Now that the vast majority of recruitment has been done ahead of 2016, what's your prediction on where we'll finish in the table?

I think we'll finish 5th-6th being realistic.

Whilst it'd represent a slight improvement in the standings vs 2015, the real measure of success for me will be how close we get to the top4. 5th-6th could be either a point or two from fourth, or there could be a top4 breakaway and 5th-6th could be 8 points off depending on the make up of the league table.

I expect an improvement due to our recruitment, but the teams around us have recruited well too, as well as last years top4 remaining strong. We've got no divine right to a top4 spot, but we need to be fighting for it and in with a chance right up until the end of the season.


Leeds
Wigan
Huddersfield
Warrington
Hull
Saints
Catalans
Cas
--------
Salford
Rovers
Wakefield
Widnes

Incidentally on the predictions thread on the VT, most seem to have us around 7th/8th

WIGAN
CATALAN
HULL
LEEDS
SAINTS
WARRINGTON
HUDDERSFIELD
SALFORD
CAS
ROVERS
WIDNES
WAKEFIELD

Its going to be the best super league season for years, with some big upsets

hudds
saints
wigan
leeds
wire
fc
cas
catalan

salford
kr
widnes
wakefield

Wigan
Leeds
Hudds
Warrington
Catalans
Hull
Saints
Castleford

Salford
Kr
Widnes
Wakefield

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

We have the strongest starting 13/17 in years, I really hope we can get into the top 4, with that squad we should and not qualifying for the play-offs (yet again) would be a failure/unacceptable for me.
I just hope that we can modify certain aspects of how we go about things both on the field and off so that we have the best chance of fulfilling the potential of what is a fantastic squad.

Hang on. A few weeks ago you were so angry about the state of our desperate coaching regime you started a petition. With the same regime in place we're now top 4 candidates? Wow.

Anyway, RugbyAM has us in 10th. There seems little doubt Salford but particularly Catalans will be materially stronger next season so I can see where they're coming from. We need Cas and Wire to go backwards year on year. Making the 8 through better home form and leveraging what looks a pretty good pack is essential. As others have said, big season for Sneyd.

The leagues shrunk right up imo. The best team Leeds are considerably weaker imo. Or at least initially. Think it'll take a few months for them to adjust.
Saints I thought where flimsy last year within aspects of their squad and ended up flat. Wire could be anything. I can actually see them falling flat on their faces a bit. I think some of the bottom teams could skew the outlook of the league by winning more games. Wakey look much better prepared this yr. Salford have a good look to them for me. Much better balanced. I think catalans get some kind of on the road form they could be a real force. Got some real talent in them and they'll be really unlucky to see as little of Carney
I'll say 3rd for us. Don't think radford or Adam are wrong when they talk about how the new lads will have enough to get us over the line in some of the tight games we've lost in recent seasons. Also if the young uns have found just 5/10%improvement in them we're in a good place imo
Wigan are faves imo. Least movement with Tompkins back
Hudds are consistent but I always feel they're an injury to brough away from a major slide

A few weeks ago, you might want to check your calendar girlie or have you been dozing since then?
I've already stated several times over that we have the best squad we've had in ages (or do you disagree with that?) and I have predicted in a previous thread a couple of months ago in fact, regarding predictions that we'd be 5th.
So on the basis that I'd just get a load of grief for saying what I think that the coaching isn't good enough (it isn't) I went for wording that was suble but in essence said the same but was somewhat upbeat with my hope/expectation that we'd get 4th, so I put us there as my revised prediction up from 5th.
I've not changed my mind with regard to the 'coaching regime' as you so eloquently put it, nor indeed the owner, just because I've made an upbeat prediction based upon what is a great squad, one that should be top 4 given the talent, there's nothing to be so shocked/amazed at that


However you couldn't help yourself and just had to say something to badger another poster with your usual stirring up shiz to get a reaction...what a surprise

I'm pleased you're feeling so positive. Just pointing out it's some distance from being so dissatisfied you go to the trouble of creating an online petition to predicting Radford will deliver our best season in almost a decade. That's all.

I agree that it looks like the league will be tighter, but whilst we've strengthened some others have too. Catalans could have a very good year with their improved squad and Salford too with Sheens in charge. We finished above both at the break so that's a concern - you have to improve just to stand still. Saints and Cas are interesting. Could we catch either? Tough ask. I agree on Hudds/Brough, but they've Ben in and around the four for a while. Very interesting season coming up, and looking forward to seeing what our upgraded pack can do.

Imho I think we have the best pack in the competition. Yes I am biased but we are in the top two. My major concern is our spine.
Shaul, Snyed, Pryce and Houghton are the key players. We have very little back up for Houghton and I strongly feel going into the season without a recognised specialist hooker may well be a mistake. I am fully aware of Washy hence the word specialist.
I like Shaul but does he give you that X factor like many of the top full backs. I don't know yet. He may well though develop that way but I am not so sure yet.
Sneyd has to deliver. We do have cover for him but its young kids. It may well be that we don't quite push on as a result. Pryce is a season older. A season wiser yes, but how much more can he take? We need him consistent for the entire season. He started well last season but then tailed off, possibly due to knocks.

That said there is a good balance of youth and experience and I feel properr pros who will look after themselves off the field, which may well give us the edge we are looking for. A very senior player at the club told me that he doesn't think there are any great coaches in the game in the UK. What we actually have is squads of good professional players who know what to do and are winners. He feels that this years squad may well be just that. I thought about that and looked at Leeds and in all honesty i had to agree with him. So maybe LR is not the problem. Just a thought.

