Early Super League Observations - by Mark

In an effort to trim some fat from the weekly podcast shows, I’ll try and give my opinions in semi-regular blog posts as the season moves along this year. No promises on either the trimming or regularity however!

Super League is only two weeks in. We can’t draw any firm conclusions at this early stage but we can make some observations on what we’ve learned so far.

The standard is still the standard

St Helens are top. Wigan are in the top three. The two teams that fought out one of the most intense games of Super League we’ve ever seen in last year’s Grand Final are still the teams to beat.

St Helens have basically picked up where they left off, with the new forwards fitting in seamlessly and Jack Welsby still being the best second-best option in any of the back spots that a Super League team has. They’ve won both games comfortably, albeit it arguably not on full throttle in attack. Their defence is in top gear though. Both of their opponents have not only struggled for points but even struggled for metres. St Helens are the only team to keep their opponent under 1,000 metres in both opening games according to the official Super League website stats.

Wigan have had two games with what could politely be called scratchy first halves, but fairly dominant second halves. They have a cumulative 14-24 first half, and 40-0 second half, after two games. The impressive thing is they’ve won both games with very patched up backlines, missing their two biggest stars in game one and with two backrowers as centres in game two. These two points show Wigan are still as fit and as resilient as any team in the league.

Cas look like contenders

I didn’t expect much from Castleford this year. The early signs are they might prove me wrong. Jake Trueman and Paul McShane have started in top form, Niall Evalds has slipped in really well too. They showed a great attitude and adaptability in adapting to losing a half back early in game one against Warrington. There’s still some depth concern for me with the Tigers. They were down a couple of bench players from game one to game two, and I don’t think the bench gave much against Leeds. But the early signs are the team are definitely playing for Daryl Powell to go out on a high.

Hodgson has Hull humming

The other team starting really well is Hull FC. They only made two off-season signings – one Josh Reynolds on the pitch and the other Brett Hodgson off the pitch. The third big off-season move was Jake Connor to full back on a more long-term basis. All three look good at this stage. Hull are playing a more fluid and expansive attacking style, pivoting both Connor and Reynolds around Marc Sneyd. Plus, their defence has looked pretty solid. Scott Taylor coming off the bench seems to be really helping avoid any drop off in that area when the starters get tired.

Watson has work to do

Huddersfield haven’t hit the ground running under their new coach. There has been a bit of turnover in the squad, albeit mostly with adding better players rather than losing any starters. But, the combinations just aren’t working yet. With some benefit of early season doubt, the Giants are missing their best and most important player, with Aidan Sezer not playing yet. They also missed captain Michael Lawrence in game one, and star signing Ricky Leutele in game two. Maybe, in fact probably, they need everyone on deck to be the team I thought they could be this year.

Full back could be Wane’s biggest World Cup decision

October is a long way away. And injuries or form could impact the thinking hugely by then. But it looks like Shaun Wane could have a tough call to make on the full back spot for England. Sam Tomkins, Jake Connor and Niall Evalds have all started the season strongly. And Zak Hardaker has found himself back in his personal favoured position too, with two strong performances for Wigan.

Then outside of these main contenders, there’s also been a challenge at times of fitting Gareth Widdop and Jonny Lomax into the same international side. George Williams is surely nailed on for one of the half spots. That could mean Wane does what others have done before to get both Widdop and Lomax in, play one of them at full back. This seems unlikely though given the quality options playing there week-in, week-out.

I’d be going with Tomkins. To me, he has the most complete game of the options. Hardaker might be slightly better defensively and running the ball. Connor might have a slightly better long kicking and short passing game. Evalds might be a better support runner. But Tomkins has the most overall. He’s a better ball player than Hardaker. He’s more of a team player and experienced campaigner than Connor. He’s a better defender and organiser than Evalds. Add in that he’s worked with Wane before, in fact won a Man of Steel under Wane. And, if we’re all honest with ourselves, he’s been the best player on the pitch in both the games he’s played this year, and most of the games he played last year too.

Do look out for our next podcast episode, out tonight (late Monday UK time), where we’ll recap the Mose Masoe Round and look ahead to the Super League clubs entering the Cup, plus discuss all the latest news, all helped with your fan views.

As always, thanks for reading and feel free to share your views with us. Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or get in touch by email: superleaguepod@gmail.com

Mark
SLP

2021 Super League Team-by-Team Preview

The 2021 Super League season is only two weeks away and I'm excited. So I've taken a look at how all the sides are shaping up for the new season.

This isn't a predictions piece, you'll need to wait another week for our first proper podcast episode of the year for that. Although you might get a sense of who I think will go well and who might struggle. (our predictions form is open until 9pm on Tuesday 16 MArch, so get on it now if you haven't already! Click HERE)

This is my overview of the ins and outs, the key men for their sides, the young players I'll be keeping an eye out for, and any strengths and weaknesses I see in each squad. You might agree with some of it. You will disagree with plenty of it. Don't let it knock your own optimism for your team's season though, this is prime optimism time after all! Enjoy.

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Gains:

Niall Evalds, Lewis Bienek, Suaia Matagi, Jordan Turner

Losses:

Jordan Rankin, Matt Cook, Mike McMeeken, Junior Moors, Callum Turner, Bailey Hodgson

Last Season:

8th in Super League

6th Round of the Challenge Cup

My take:

Castleford have done some good business. Niall Evalds could be one of the signings of the season, he's a proven talent and could be the piece that Castleford have been missing since that fateful drugs test in 2017. But I think they're maybe missing a little more now than just that piece. And this aging squad needs a good start as well as some injury luck, which with Sosaia Feki already out for most if not all of the year, they've started over par one the first hole. It would be easy to say Paul McShane is their key man - but he was great enough to be Man of Steel in 2020 and Cas only finished 8th and fell out of the cup at the first opportunity. Watts and Millington are their key men for me, they need to be injury free and capable of the sort of minutes they were in 2019 and before. Also, Cas don't really have adequate cover for Jake Trueman, a genuine all around threat, it is to be hoped for the Tigers and for the fans of Super League that his niggling injuries of 2020 are behind him. As I've said, they're an aging squad - only Leigh and Salford come in to the season with a higher average age. That doesn't mean there isn't a young star in the making to talk about. Barrie McDermott recently compared Jacques O'Neill to Terry Newton, and I think that's a fair comparison of his potential. If prime Newton is the ceiling for this boy's talent then we've got a feisty future international on our hands. I think O'Neill's passing game needs to develop before it's Newton-like, but his attitude and effort are right there. Of the other young Tigers - I've resisted the urge to call them Tiger cubs - only Lewis Peachey has seen much first team action so far, but in Brad Martin and Lewis Bienek they do have some forwards with size and potential, who may need to make their mark in the second half of the season, when the games come thick and fast and they older established guys will need some managing.

