What can we expect this year? : Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:03 am  

I think we are looking at a mid table finish.

Re: What can we expect this year? : Wed Jan 30, 2013 12:51 pm  

I think we'll be 8th or 9th as come the back end of the season hopefully our experience should tell.

I predict our attendance will be averaging at around 1100 and top try scorer will be Paul White.

Re: What can we expect this year? : Wed Jan 30, 2013 4:25 pm  

well I'm a bit worried with all these teams linking up with SL teams. We have a big squad ,which is good but no what I'd call 'game winners' .

Let's just say I'd be happy if we avoid the drop

Re: What can we expect this year? : Thu Jan 31, 2013 8:58 am  

obeone wrote:

Let's just say I'd be happy if we avoid the drop

Ohhhhhhhhhhh dont go there. That really is the league of dooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmm

Re: What can we expect this year? : Thu Jan 31, 2013 9:46 am  

20 years plus experience of following us teaches me to have no expectations.

With us, anything could happen.

Re: What can we expect this year? : Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:53 am  

What I expect is another roller coaster season with highs and lows but how many of each?

What I hope for is for us to solidify our place in the league with an expectation that the squad and coach can compete for the top in 2 seasons time.

Unfortunately we will have to wait and see how the SL clubs use the feeder club system to see how it impacts on our league, there'll be some weird results .

Re: What can we expect this year? : Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:01 am  

ilkleycougar wrote:

What I expect is another roller coaster season with highs and lows but how many of each?

What I hope for is for us to solidify our place in the league with an expectation that the squad and coach can compete for the top in 2 seasons time.

Unfortunately we will have to wait and see how the SL clubs use the feeder club system to see how it impacts on our league, there'll be some weird results .

Let's be honest here, the Championship playoff games could be decided by which Super League teams are or aren't in their playoffs and who, or who they don't make available. It's a joke, we could in theory see the Super League Man of Steel in the Championship grand final.

Re: What can we expect this year? : Sun Feb 03, 2013 3:40 pm  

I hope I am completely wrong and I do agree with Stealth that anything can happen as we have seen year after year but unfortunately I dont think we have a really strong squad this year and there's not many players that actually stand out. I think we will struggle this year and I have said this from the start, now the playoffs have been moved to the top eight I think we will be very very lucky to make the playoffs and I dont mean to put the lads down before we have really even started but when you look at some of the other clubs in this league I'm affraid on and off the field at the minute we have taken ten steps back. I thought last season we were making progress but some not all of the players that have left the club I dont feel we have really covered.

These first 6-7 games for me will make my mind up where we are going to be the first few games are a good mix of fixtures that will really test us. The problem is we have a few injuries already within the squad and yes we might have a big squad but for me the players we have especially some of the younger lads that are quality up and coming players just don't have the experience to step in at this level and fill the boots of some of the lads that are out. I hope we might have some pennies left to call in 1 or 2 more players from some where. A few people pull down spending big and bringng in big signings but come the end of the season we might just have to compare this seasons success to last years and see if the club was right not to bring in some more big names.

On the attendances for this year and having read Garys article in the Keighley News this week I think we will be lucky to average 900-1000. Reason been, last year we sold about 380-400 season tickets and we averaged 1100, this year to date we have sold just over 100 season tickets so not expecting big gates. It will be interesting to see the gate against whitehaven, this will be our first home game and I'm sure whitehaven bring an ok crowd with them and you would think our fans will come out in numbers to see there team in the first home game.

Anyway all we can do is back our team the best we can this season and hope a few of us on here are wrong wouldn't be the first time. Not trying to be negative or getting the axe out just trying to be realistic

Re: What can we expect this year? : Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:10 am  

Looking at how the championship is set up this year the linking with SL Clubs will no doubt cause us problems.

There are other teams who IMO have not linked up but are well established enough to survive without SL help.

IE Fev, Fax who I think are strong enough to go it alone.

The teams we have to look at are the ones who we think could have been favorites for the drop.

Barrow, York, Hawks, Donny, Whitehaven, Workington and even Rams.

We need to effectively finish above 2 of these.

They have all linked in with SL Clubs and as the Maths paints a picture at the end of the season we could see
full advantage of these partnerships being utilized to secure their survival.

Many Cougars fans shouted loud and proud they did not want to be a feeder / partner a Super League Club.

Maybe the directors listened to this and Cougars have done the noble thing and gone along with it.

We may have stuck the proverbial finger up at the RFL.

However if we want to poke the RFL in the proverbial eye, we need to back it up by surviving the season out
of the bottom 2.

Early days I appreciate and whilst I don't know what investments the club has planned.

What I think is a dead cert is that Cougars have never needed there fans more than they do this season.
They are up against a monumental task and it will sometimes feel like we are playing 2 teams.

Every fan through the gate at home matches, every positive cheer, every pound into squad builder, every
single positive contribution possible.

In hard times some younger less experience players will have to play above their ability. They may make mistakes.
They do not need our fans calling them dogsh*t as I heard on Sunday.

In my opinion the only way Cougars can survive this season is by a collective effort of maximum number through
the gates, maximum positive crowd, and all who can afford a little put it in Squad Builder.

In the meantime I am preparing for a roller-coaster season.

[Wheels]

Re: What can we expect this year? : Tue Feb 05, 2013 11:26 am  

MICKY1920 wrote:

Looking at how the championship is set up this year the linking with SL Clubs will no doubt cause us problems.

There are other teams who IMO have not linked up but are well established enough to survive without SL help.

IE Fev, Fax who I think are strong enough to go it alone.

The teams we have to look at are the ones who we think could have been favorites for the drop.

Barrow, York, Hawks, Donny, Whitehaven, Workington and even Rams.

We need to effectively finish above 2 of these.

They have all linked in with SL Clubs and as the Maths paints a picture at the end of the season we could see
full advantage of these partnerships being utilized to secure their survival.

Many Cougars fans shouted loud and proud they did not want to be a feeder / partner a Super League Club.

Maybe the directors listened to this and Cougars have done the noble thing and gone along with it.

We may have stuck the proverbial finger up at the RFL.

I wouldn't be too sure about that mate, Keighley are expected to take 5 players from Castleford anytime soon.