I think with luck with injuries we can make the play offs, i dont think well be top 4 again, but the playoffs should still be in our grasp though. Warrington and Hull have strengthened well Catalans too, but not too sure about Wigan and Bradford though

for me it will be like this

Leeds
Warrington
Saints
Catalans
Wigan
Huddersfield
Hull
Rovers
Bradford
Castleford
Quins
Wakefield
Salford
Crusaders

I think we'll finish fourth, behind Leeds, Saints and Warrington.

I think we will carry on as we have since promotion to the Super League, year upon year improvement.

bizarrely i think finishing 4th this season would be an improvement to last year - we havent really improved the team, weve replaced what weve lost. And as everyone else has improved there squads i think that would mean some of our players have improved in the off season to make up the lack of "quality" signing.

(however i still think we will finish 5/7th)

Around the 6th/7th/8th mark will be good enough for me. Really can't see us being top four again, not with our pack, although I clearly hope I'm wrong.

To make the play-offs has to be the overall aim/hope. Everything else is just a bonus. Can't wait for the season to get going now C'MON YOU REDS!

Just to be clear, you believe that you will finish 3rd or better in the league?

Realistically I think 7th.

Which wouldn't be a bad thing come playoff time (Wigan/Catalans last year), we would have to win that 1st game and take that momentum into the team that just lost their 1st playoff match.

To finish higher than 4th would be fantastic.

Or 5th or better in the competition.



The lad's an optimist - Hull FC have their share too, going on the paralell thread on your board. And why not? Both clubs have decent teams and the season is still pristine and virgin, unsullied by defeats, injuries and disappointments.

For me: Leeds, then the question of whether Saints can hold onto the Rhinos coat-tails or will be sucked back into the pack, then the rest with Quins really having to punch above their weight to get into play-off contention and Salford and WC better than last year but not troubling the top 10.

Hopefully with a bit of luck keeping our key players free from injury i think a top 6 finish for us would be another great season, with a wembley trip and a run in the playoffs to cap it off





COME ON U REDS

totally agree with you, playoffs are a must, anything higher is a bonus. a good cup run would be nice too.

personaly i believe we have a very good chance of a top four place, Leeds will of course be the team to beat this year but other than that i think the rest can very much beat each each other on the day.
The fact that we have a had a small turn over this year will pay dividends, a settled squad is worth its weight in gold, we will however have to hope we dont get to many injuries at crucial times as will most other clubs and if Clinton arrives as i expect him to do so, then i think we will have a pack to match most others and a back division that is probably one of the best in Super league imo.

I said year upon year improvement. That includes success in the Challenge Cup, winning one or more play off games or finishing in the top three. Does that help ?

Leeds
Saints
Wire
Hudds
Wigan
Rovers
Bulls
FC
Cas
Cats
Wakey
Quins
Salford
Crusaders

1. Leeds - will dominate all in front of them once again.
2. Saints - Fantastic first 17 with quality youngsters to back them up.
3. Wire - Finally a decent coach who has a capable squad.
4. Catalan - Strong 17 and should be strong at home.
5. Rovers - Settled squad, great coach.
6. Bradford - Should have some fresh ideas in key areas, only McNamara holding them back.
7. FC - Strong pack should carry the team.
8. Wigan - Not as strong as some reporters are making out for me.
9. Hudds - Starting out a little unsettled and cant see them hitting the heights of last year.
10. Cas - Could do better if they manage to stay injury free.
11. Wakefield - Same as Cas.
12. Quins - Seem to me to be loosing strength in their squad year by year.
13 Salford - Same as last.
14. Crusaders - Will be fighting it out with Salford to finish off the bottom.

Still very hard to predict, think this is my second effort lol

I think Leeds will be the team to beat.
1 Leeds
2 Warington
3 Saints
4 Wigan
5 Rovers (certainly capable of finishing higher but think next year will be our time, the cup maybe?)
6 FC ( I think they have a side good enough to win Super League & have had a small wager on it as an outside choice)
7 Catalans
8 Bradford
9 Giants
10 Wakey
11 Quins
12 Cas Tigers
13 Salford
14 Crusaders
4 to 12 in any permutation.