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Gains:

Gil Dudson, Mike McMeeken, Dean Whare

Losses:

Antoni Maria, Sam Moa, Mickael Simon, David Mead, Remi Casty, Lucas Albert, Lewis Tierney, Isreal Folau

Last Season:

4th in Super League

Quarter final of Challenge Cup

My take:

The first choice 13 is high calibre. even with the likely departure of Isreal Folau. Dean Whare is a very good replacement for him. Gil Dudson is a proven player as a replacement for Remi Casty. And Mike McMeeken will go well in this side I'm fairly confident. The rest of the line-up is the side that went well last year, when there were able to get their games on. Key to how they will go must be star man Sam Tomkins. He was back close to his very best at times in 2020. And Tom Davies really was one of the best wingers in the league, he might not be as elusive as some or as spectacular as others, but his try-rate last year was the best in the league. It does feel like les Dracs lack depth though this year, other than the back row where they are loaded. I don't really see any three-quarters depth in the squad - noting it's gutting for Artur Romano that he's out for the year already. A significant part of their depth is from unrealised talent - I like the looks of Paul Seguier, Mickael Goudemand and Lambert Belmas, but none of them have consistently nailed down a match day squad spot yet. They need to start producing consistently, I hope they can as it makes France a better World Cup prospect. There is also quite a bit of untested youth filling out the squad list. Coretin Le Cam is the tallest man in Super League, hopefully his play can elevate to the top level along with the other first team squad newcomers, as sides will need to use their full squads again this year with multiple two-game-weeks. It will be interesting if the Dragons go looking for midseason reinforcements and where these can come from. I think they'll need to find a gem of a winger from somewhere, and maybe a half back too, should the injuries hit.

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Gains:

Jack Ashworth, James Cunningham, Joe Greenwood, Ricky Leutele, Jack Cogger, Josh Jones, Luke Yates, Olly Ashall-Bott

Losses:

Paul Clough, Dom Young, Adam Walne, Reiss Butterworth, Jordan Turner, Suaia Matagi, Akuila Uate, Tom Holmes

Last Season:

7th in Super League

5th Round of Challenge Cup

My take:

There's been a big change at the Giants over the offseason. But it’s the sort of change that is bringing hope rather than fear. Let's start with the biggest change, Ian Watson. We know already he's a top coach. He seems to have a clarity of message that gets anyone under his charge playing the right way, seeing the right things, making the right choices. Greg Brown coming in with Watson could be huge too, he just seems to have a way of getting players injury free and on the pitch more than not. There's been quite a bit of change in playing personnel too - 8 out, 8 in. But, looking across the changes, they've got stronger not weaker, and have good depth in most positions. Ricky Leutele was a shining light through the dark clouds that followed Toronto's ill-fated Super League spell. He's an upgrade. They've gone form having a good back row, to a stellar back row. Adam O'Brien has real like-for-like cover with James Cunningham coming in. They also have a little more depth in the front row than first appears, depending on what sort of role a couple of the younger players can play. One thing that shouldn't change too much is the spine, depending on how they choose to use Jack Cogger. Aidan Sezer is the clear driving force for this team, if he embraces Watson's game plan like the other overseas halves then he'll be a Man of Steel contender again. The squad has some youth too, most of it with a bit of top level experience already. Jake Wardle and Darnell McIntosh need to take that next step now from being highly skilled talents to consistent performers at both ends of the pitch. They have the ability, next is to show that consistently through games and from game to game.

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Gains:

Josh Reynolds

Losses:

Ratu Naulogo, Albert Kelly, Liam Harris, Gareth Ellis, Lewis Bienek, Josh Jones 

Last Season:

6th in Super League

Quarter final in Challenge Cup

My take:

Can Brett Hodgson have the same sort of impact in his first year coaching uin Super League as his first year playing in Super League, where he led his side to a cup final appearance and won Man of Steel? Hull will be hoping that he can do it largely with a side that was brought in for the previous head coach, as there's not been much transfer activity in west Hull. Josh Reynolds has come in to replace Albert Kelly. I'm not sure if Josh Reynolds is the man to push a team over that last false summit to reach the peak. But, he's combative and crafty, and may bring a fight to the side that sometimes they've seemed to lack. Half back is a key area where the side lacks depth. If anything happens to the starters, with Jamie Shaul out and Jake Connor featuring at full back, young Ben McNamara is the only back-up they have. You have to think he'll get more chance to show his talents this year. Connor is the key man though, and full back is the right spot for him, as I've said before. He can be the real strike weapon for Hull now that he will have freedom to find the most threatening positions in attack. If he can keep his concentration and discipline defensively he could be a dark horse for Man of Steel, and he has a great example of an all around full back to learn from. Jack Brown is a young player who has been elevated within the squad this year. He made a big impact on debut back in 2019 but under half the games in 2020. He'll be looking to have more game time in 2021 and could he be the player to fill gap left by the re-retired Gareth Ellis. 

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Gains:

Albert Vete, Ryan Hall, Korbin Sims, Brad Takairangi, Luis Johnson, Muizz Mustapha

Losses:

Mitch Garbutt, Jamie Ellis, Ryan Brierley, Matty Gee, Nathaniel Peteru, Dan Murray, Will Oakes, Harvey Livett, Robbie Mulhern, Weller Hauraki, Nick Rawsthorne

Last Season:

11th in Super League

Quarter finals of Challenge Cup

My take:

The Robins have a lot of loose forwards and a lot of centres in this side. Just like last year, I'm not sure they have any Super League half backs. Fitting a coherent 13 together seems like a task for Tony Smith, although we've seen him set up his Hull KR teams to do things differently to the better resourced teams in the past couple of years, so maybe he has something up his sleeve. There's no doubt that they have some quality and try scoring potential, if Ben Crooks can pick up where he started 2020 and Ryan Hall can pick up where he left off in 2015. The key player is Adam Quinlan, he offers a real threat when fit - or if fit, going off recent track record. If Matt Parcell can find his old form and new signings Albert Vete and Korbin Sims can offer what Rob Mulhern and Mitch Garbutt did back in 2019 then Hull KR might not be nailed on for the bottom four. But it feels like a lot of ifs with this side, a side that has big strides to make if they want to be competing for playoffs and silverware. This is a more youthful Hull KR than before Smith arrived. The likes of Mikey Lewis, Matty Storton, Rowan Milnes, Will Tate and Will Dagger have all had chances to impress already under Smith. Will Tate looks a talent to me. Muizz Mustapha's cannonball go forward has made him stand out whenever I saw him play for Leeds Academy, it will be interesting to see how much of a part he plays in Smith's plans as a loanee, is he just cover or will he get the chance to make an impact. The squad size should cope with the rigours of a long season, it will need to be seen if Smith can get a consistent quality from them.

