Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:34 pm  

Clearwing wrote:

Hard to see Leeds not improving too. We set the bar very low last time. No prediction of where we'll finish yet as I'm holding out some hope of further comings and goings.

I agree, Leeds will definitely improve but, it would be a huge ask for them to make the top 5, although as I said in my previous post, any club, with the exception of KR, London and Salford will be hoping to make the Top 5.

The top 9 could still throw up a couple of surprises and recent seasons have also seen one (or two) of the top sides massively under perform.
Leeds will probably be right up there again but, Furner would need some magic dust for it to be next season.

Huddersfield & Catalan could be dark horses if they get off to a decent start although it's still likely to be last seasons top 4 finishing in the top 4 spots but, perhaps in a different order.

Saints looked like LLS material from the off, last season but, I expect a much tighter comp next year.

Maybe with the change in format, every minute really will matter

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:47 pm  

Good point about supposedly-good sides underperforming in recent years. Picking a long shot for next year's chumps? Maybe red faces at Cas and I'm not just talking Adam Milner here.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:50 pm  

I think the travelling will always hinder Catalans to some degree, so I can't see them making the top three. But top 5 is certainly possible.

Could next year finally be Warrington's year? They've made some good signings, if Blake Austin is here to play then they could be in with a shout next season.
Saints will be up there again, as will Cas and Wigan.

Not sure what to make of Hull's off-season, stability and lack of major personnel changes could be good for them maybe? Their terrible form at the back end of last season would worry me though if I was an FC fan.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:05 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

:

Is this yet another of your insightful predictions ?
Have you ever been close with any of your previous efforts

Next season will be similar to last, with the exception of some improvement from Huddersfield and Catalan, who both improved after changing coach (although it did take McNamara some time to get Catalan posting some victories).

You have to fear for London, Salford and KR, who appear to be the clubs in most danger of relegation.

The "extra" play off spot could literally be any of the rest, with Catalan probably squeezing in.

With all due respect, I don't see why you think Hull Kr are in real danger of relegation with some of the signings they are making and yet to announce? Think they will surprise a few this coming season.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Mon Nov 19, 2018 7:19 pm  

It will depend on who can keep their squad healthiest over the course of the season. Every team looks stronger with the exception of Wigan really, but you can never back against them.
I'd be cautious if I was a Catalan fan, they tend to struggle until the spring time, and they may have too much ground to make up at that point.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Mon Nov 19, 2018 9:24 pm  

The question should be, which one of the 'big' teams will end up in the bottom 4, which seems to happen every year!

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Mon Nov 19, 2018 9:43 pm  

Rubyred1 wrote:

With all due respect, I don't see why you think Hull Kr are in real danger of relegation with some of the signings they are making and yet to announce? Think they will surprise a few this coming season.

If you could base a prediction on who teams sign then we might as well not bother as teams could quite literally buy success and we know that rarely works. Signing players is a fan obsession but in reality it’s just part of team building and certainly not the most important imho.

There is certainly no such thing as a magic player who can turn it all around. Wally Lewis was the best player at BV since the sixties - great to watch but did he turn that team around, no. He improved it by virtue of him being him but that’s all.

So HKR have to rightly be considered as relegation possibilities regardless of who they sign. Because they have not yet built up the resilience and cohesion or depth needed to guarantee winning as many games as required.

Clearly London are miles the faves for relegation but nothing is certain and I wouldn’t want to be too close to them come the end of the season.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Mon Nov 19, 2018 9:50 pm  

Wakefield fans seem pretty cocksure at the moment

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Mon Nov 19, 2018 10:09 pm  

HuddsRL5 wrote:

The question should be, which one of the 'big' teams will end up in the bottom 4, which seems to happen every year!

They have in the Super 8’s era but didn’t before and might see it revert to that with the new system.

As someone else pointed out the key thing is injuries. I know it can be tedious when it’s repeated especially by Eddie and Co. but it does happen and does effect teams.

Expect Wire to be stronger with Austin but they’ll always be question marks over getting over the line come crunch time. Saints have lost Barba but made a few decent signings, if Walmsley can return the player he was that’ll be huge for them. Not sure on Catalans having the consistency, will no doubt have a purple patch that makes them look contenders but will it last long enough. Hull could be a team that struggles with the way last year ended and not much to lift spirits in the off season. You know what you’re getting with Cas now, wonder if they hit the point where Powell has taken them as far as he can though. HKR have recruited and could be the surprise package. Wakey will struggle to match their 5th place finishes in recent seasons with this new structure, have to hope they have the Brough of 4/5 years ago which I’m not sure they will. Hudds had a real new coach purple patch last season but think that’s fade off now. London will probably be bottom but think they be more competitive than some think. All Salford eggs are in Hastings basket.

Wigan really not sure. Lost key players and really not sure how itll do when players already know the new coach is only there for a year with the new one already lined up.

Leeds again not sure, for all the optimism about Furner and talk of his work as assistant it doesn’t always translate to head coach and it didn’t really work for him at Canberra a few years back. Good chance we’ll be near the bottom after 4 rounds with the tough all away fixtures. But we’ll have gotten 3 of the very toughest fixtures out of the way with way more home games and winnable games to come so good potential to catch up. Headingley feeling more like a home again instead of a building site could help also.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Mon Nov 19, 2018 11:23 pm  

fun time frankie wrote:

Wakefield fans seem pretty cocksure at the moment

Eh, how do you get to that ?

Is it because we've finished 6th, 5th and 5th in the last 3 seasons and we no longer predict our imminent demise ?
Not exactly cocksure is it and if you ask prety much any Trinity fan, I can't see any predicting something better than last season and most would be delighted to make 5th again, which given the improving stock at Catalan and Huddersfield, would be an excellent sffort.

Having said that, EVERY club will want to try and improve on last season and why should Trinity be any different ?