1. Leeds
2. Warrington
3. Wigan
4. St Helens
5. Bradford
6. Huddersfield
7. Hull Kingston Rovers
8. Hull F.C.
9. Catalans
10. Casltleford
11. Wakefield
12. Crusaders
13. Harlequins
14. Salford

right dont shoot me down here cause this is what i actually beleive!!

1.leeds.too dominant strengthend squad look a tough team to beat
2. hull fc look a total different team now have the "troubled" players out of the team and some good additions
3 saints very much similar to last year going to blow hot and cold
4. hudds very good season last year can hope for the same
5. wire still seem to me as the "nearly" team!! looks good on paper (very much like man city) but bottle it when push comes to shove
6. cats- come great signings maybe take a season or so to gel though
7. wigan not as good as people expect reminds me of a bradford team just as they slumpe
8 KR for me havent strengthend 1 bit infact think they have weakend with fozzard going and nobody to replace him (unless clinton comes) think with a few injuries to key players will leave you short of class and you dont have the depth to cover it (like i said just my opinion)
9.bradford
10.wakey
11.cas
12.salford
13 harlequins
14 crusaders!!

You're entitled to your opinion. The fact that it highlights your knowledge limitations is no skin off my nose.

FC will improve (lets face it, even with Agar at the wheel, you can't go backwards from 12th!), but 2nd, jeez get a grip man.

Based on what I saw last night, Bradford will go well with their new half back combo.

why does it highlight my knowledge limitation?? ive been watching rugby now for 12 years and for me its the best side since the 2005 challenge cup winning squad and its been proven that all we needed was a "quality" half back and with this in place now i can see us going back to where we left off when we finished 2nd!

can you remember when we finished 2nd and the next year and teh year after that we were tipped all over as these so called "dark horses" and where did we finish......down the bottom somewhere!! but having watched them in pre season training i dont see why we cant start where we left off in 2006!!

bradford seem to me as if they have a good half back partnership (but remember no deacon now) but why did sam burgess jump ship?? must not think there capable of winning??

In reference to your sig. Is Sean Long [ireally[/i likely to be black and white through and through?

Leeds
Wire
Saints
Catalans
Huddersfield
Rovers
Bradford
Hull
Wigan
Cas
Wakey
Salford
Quins
Crusaders

With 2nd to 9th pretty much interchangeable at will depending on injuries, gelling of new recruits, star players disagreeing with coaches philosophies or any other reasons that fit my arguement as to why the teams don't finish in the above order.

Proven how exactly? It'll help massively, it might even cure [uall[/u your ills, but we don't know that yet. Hull will be much better this year, you can be pretty confident of that. 6th would be very satisfactory, 4th brilliant and not unrealistic. 2nd I think, while acknowledging it isn't impossible, is at the far end of the optimism spectrum.

It [icould[/i happen that you finish 2nd, will it actually happen? No.

It's going to take a while for everyone to fit together and Agar has yet to prove that he can successfuly run a squad at this level.

Is Long going to happy with what Agar's previous game plan has been, which is five drives and a kick? Admittedly, the kick will have more quality it in it.

Deacon hasn't been the same player since Vagana pulled his face off in the Tri-Nations, (which was a shame because he was having his best game in a GB shirt at the time) and if Russell Crowe came round your gaff as a twenty year old (or however old Sam Birgess is) and said; "How's about coming over to Australia and becoming a superstar in my footy team, or would you rather stay here playing your football in the permanent Winter of Odsal?" What would you say?

well it would depend on if it would better me cause souths rnt really setting the NRL on fire are they (thats if you keep up to date with it all) well like i said we will all see thats what my thoughts are on what the league will look like!! and i will strike a deal with you both!! if hull fc do finish 2nd i would like an apoligy basically for saying my knowledge of the game is tripe!! if you do well i will apoligise to you for saying i think you have a weaker team then ever!! and as to my sig who knows longy might like it in hull and be black and white through and through (at the end of the day its a chant thats all)

Wowza, I feel like I have just jumped back to the beginning of the 2006 season.



I'm sure this thread will be very popular and user names will be getting changed should that be repeated.

Richard Horne supported KR..however he plays well in a B&W shirt
Paul Cooke..also did well in a B&W shirt
Rooney..Everton fan does well in a Man Utd shirt

Is Long really B&W, who cares but he will do what all sportsman do, his job