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Gains:

Zane Tetevano, King Vuniyayawa, Kyle Eastmond

Losses:

Adam Cuthbertson, Rhys Evans, Muizz Mustapha, Ava Seumanafagai, Stevie Ward

Last Season:

5th in Super League

Challenge Cup Winner

My take:

Leeds have named a big squad with a lot of youth on the back end, that they will likely need during this campaign. Injuries are a problem to start the year for Leeds. Robert Lui starts on the treatment table, Ash Handley is still on the recovery trail from his horror leg break and Jack Walker is out long-term. And, Luke Gale is starting the season under a bit of an injury doubt, and that is something Leeds could really do without, as they will go as far as he can take them. He feels like as important a player as any player for any side when you watched him play for Leeds in 2020, giving them all their direction. I can't see 2021 being too different. The signing of Kyle Eastmond provides a real wildcard excitement to this side that they hope will complement Gale's direction. We'll see exactly how Eastmond will get used by Leeds, where and how he'll play and what of his League instincts have been dulled by a decade in the other code. But it's a story that will be interesting to follow. New signing Zane Tetevano will be another interesting signing to follow, he's expected to make a big impact on the field and whilst we can never condone what he did to get himself in trouble off the field back in 2014, all appearances are he is a rehabilitated figure following the crimes of his past. I see him as the replacement for Cuthbertson in this squad, we'll see if he can have the same impact. I'm not sure if we can still talk about Mikolaj Oledzki as a young player as he's coming up to 100 senior career appearances, but at 22 he's going to need to become a leader of this pack, in a front row that does lack some depth, with even younger Tom Holroyd looking like an important part of the prop depth for 2021. Corey Hall and Liam Tindall are exciting young outside backs that got a chance in 2020 and I think will be ones to watch if they get more of a go this year, they're players I'm excited to see develop behind some top first choice outside backs in the squad.

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Gains:

Blake Wallace, Jamie Ellis, Matty Gee, Ryan Brierley, Nathaniel Peteru, Adam Sidlow, Joe Mellor, Matty Russell, Ben Flower, Craig Mullen, Lewis Tierney, James Bell, Tyrone McCarthy, Brendan Elliot

Losses:

Ben Reynolds, Sam Brooks, Martyn Ridyard, Liam Forsyth, Callum Field, Ryan Ince, Danny Addy, Gregg McNally

Last Season:

Championship

5th Round of Challenge Cup

My take:

Leigh have the oldest and smallest squad heading to the season start line. And they've had the most turnover compared to 2020. A 2020 where they barely played a game. I can't help but feel rookie Super League head coach John Duffy has his work cut out for him. If the size of the squad wasn't worry enough, the make-up of it is largely a mix of the Toronto side that were bottom last year before lockdown and the Hull KR side that were bottom last year after lockdown. In fairness, they have clearly upgraded their Championship squad to be one with seasoned Super League players. Ryan Brierley's latest return to Leigh could see him be the key man. Brendan Elliot's arrival from Manly, a real boost to the squad ahead of the season, should free Brierley up to play in his preferred half back spot rather than at the back. Brierley, Joe Mellor and Blake Wallace at least have a shared history of being at the Wolfpack together in the past. And Duffy has created a bit of a Scotland connection too with his signings, bringing in four Scotland World Cup hopefuls to add to the two Scots retained from last year. Duffy himself is a former Scotland international player and coach who'll be keen I'm sure to help the Bravehearts in this World Cup year. One area of the squad they aren't thin, which is unlike a few of the sides, is prop forward, where they have some experience and depth. They don't have much depth elsewhere though unfortunately, and strike on the wings is an area of concern - 3 tries from 10 Super League games in 2020 for their two first choice wingers, who happen to be their only genuine wingers in the squad. I have to think that Derek Beaumont will have to dig into his pockets and find some singings during the season to bolster the outside backs if this side are going to consistently put up enough points to pick up the amount of wins that can keep them safe in Super League.

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Gains:

Morgan Escare, Joe Burgess, Sam Luckley, Matty Costello, Harvey Livett, Jack Wells, Danny Addy, Elijah Taylor, Darcy Lussick

Losses:

Mark Flanagan, Luis Roberts, Kris Welham, Joey Lussick, Connor Jones, Niall Evalds, Gil Dudson, Luke Yates, Tyrone McCarthy, Ed Chamberlain

Last Season:

9th in Super League

Runner-up in Challenge Cup

My take:

There has been a lot of change at Salford and I'm not confident that they've got better with that change. Major finalists in back to back years, but 9th in 2020 gives a more balanced reflection of their overall standing than the narrow cup final defeat. The obvious things to say is Richard Marshall has a tough act to follow as head coach. But I do think he's ready for this chance. He's done his time at the Championship level and he's had a successful stint as a Super League assistant under some strong coaches, so he's ready for a top job like this. Morgan Escare can be exhilarating on his day, but Niall Evalds is one of Salford's best players of the Super League era, so that's a slight downgrade, and I'd think about running with Dan Sarginson as my Salford full back. Joe Burgess would have been an upgrade for the squad, but injury will see him miss most or all of the year very sadly. Elijah Taylor and Darcy Lussick should be solid replacements for Mark Flanagan and Gil Dudson. But I'm not convinced they've replaced Luke Yates, who gave them so much effort and energy in defence last year, and I'm convinced that they haven't replaced Joey Lussick, who was arguably the most consistent Salford player over the last two seasons. In fact, their only depth at hooker behind Andy Ackers looks to be untested youngster Connor Aspey. Don't be surprised if utility signing Danny Addy spells Ackers quite a bit this year. My Salford key man is Lee Mossop. A real leader at Salford over the past few seasons and with quite a bit of change around him in the pack, his presence could be key to the team cohesion. Tui Lolohea and Kev Brown will create chances. Krisnan Inu, Kallum Watkins, Ken Sio and Rhys Williams should have enough strike to finish plenty of them. And if those outside backs aren't doing it, Matty Costello is a talented youngster I'm excited to see get a chance. I hope he can maintain the development path he was on when coming through at St Helens. I'm not sure Salford will have a successful campaign, but I'm fairly sure they will be one of the best sides to watch as a neutral this year.

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Gains:

Joel Thompson, Agnatius Paasi, Sione Mata'utia, Dan Norman

Losses:

Zeb Taia, James Graham, Callam Hazzard, Joseph Paulo, Dom Peyroux, Jack Ashworth, Matty Costello

Last Season:

Super League Winner (2nd in regular season)

Quarter final of Challenge Cup

My take:

Back to back Grand Final winners St Helens still have a stellar first team squad, with Zeb Taia and James Graham their only notable losses from that best match day 17, with their replacements being drawn in from the NRL with the vastly experienced Joel Thompson and the occasionally explosive Agnatius Paasi, so Saints will hope there's not much drop off. Matty Lees is a player who probably has to take the next step as well to help fill the legacy left by Graham, and obviously Luke Thompson who departed earlier in 2020. A full injury free season for him, with him growing in maturity, he will become a key figure in the side. Lachlan Coote is the key man though for St Helens. That showed with their stumbling start to 2020 when he was the only key piece really missing. Their spine is strong and has great continuity and cohesion, which means the players tend to take Man of Steel points off each other, but I'd have Coote as St Helens' leading contender for that award. Outside the first choice, St Helens' depth almost all comes from youth. Jack Welsby headlines that group after his Grand Final heroics and ability to cover in all the back positions as he's developing his game. Lewis Dodd, Josh Simm and Jake Wingfield also all impressed in limited first team showings in 2020. They will be needed in another crammed in Super League season, and the lack of experience in their squad depth is probably the only concern worth having over St Helens in 2021 as they go for a three-peat.

