Lions dinner this weekend you'd know. However on tv they are there to spark interest. Sometimes they say things to be controversial. It's just the way it is. Rather than moan about Wilkin we need to show him what we can do. He'll soon start saying good things about us if we hammer Leeds and he'll be winding the Leeds fans up.