I predict 4th or 5th. Better home performances should ensure that. I will also go with my one great desire and thats a Wembley appearance. Traditionally they say you get to Wembley on the back of a great pack. We have that in abundance. They also say your backs win it at Wembley. So maybe I will be disappointed again.

I share your concerns over players in key positions. I don't see us finishing any higher than 6th and more likely 7th or 8th. This squad should be finishing in the top 8 but injuries to a couple of key players could see us at risk of ending up in the middle 8's IMO.

We'll still come up short in big games. sneyd is hit and miss, abdul is still too young to be running games and pryce has never had the skill set we require and will likely spend half of the games injured. We'll still struggle to score enough tries

i think we lack skill in the three quarters, but we do have power - I can see us scoring a lot of powering over the line type tries, rather than free flowing, overlap creating tries

our pack is one of the best in SL,Think sneyd needs to kick on this year which I believe he will do, the days of having a specialist hooker sat on the bench may well be gone, saying that be would have been nice to see what Cunningham could have done for us,imo can see pryce leaving for pastures new before the seasons out, Bradford?. I like shaul, and naughton can cover him, fonah looks a handful,Binman is fine for me, logan looks very good but still a young un,then we have tuimarve sorry for the spelling, who could be anything,so all in all not to bad, for me 4,5,or 6 could well be in our sights,COYH

I think we could make the top 4 with this squad although I share peoples concern about the hooking role and I also think the half backs need to show a significant improvement both from a playmaking and field kicking perspective. I think we have the best pack in the league and am looking forward to seeing big Frank running out wide in a similar way that Noel Cleal did in 89/91. I believe they are similar types of player. I also think we will see even more from Mini if he is spelled during games.

Looking forward to start of season

I believe this is the best squad with the most depth we've had for 20 years or more - add to that that Radford has another year's experience behind him and I think we'll do well. This pack is arguably the best in the league and Shaul may well to prove to be a big try scorer following Pritchard and Manu around. Houghton's workload may well be reduced (tackling particularly) with our stronger pack and I think Pryce will be ably backed up by Abdul who looked very comfortable in that position and has shown himself to have the guile and strength to play several back to back games in the Super League. And let's not forget that Washbrook has played 6 when pushed as well as Tuimivave who is a 6 too. To say our back-line lacks depth is a little off I reckon with Fonua, Tuimavave, Logan, Talanoa, Michaels, Naughton, Yeaman (if needed), Lancaster. Ultimately, until top quality youth has come through the ranks over several seasons it's a bit hard to fill every position with stars without breaking the cap. Anyway, just so long as our injuries are short term and less than 10 at a time I'm confident of top 4.

Never in a million years is this squad better than the one we had between around 2003 to 2007. The back row is excellent, hooker only average with no back up. Only 2 top class props although I'm sure ellis will do a job when fit. Halfs could go OK but could be a major weakness, kicking game isn't great and other than fonua, our 3/4's are either average at best or inexperienced.

I think you may be in for a disappointment if you seriously think we'll finish top 4.

How many of our options from 1 to 7 would get into any of the starting 17's of last season's top 4?

I disagree slightly. I understand what your saying in terms of quality now, but I think over the last 10 years the standard of players playing today has dropped significantly. How many of the players from the likes of cunningham, Sculthorpe, long, peacock, feilden, deacon, senior, jamie lyon, Richie Barnett,Richard swain would walk into any side even now. What we have to do is look at our recruitment and realise it's the best we have had for 10 yrs and look at our oppositions recruitment. And many teams have Bearley improved or not at all. Wigan have only sam Tompkins as an improvement but on a whole we should have closed the gap. Leeds have lost massive leadership accross multiple positions so in theory we should of closed the gap. So taking into perspective whole recruitment of today's game on paper we should be ok and three more wins should see us compete for top four. But as we all know it has to be transferred onto the pitch. So il stay optimistic for now and hope we can achieve top 6 and being two points of 4th when playoffs start. Then who knows.

I think Wigan & saints will finish top, after that I'm not sure which teams will make the other four spots but it's fairly obvious who will be in the mix

Leeds, cats, hudds, wire are going to be an unknown quantity, as are we. But I think 5th or even 4th is not unrealistic. Whatever your thoughts are, we deserve to be optimistic

The point I was countering was that this was our best squad for 20 years which it clearly isn't. I agree that our recruitment has, on the whole, been better than most but we have mainly strengthened what was probably our best aspect last season, whilst not addressing the major weaknesses (lack of quality out wide, average kicking game, no decent hooking options). We've lost a 20+ tries per season winger from a side that struggled to get over the line so there are plenty of ways of looking at recruitment and retention.

I just don't see that we've addressed the problems that were the difference between us and the top sides last year

Radford been the main one. But wont get in to that, hes got my full support for the start of the 2016 season, hes a good squad, no excuses, just have to see how we go

Hooker is that average that the best team in the league were desperate to sign him.

Listen to what Westerman has to say about him also in the recent fans forum.

Although I reckon most fans know more than the best coach in the league and an England international.

Anyone who thinks Houghton is average is retarded. Would easily be in the England setup if at a top club or playing in the NRL

One of the best in super league

Houghton is better than average but in the England squad ahead of Roby, Clark or even Hodgson, i think not and that has nothing to do with bigger club or Nrl.
I do think with most squads being equal and perhaps us having possibly the best recruitment so far it more then ever comes down to coaching and motivation. Fingers crossed Radford has developed and improved and experienced enough now to coach the big time game players we have signed.
We have all the makings there this coming season and a top 4 finish is not beyond us and for that I'll remain optimistic.
Consistency is key this year but for me 6th or 7th placed.