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Gains:

Mason Lino

Losses:

Danny Brough, Danny Kirmond, Ryan Atkins, Craig Kopczak, Tony Gigot, Romain Navarette, Ben Jones-Bishop, Titus Gwaze

Last Season:

10th in Super League

6th Round of Challenge Cup

My take:

Despite losing eight players and only bringing in one, Wakefield actually have one of the largest squads named at the 2021 starting line. Quite a bit of that is relatively unproven youth, but we've seen flashes from players like Jack Croft, Connor Bailey and Harry Bowes to make us think there is some talent in this Wakefield youth. James Batchelor is a player who it feels like has been around for ages and he's coming up to 50 Super League games now but he's still young at 22. With Danny Kirmond moved on, this should be a season for Batchelor to progress and cement himself as a regular performer at this level. Wakefield have some depth this year, I'm unsure how much real quality they have outside of the centres and of course Tom Johnstone. We know Jacob Miller and Ryan Hampshire are erratic talents, they can do great stuff but they don't make great sides around them. I really don't know enough about Mason Lino to say if he is the player to bring control and consistency to the half back partnership. In six seasons he's only played 34 times in the NRL, so it doesn't scream missing piece of the puzzle. Although, he's a Samoa international and I certainly won't be writing him off before we see him. 

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Gains:

Greg Inglis, Rob Butler, Rob Mulhern

Losses:

Ben Murdoch-Masila, Anthony Gelling, Luis Johnson, Dec Patton, Leilani Latu

Last Season:

3rd in Super League

Semi final of Challenge Cup

My take:

The Warrington squad has a very strong top 20 or so players. The rest is padded out by youth, talented youth, albeit not truly proven at this level. Barring a serious injury run in any one position though, they have quality cover if not serious depth. A couple of signings that really impress me are Rob Butler and Rob Mulhern, because what they bring is an element of succession planning for 33 year old Chris Hill and 32 year old Mike Cooper, but they also bring an ability to contribute now as well. Although they don't really have a traditional ball handling loose forward, they have a really strong group of middle forwards at Wire this year. They maybe don't have one key man, although I fancy Daryl Clark as a man of steel contender, but the real key for Wire to have trophy success this year is if Blake Austin and Gareth Widdop can get an understanding to their combination, because they struggled to do that all last year and it meant their attack wasn't as fearsome as their local rivals that finished above them. And the headline signing is of course Greg Inglis. It is fair and reasonable ot question if his body can take the rigours of a full Super League season. You suspect he will have games where he is rested, and his best for Wire won't match his best for Australia or Queensland from years gone by. In Rugby League terms though he is still a huge signing, albeit one that barely causes a flicker amongst the wider world of sports fans. He can surely bring something to this side with what he has seen and achieved through his career. Super League is the better for having him and it will surely be just a one season thing. I don't know that he can be the difference to make this Warrington's year, but it would be a remarkable swansong for him. The last thing to touch on with Wire is the strange certain uncertainty over the head coach position. Everyone knows that it will be Steve Price's last year. But will that bring added pressure, added uncertainty, added distraction - should there be a bad run of results, will the board think to act sooner, will the players fight for it the same way, whether or not the narrative is nonsense, it will be a constant one whenever Wire lose a couple of games back-to-back.

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Gains:

John Bateman, Jai Field

Losses:

Sean O'Loughlin, Ben Flower, Joe Burgess, Joe Greenwood, Jack Wells, Jake Shorrocks, Chris Hankinson, George Burgess

Last Season:

1st in Super League, Grand Final runner-up

Semi final of Challenge Cup

My take:

Wigan don't have the same sort of experienced champion depth in 2021, what with losing some real winning experience form their squad. The loss of 2020 Sean O'Loughlin may not be felt as acutely as if it had been Lockers of a few years earlier, but it's still a hole to fill, in leadership, experience and quality. John Batemen though is quite some replacement, even if not in the exact same playing role. Here's a player that genuinely is one of the best players in the world game. So it's huge for Wigan to have brought him back. He is the key man because he makes himself the key man in every game he plays, through his will, determination and competitiveness. Something thing Wigan have in abundance this year is options in the spine, with the retention of Bevan French and Jackson Hastings, the deferred retirement of Tommy Leuluai and the signing of Jai Field, who to be fair we don't know for sure how he'll go, plus the very talented young Harry Smith. Now, getting the mix right and creating consistent link ups whilst keeping everyone satisfied is a big challenge for Adrian Lam, so we will have to see if he gets it right. That said, he got it right in 2020 with the big call of putting French at fullback probably being a large part of the reason he earned coach of the year. Wigan have a group of relatively game hardened and very talented young forwards, with 2019 breakout Morgan Smithies and 2020 breakout Ethan Havard leading that group. Wigan probably would like another experienced prop in the mix, but I don't worry too much about their pack depth. This is despite Wigan being another top club that fills out their squad depth with youth - they have the youngest named squad for 2021. Looking at concerns, wing and centre jump out as the area Wigan lack proven depth, after years of trying to fit four top wingers into two wing spots. Yes Jake Bibby offers good cover, but he'll need to start things off with Liam Marshall still on the way back from serious injury. After that, there isn't really any cover, so Sam Halsall and Umyla Hanley will need to become Super League players rather than just Super League prospects this year.

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Thanks for reading. Do make sure you follow us on Twitter & Facebook and look out for our shows.

Mark

SLP

Thursday Nights - by Mark

I've written about Thursday night games before - you can read that from 2016 here - but they're still around and still a hot-button topic for lots of fans.

Regular followers of SLP will know that I'm a fan of Thursday night games, personally. In summary of my atypical view, I like having the game to watch on TV that night and if my team play if frees up the whole weekend to do things with my non-sports-fan wife. I also don't think it's that hard to get to most of the games if you really want to and the attendances, whilst lower than Friday games, aren't "killing the sport".

This is not to say I don't understand that they don't work best for all fans. People who take their young children to the game, or have a long working commute, or live well outside the game's heartlands all have genuine struggle attending their side's Thursday games.

Indeed, when we polled rugby league fans this year, over 5% had the one change they would make to the sport related to Thursday night games, either getting rid or restricting the travel distances - read the results of our fan survey here.

In the follow-up polls that we're still running, two-thirds of voters so far would approve of restricting the distance sides have to travel to 50 miles (from away team's ground to home team's ground). No voter has Thursday as their best day to attend games. (no-one has a best day that isn't Friday, Saturday or Sunday.) Over a third of voters have it as their worst day to attend games - although, lets be honest people, it isn't actually worse for these voters than Tuesdays or Wednesdays, other than you actually get games on Thursdays. Add your weight to these numbers by voting here.

Anyway, that wasn't really what this post is about. This post is more about giving some facts on who has played most on Thursday nights, since they became a regular part of our Super League scheduling in Round 27 of the 2013 season.

The facts
The table below shows who has played the most Thursday nights games, each sides average Thursday home attendance and average overall home attendances, since Round 27 2013 to time of writing (during 2019 playoffs).

During the six-year run of regular Thursday night action, Castleford Tigers have had the most weeknight matches to contend with, 41 in total. This was brought on by a frankly ridiculous 2019 season of 11 Thursday games, 8 of which were away, including the final three games of their season. One of them was Maundy Thursday, so not quite the same with a bank holiday Friday the day after, but still!

Depending on the season and the structure, it's varied between 28 and 30 Thursday games per season from 2014 to 2019. Obviously, some of these were playoff games. Back in the 14-team days of 2014, sides should have averaged 4 games each on a Thursday. In 2019, it would have been 4.67 each if the 12-sides played the same amount of times. If games were spread out evenly, you would expect the 10 Super League ever-presents over the last six years to have each played roughly 30 Thursday games. You can see that hasn't fully happened. To redress the balance, Salford and Wakefield fans should be sent out on the road for a few more midweek trips over the next two years!

Castleford and Wigan have played roughly 2 of every 9 games on a Thursday night over the last six years. Castleford and St Helens fans have had to do the most travelling, whilst Wigan fans have had their home games most impacted. 

Castleford's 11 in 2019 is the most in one season for any side. Four times before, sides had 8 in a season. Although, only once has a team had more than 4 of their home games in a season on a Thursday night - Huddersfield had 5 in 2018. Not all of these were moved for TV..

10 of the 176 Thursday games weren't televised. These were either Maundy Thursday games or fixtures moved due to stadium access issues. Huddersfield have three of the non-televised games, with London having two and a number of others having one each. 

The thoughts

Outside of Wigan games, Thursday nights don't seem to be hitting crowd figures as hard as some make out. Although, there's clearly a perception that needs addressing if we're still to be used by our broadcasters to fill that otherwise vacant Thursday night team sport spot. 

The first thing needs to be a more even distribution of games. Catalans, understandably, don't host any Thursday night games - if fans find it hard to travel the 123 miles from Hull KR to St Helens (the longest road trip Super League will see in 2020), then getting on a flight makes it even harder. Plus, their home broadcast deal is, and should be, different. If Toronto come up, same applies there. But the rest need to be handed out more evenly. For example, no side needs to play more than three home games or more than three away games on Thursdays - and we make the overseas sides play at least three away to help shape that balance. 

The average UK travel distance in 2020 using the reasonable proxy of ground-to-ground travel will be about 56 miles, or 70 minutes in good conditions. Now, we know that 5:30pm to 7:30pm isn't always good conditions to travel across the north. 

So, as well as a more even spread of games for each side, no side's supporters should be expected to negotiate the travel conditions of both Manchester and Leeds areas on the same trip. That, for me, means no-one east of Leeds or west of Salford travel past Huddersfield on a Thursday night. I'd maybe let Leeds play Salford, as that trip is under 50 miles, so even with traffic at both ends it's not unreasonable to get between the two after work for a 7:45pm kick-off.

We know from the Super League leadership that Thursday night games are here to stay at least for the medium term. Sky Sports, our broadcast partner and main source of finance, like the slot. I've always said us fans should make the most of that TV exposure. Hopefully with these two tweaks we'll see a way to make more people like Thursday night games as much as I do!

Thanks as always for reading. Please share and comment with your own, constructive, thoughts. 

Mark

SLP

Thinking about the TV Deal - by Mark

Most serious Rugby League fans in the UK know that the Super League TV deal is up at the end of the 2021 season.

Whilst the last deal with Sky, negotiated by The RFL, has certainly brought in large sums of money for the Super League clubs, the finer details weren't really all in the best interests of the clubs, the game and the fans. The ability to change a fixture at less than a weeks notice is probably the stand out in that regard.

One of the main determining factors in Super League splitting from The RFL at the end of 2017 was self-determination over the next TV deal - the major source of income for most clubs. So, they have to get it right!

My understanding is the Super League board are looking to appoint an external party to help them weight up all the options and permutations. I think that nothing is off the table - from how many games are televised, to who televises them and beyond.

I don't know how strong the Super League's hand is going to be in these negotiations, but there are a few things I think they should be looking for:

• A minimum of two weeks notice for any game moved for TV coverage - this is a no brainer, we have to try and get a bit more notice for fans to plan arrangements and for clubs to maximise on things like hospitality sales and any special offers or occasions.
• All week(school)night TV games fixed before the season kicks off - and I don't say all Thursday night games, because the broadcaster may want to try Monday's again. But getting the scheduling that is most moaned about sorted early doors just makes things easier all round.
• More televised games - ok, this is obvious too, but worth trying for. Ideally, we'd get all games televised like in the NRL - one Thursday, one Friday, two Saturday, two Sunday (but then I know people will moan about not having a regular home game day...you can't win in Rugby League eh!?)
• Sunday tea-time games throughout February - little bit less obvious, but the sport I think translates best to ours might be American Football. If we're still with Sky, their Sunday evening NFL audience needs tapping into as the NFL season ends and the Super League season starts. Filling the same TV scheduling slot is a perfect way to work on that audience. Super League should be asking Sky for this as part of any new deal. Hopefully, they would be an additional TV game each instead of just one of the normal two.
• More Saturday tea-time games in May and June - on a similar line to the above suggestion, this is where we can pick up the usual Saturday early-evening football slot to try and tap into the audience used to watching team sports at that particular time slot. Obviously, if that was to stay a Catalans slot and we still get those games in the UK (or maybe even Catalans & Toulouse) then this slot will be naturally filled, so it's about picking up the slot in open weeks. Again, Super League should be putting this to Sky. Surely it's a potential win for both parties too. Obviously, if the new deal was with another provider then we look at their existing slots and find ones we can best fill when other sports are in off-season.
• Guarantees of a more even split in coverage - this only really applies if we stick with the 2.5 TV games a week schedule - but how can it be right that one team is on TV 6 times (Salford) in the regular season and another 18 times (Castleford)? Is this even what we really want as armchair viewers? When you recognise that one of those games was at Magic Weekend and one was Catalans away, it made 5th place Castleford (in this particular season) the Sky pick four times more often than 3rd place Salford. TV audiences have been deprived of this great Salford side when such uneven coverage can happen.
• No Thursday games in the first week of the playoffs - maybe no Thursday playoffs at all, but that might be pushing it, and you have to make some concessions in negotiations - it's no good for Sky or Super League for a side to get half their average crowd for a playoff game, which happened to Warrington this year. Whatever the reasons, some action needs to be seen to be taken to address this. (more on Thursday Night games coming soon, keep your eye on the blog!)
• Some free-to-air games - a tough one for sure - we need to get more games in front of more eyes, and we need to get the support of the broadcaster in doing this. BT have done it with Rugby Union. Sky did it with the Cricket World Cup Final. A few games a year need to be shared with free-to-air TV. Whether it's the headline game a Magic Weekend, or an opening weekend fixture, a playoff semi-final or whatever, we need to get agreement to put some stuff out there free-to-air to spread the fan base and generate more interest.

Thanks for reading and please comment with your thoughts on what Super League need to go to the negotiating table looking for from the new deal.

Mark
SLP

2019 Super League Season Preview Show

Our Super League Season Preview show is now out! All four main hosts joined forces for a team-by-team run-through YOUR views, squad ins & outs and our predictions for 2019.

Listen to the show on iTunes here: SLP on iTunes
If you're not an Apple user, get the show here: SLP on Spreaker
You can also find us on YouTube, or search for us on whatever podcatcher app you use.

SLP Episode 205 is sponsored by Little Warden!
If you have a website, then visit LittleWarden.com and see what they can do to help you. They can help you with domain expiration checks, redirects and all sorts of other important background web stuff that they’ll make simple for you. Little Warden – monitoring the tedious!

This week's show is a team-by-team preview of the 2019 Super League Season. We go through all the views we had from fans of the sides, talk through the ins & outs at each side and say where we think each team will finish in the table.
You can find your own favourite side at the following points of the episode:
002:30 Castleford Tigers
012:35 Catalans Dragons
020:50 Huddersfield Giants
031:00 Hull FC
041:40 Hull Kingston Rovers
050:25 Leeds Rhinos
058:35 London Broncos
067:55 Salford Red Devils
078:05 St Helens
087:55 Wakefield Trinity
097:50 Warrington Wolves
105:55 Wigan Warriors

You should also check out our 2019 Predictions Show too, here or here.

Thank you to everyone who supports SLP!
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Season Preview: Predictions Results

We asked you what was going to happen in 2018, and here's what you thought!

Challenge Cup

Saints are well liked across the board this year and that starts with them being the most popular choice for the Challenge Cup. This is different to the bookies view, with Cup sponsors Ladbrokes having Castleford the 4/1 favourites at the time of writing, and St Helens joint second favourites at 5/1 alongside Hull FC, who you have 2nd, and Wigan, who you've voted 6th favourite. Toronto Wolfpack may be big outsiders but one of you lot picked the Championship outfit to upset the order of things.

Saints own fans are confident, with 73% of them who took part in our predictions backing their own side, although their with the majority of others too. Hull FC fans are pretty confident of going back-to-back-to-back at Wembley - over half of their own fans chose them to lift the cup, and that made up 65% of all the votes Hull got. The few votes that Huddersfield, Salford, Wakefield and Widnes got all came from the most optimistic amongst their own fan bases. 37% of voters chose their own team. 

Me, I'm with the bookies on this one. I fancy Castleford to win a final to fill that missing gap in Daryl Powell's legacy at the club. They have a first team line up that's as good as any one else on their day and they've had the experience of losing a couple of big occasions to draw character from now too.

Super League Grand Final

Saints came out as huge favourites to lift the trophy at Old Trafford this year, with 47% of you backing Justin Holbrook's men. Hull FC also proved a popular choice, thanks again to some optimistic homers, with Leeds and Wigan behind them as the sides with winning experience. Castleford are again the bookies favourites, 4/1 with sponsors Betfred at the time of writing but they're only 5th on our list, a list that saw everyone but Hull KR get a vote. Yes, Widnes got a vote.

Whilst nearly three-quarters of Saints fans went with their own side, they were only 13% of all the people that voted Saints, so it's hard to argue that they were being homers. More than half the Hull fans voted for themselves though, and made up 74% of all the votes for the black and whites.

For Wigan, just under half of their fans picked their own team to lift the Super League title, but made up 82% of votes for the cherry and whites, and I'm in that number. I've gone heart over head and hope for a bounce-back year for a talented squad with something to prove again.

Steve Prescott Man of Steel

Following the theme we've seen already, it's St Helens players that lead the way, with the top three vote getters all being Saints - Alex Walmsley leading the way with 17%, Ben Barba just a couple of votes behind on 16% and James Roby getting 12% of votes. Every Saints Fan chose a Saints player, but so did 45% of all voters.

Ben Barba is the clear favourite with Super League sponsors Betred at 8/1. Luke Gale is second favourite with them but only picked up a couple of votes from you lot. Walmsley is 5th favourite at 18/1, which represents good value based on those who voted in our poll.

The longer shots would be Julien Bousquet, Robert Lui, Mickey Paea and young Olly Ashall. All those outsiders were picked by fans of their respective clubs, so no huge shock there. It would be a huge shock if any of them scooped the award though. Of these four, I could only find odds for Lui, 100/1.

My vote goes to James Roby. He's not won it now for over 10 years, yet when he stays injury free he's consistently one of the best players in the league and the most important player in his side. If St Helens do as well as everyone expects, he'll be as important as anyone in that.
















Promotion from the Championship

Over half of you think the Toronto Wolfpack's rise to Super League will be a rapid one, having them being promoted through the Qualifiers. Leigh Centurions come in second despite being clear favourites to top the Championship ahead of Toronto with the bookies. Then comes the group that I've previously been in, those voting for no teams to get promoted. This year though I think that both Leigh and Toronto have strong enough sides to compete with at least a couple of the likely teams dropping in the Qualifiers from Super League.

Others expect Toulouse, London and Featherstone all have a chance of joining them going up. One person even thought Barrow will reach Super League, a proud Cumbrian I suspect! Half the teams have no chance according to our voters, but I do think it'll be a competitive league this year.

20% of us thought there would be more than one side going up. Two voters really think there will be a changing of the guard, picking three sides to get promoted through the Qualifiers. Of course, that may not matter at all, as we're yet to find out what the structure for 2019 and beyond will be or who will make up each division.

Relegation to League 1

Two votes were required for this question and our voters had a pretty strong feeling that it will be two of three sides that fall out of the second tier his season. Last year's financial struggle sees 55% of people tip Swinton for the drop. Newly promoted Barrow are next most fancied, being picked by 51% of voters to make an immediate League 1 return. Finally, the turbulent off-season has no doubt helped Rochdale get a vote from 50% of our voters.

The most notable thing from this category is that every club, even Leigh and Toronto, got votes to go down. I suspect some of those votes were made in spite more than genuine expectation.

Myself, I think it will be Barrow and Rochdale that make the fall. Barrow because I think this is a tougher division this year so for a promoted side to compete it takes the resources of a Toronto and not a Barrow. Rochdale because an unsettled preseason where you're losing all your best players isn't ideal off field preparation at all, and that after they had a rather poor back half of 2017 on the field.

Promotion to League 1

Bradford are short odds with Betfred to make an immediate return to the Championship and that's reflected with a huge 88% of you tipping them for promotion this year. With two going up, there was a little more competition between the next best sides, but in their 150th year almost a third of voters think it will be celebrated with promotion for York City Knights.

I'm in the Bradford and York camp myself. With John Kear leading a talented young Bulls side that's also added some Championship quality experience, they're nailed on if they avoid a further financial drama. York haven't just got a dual reg partnership with Hull KR, they seem to have taken some of their unwanted players too, players with good experience at a higher level. That partnership between those clubs, plus the special anniversary and feel good factor of a positive end to 2017 set them up well.

Both Cumbria clubs get decent support from our voters. It's not a great shock, and both have made some headline worthy moves in the off-season so they will be interesting to watch, but they lack depth out there to stay the course for me. 15% expect better from Keighley and 13% expect a bounce back from Oldham. Newcastle and Doncaster on the fringes of the heartlands get some support and non-heartland Coventry are probably a bit off challenging but at least one voter sees them up there this year.

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Hear talk about your predictions and more in our 2018 season preview and predictions show! You can get it HERE, or HERE if your an iTunes person, and you can also get it on the League Cast Android app or YouTube.

Keep your eyes on our Twitter feed and Facebook page for when you can get more from SLP.

Mark
SLP

1 to 17: Super League Squads Assessed

We now have all the 2018 Super League squad numbers announced, after Wigan and finally Castleford released theirs this week. So, to whet the appetite for our upcoming season preview show, in this week's blog I've decided to play a bit of a game to figure out how I feel each squad stacks up.

I listed every player in each squad numbered 1 to 17* and I've subjectively ranked them from 1 (best) to 12 (worst), then added up the scores to see who I think has the best squad in Super League.

*other than Hull KR, who don't have a number 2 and have retired the number 6 - so for them, I've just filled in the gaps with who from their squad made most sense.

My best 17
Before I go into the squads vs. squads rankings, I'm going to give you my top ranked player for each squad number 1 to 17.

With shirt numbers 1 to 13, I was obviously looking at players in terms of a particular position on the field too. For shirt numbers 14 to 17, you get a mix of players who play different positions, so it gets a bit tougher to value one over the others.

Here's my side:

1. Jake Mamo, Huddersfield Giants
2. Jermaine McGillvary, Huddersfield Giants
3. Kallum Watkins, Leeds Rhinos
4. Mark Percival, St Helens
5. Joe Burgess, Wigan Warriors
6. George Williams, Wigan Warriors
7. Luke Gale, Castleford Tigers
8. Alex Walmsley, St Helens
9. James Roby, St Helens
10. Grant Millington, Castleford Tigers
11. Ben Currie, Warrington Wolves
12. Liam Farrell, Wigan Warriors
13. Sean O'Loughlin, Wigan Warriors
14. John Bateman, Wigan Warriors
15. Jesse Sene-Lafao, Castleford Tigers
16. Luke Thompson, St Helens
17. Ukuma Ta'ai, Huddersfield Giants

Have a go at the same exercise yourself then tell us yours in the comments! Just a reminder, this is based on squad numbers and not on positions (before people lose their minds over no Ben Barba, or the make up of that bench).

How the squads stack up
Based on my subjective rankings, I get the the following order from best to worst for each side's 1 to 17:

#1 - Castleford Tigers - Score: 74/204
After a really strong 2017, their first-choicers ranked consistently high for me across the squad and a decent looking 'bench' helped edge Cas into top spot from my rankings.

#2 - St Helens - Score: 75/204
Favoured by many to lift some trophies this year, Saints were just pipped by Cas. If Ben Barba hadn't been given the 'famous' 23 jersey they probably would have been ranked top, they have a quality front line squad.

#3 - Wigan Warriors - Score: 78/204
I was surprised how high Wigan ranked overall, with a number of the first 13 not ranking well, but there are still some real star names in that squad. Having a world class player like John Bateman in the 14 shirt contributed to their 'bench' pulling Wigan up my list.

#4 - Leeds Rhinos - Score: 89/204
They won the title last year, so Leeds should be expected to rank high and they do. If I had rolled this out to the top 25 squad numbers, they would have ranked even higher, with some quality depth to their squad this year.

#5 - Hull FC - Score: 90/204
Losing a couple of their best players hits Hull a little in the rankings. They still do have a quality squad with quite a few ranked by me as 2nd or 3rd at their number.

#6 - Warrington Wolves - Score: 92/204
I didn't rank any of Wire's first 13 below 7th for their own number, but only Ben Currie ranked 1st, and a patchy 'bench' cost the a higher spot in my list. If I went to the top 25 squad numbers they would have dipped further, with a few unproven players at the back end of their fairly small squad.

#7 - Huddersfield Giants - Score: 97/204
Their ranking has benefited somewhat from who other sides put in a couple of shirts. The strength of the squad numbers is primarily in the 1-3 shirts and on the 'bench'. They also have the odd favourable comparisons in later squad numbers outside the top 17, as well as some that I rank low.

#8 - Wakefield Trinity - Score: 120/204
This may speak to Wakefield being better than the sum of their parts, I didn't have it in my head they would rank this low. If I'd been comparing Tyler Randell to hookers and not loose forwards, it may have changed a little. They do have some favourable comparisons when I look at numbers 18-25 though.

#9 - Catalan Dragons - Score: 126/204
They have a few 12th places in my rankings, so despite some of their forwards and 'bench' men ranking well, they sit outside my top eight squads. Numbers 19-23 would stack up well against other squads though, so my expectations for their season won't be based on their top 17.

#10 - Salford Red Devils - Score: 150/204
This feels about right for this Salford side, with the club in a full scale reshuffle. Only three of their first 17 players earned a top half rank from me for their numbers.

#11 - Hull Kingston Rovers - Score: 167/204
Their squad numbers reflect the fact that a solid side got them promoted from the Championship, but it's mostly made up of the players who got them relegated or players who've yet to prove it at Super League level. Without Danny McGuire, they probably would have sat last in my rankings.

#12 - Widnes Vikings - Score: 168/204
My rankings for Widnes' players reflect that they were a poor side in 2017 and haven't done a great deal of strengthening in 2018. If I was comparing teams' squad numbers 30+, with Aaron Heremaia and the Albert brothers down their list, that's where Widnes would rank better with their big squad.

I even surprised myself with a few of these rankings, so maybe you'll surprise yourself too. Share your rankings with us in the comments. If you end up with a team scoring anything close to 17/204 or 204/204 then give yourself a long look in the mirror!

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Just to finish, I'll touch on one of the more notable news stories of the week with three big name big men getting cut adrift from the Wolfpack.

I'm not sure quite what went on in Portugal for Ryan Bailey, Fui Fui MoiMoi and Dave Taylor all to have parted ways, with a pleasant goodbye press release I should note, from the Toronto Wolfpack. It's not a great sign at this stage of the preseason for such a big upheaval to take place, but the powers-that-be in the transatlantic venture can't be too concerned seeing as they've given the coach a new contract extension.

Maybe it does leave the Wolfpack a little thin of front-line front-rowers, but Toronto still have quality in their ranks. You would also expect that they have a little cash going spare now and cap space to use up on anyone who becomes available elsewhere. I'm not too worried about how this affects their ability to compete this year and the likely step up to Super League beyond that. They'll be okay.

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Hope you've enjoyed reading this week's blog. It's not long before we'll be back in your ears, as we plan to record our 2018 season preview and predictions show on 29 January. On that subject, make sure to make your predictions so you can be part of the show: https://goo.gl/forms/jZrrvCGFm2MrJxu42

Mark
SLP

2014 Super League Preview

If 2013 was extraordinary, 2014 should be exhilarating and tense in equal measure. With some talismanic players gone from some of the top clubs, a new threat to the traditional trophy winners on the scene and the spectre of relegation looming, there should be plenty to discuss in Super League this year.

We're in the midst of Super League's preseason so its time to preview what's to come in the next 10 months for the teams in the northern hemisphere's premier competition of the greatest game. 

This post features our headline predictions for the upcoming season, but you can look at our previews for each team by following these links (or picking from the sidebar):

Bradford - Castleford - Catalan - Huddersfield - Hull FC - Hull KR - Leeds - London - Salford - St Helens - Wakefield - Warrington - Widnes - Wigan

We also want to hear what you think so leave a comment with your predictions, and your thoughts on ours, or connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Grand Final Winners:
Mark - Warrington - My thinking is one of these years just has to be their year. They are *gritted teeth* well coached, have plenty of experience, but also got younger and faster in the off season. In Matty Russell, Richie Myler and Stefan Ratchford they have a fast, talented and young axis that should contribute lots of scoring. This behind the likes of Hill, Asotasi and Westwood who should do damage up front and Joel Monaghan should still be effective out wide. I just think they have a complete package and a very strong motivation to push it all for Old Trafford glory, with the mental strength to do so against the likely pressure of failing again.

Tom - Huddersfield - The wheels came off last year but looking at this group I find it hard to look beyond the Giants for the overall crown this year. Barring all but the most serous of injury crises or some kind of coaching implosion, it's the Giants all day for me. There may be better groups of forwards, halves and backs knocking about as units within other sides (mainly I'm thinking of Leeds' outside backs, but more on them later), but as a team the Giants are my pick for Grand Final glory come October. Their forwards get their jobs done with power and real aggression. Eorl Crabtree in particular causes so many problems for his opponents and sets a great platform for his halves to perform from. Danny Brough is the reigning Man of Steel and will be up there again this year, moving this powerful group round the park with all the aplomb he demonstrated last term. The squad is relatively settled in terms of comings and goings, but the addition of Jodie Broughton is a strong one which serves to improve the Giants further. Incidentally, Broughton is my pick for top try-scorer this year, yes, ahead of Charnley. Put simply, if any team does better than the Giants, they'll be champions.

Cup Winners:
Mark - Leeds - Same logic as the GF in a way, they've been to Wembley three times in the last four years and lost every time. In their distinguished careers, none of their veteran stalwarts have won a cup final (other than Peacock with Bradford) and you feel they will want it on their honours list before they retire. They have some great outside backs and a great goal kicker, with big game experience. Too many times they've been starting to get going by Wembley and not quite be there. They just have to time their run to be around cup games, not for September, and they'll crack it. I fancy Salford could make a run in the cup to be the beaten finalists - they have quality but not depth, so the one off nature of cup games could suit them.

Tom - Leeds - It hurts to say this as a Bull's fan, but I fancy Leeds for the Challenge Cup this year. On their day they can beat anyone and that suits them for knockout football. I think there are weaknesses in the forwards, and Sinfield/McGuirre won't go on forever (will they?!?!) but that back line is one of the most gifted I've seen. Ryan Hall was quiet last year but still bagged 15 try's. Kallum Watkins is a phenomenal athlete, probably the best player outside the NRL, whilst Tom Briscoe is another world class finisher. This all adds up to cup glory and a strong challenge come playoff time. I fancy one of the Hull sides to join the Rhinos at Wembley, although sadly for one half of the city, the end result will be the same as last year.

Man of Steel:
Mark - Stefan Ratchford - If I'm thinking Wire will take the LLS then it would make sense to take one of their players as MoS. Ratchford has to step up in place of Briers, and the media loved Briers, so he's bound to get plenty of attention. He has the ability and mentality to deal with the pressure and if he stays fit he will be the main man at the HJ.

Tom - Chris Hill - Not my first choice (Ratchford gets my vote too but I like a bit of intra-podcast rivalry), but Hill for me was our best performer after Sam Burgess at the World Cup. I like everything about this lads game and I think he's due a big year in an even bigger Warrington pack. He'll learn quickly from big money import Roy Asotasi and earn big raps all year helping set the platform for Ratchford and Myler. Halves are only as good as the forwards in front of them, and this kid is one of the best in the world. 

Listen to us discuss our predictions now!

2014 Preview - Castleford Tigers

A little bit of a season of two halves in 2013 with the mid season coaching change, but now Daryl Powell has a full year with the team to work on the little bit of promise shown. A 12th place finish though showed little progress overall on the field and it seems pretty quiet with progress off the field too, both of which might be key to a strong future and avoiding returning to being the yo-yo club of pre-licensing.
 

The on field impact of the loss of Rangi Chase is the big question. Chase has ran the show almost single handedly for years and last year had a hand in a over a third of his teams tries when he played, and carried the ball more than anyone else in Super League. Just where will the creativity come from now? On the other hand, could it help? Castleford can start playing a more structured, organised attack without him.

Of the seven departures, Chase is the big name. Four half backs options have been signed as possibilities to replace him with Brett Seymour, Liam Finn and Luke Dorn coming in for probably their last chances in Super League and Marc Sneyd on loan from Salford. Much could be decided on how quickly they can settle on the right combination and how often that combination can play together.
 

Jordan Thompson, Jacob Emmitt and Jonathan Walker have been solid contributors as well, although the replacements are their equal in Ashley Gibson, Andy Lynch, Scott Wheeldon and Frankie Mariano.
 

They do have some strike weapons with powerful Justin Carney backing up from a ... try debut season. If he keeps out of trouble he is a match for any opponent. As are their two young hookers. Its hard to believe Daryl Clark is only 20 years of age as he has been much talked about in his three years as a pro. He possesses great speed and try scoring instinct - a try every three games is good going for a hooker - as well as a huge defensive engine - he led the Tigers in tackles in 2013, making over 30 tackles in a game 12 times. He is spelled with equally talented and some may feel more of an all rounder Adam Milner who had his best year to date in 2013 and will wear the number 9 jersey in 2014.

The Tigers are always good for a few upsets and should be well coached in 2014. They still have bad boy Carney and exciting Clark who can threaten any team. Consistency will be an issue with little strength in depth in most areas.

League Leaders Odds: 200/1
Grand Final Odds: 250/1
Cup Odds: 66/1
(source: Oddschecker.com)
 

Mark's predictions:
League place - 11th
Key man - Wellar Hauraki
One to watch - Ben Reynolds

Tom's predictions:
League place - 13th
Key man - Wellar Hauraki
One to watch - Adam Milner