League Chatter

Opening Weekend

2012-02-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

Well, we’re off! Did theopening weekend give you that fix you’ve been lusting after?

The weather wasn’t idealfor rugby but our lads made the most of it as we saw seven games unfold to aninteresting set of results.

First off, Widnesre-starting their Superleague careers against Wakefield. After backing Widnes,I’d already started to gather my excuses when I heard about some of the injuries they were carrying in the forwards, this didn’t seem a problem though astheir highly motivated forward pack rolled up the pitch early doors and theyoung fullback poached a nice try with a kick through.
Wakefield reacted quicklythough and, in my opinion, the writing was on the wall when they’ve spread theball wide and rip up the defence, only for Ben Cockayne’s foot to have brushed the line as he toucheddown.
The Wildcats reallyimpressed me with their attacking rugby, with Tim Smith running things at 1streceiver, they always seemed to have lots of runners, coming from deep, givingoptions and stretching the defence.

On the other hand, Widnesstruggled for attacking penetration, despite the forwards getting up the pitchand them having an extended period camped on the Yorkshire men’s line, theattack was flat. With Watts out, too much was forced through Hanbury, who thedefence concentrated. His makeshift partner Clarke looked far toopedestrian in the first and second receiver roles and seemed to spend half histime harassing Scott Moore for a turn at dummy half.
However, sheer bloodyminded determination actually saw Widnes leading 14-10, following anopportunist try by the Widnes second row Cahill and, had two borderline videoref calls not gone against them, could have been going home with the points. Asthe second half wore on, though, the more dynamic Wakefield pack were gettingquicker play the balls so that their backs were able to play on the front foot.The penalties then came into the Vikings’ game and eventually the dam broke.The movement through the hands was slick and the Widnes defence had no answerto it, with tries from Mathers , Smith and Fox (2) seeing the Wildcats run awaywith it.
Dennis Betts has some workto do, but I’d say the Wakefield fans will be looking forward to next week andindeed the season.

The other Friday night gamewas Leeds at home to Hull KR. The score was 34-16, but with Dobson missing fourout of four conversation attempts, it sounded like a well contested game andHKR coach Sandercock was reasonably happy. Leeds started the game with RobBurrow at hooker, his performances at the back end of last season obviouslyshaping McDermott’s plans for him, and took the victory largely thanks to a hattrick from young centre Kallum Watkins.

On Saturday afternoon,another good tussle saw St Helens run out victors against the Broncos, despitetrailing at half time 18-16 in the snow and sleet. For Saints, stand in CaptainJames Roby was apparently star of the show, young backrow Dixon scored a lovelylong range effort and with club Stalwart Paul Wellens missing, new signingLance Hohaia took the #1 jersey to decent affect. Both sets of fans seem happy;with the new look Broncos appearing a stern test for last year’s grandfinalists, especially up front and with veteran Craig Gower showing that he’sstill got some class - forming a promising partnership with former Crusader,Witt.

Our second televised matchof the weekend was the opening game at Salford community stadium, where theywelcomed Castleford tigers on a very snowy night. Just as you’d expect from IanMillward’s side, the tigers seemed to pay no heed to the conditions and lookedto throw the ball around, whereas Salford started more sensibly by driving upthe middle and looking for a good kick. It was the Reds who had the first joy,with Matty Smith jinking between two forwards from ten metres out for thescore. As the match wore, however, on Cas's young pack, led by a rathermuscular performance from Jacob Emmit, started to get the better of the armwrestle and a difference in class started to appear. Richard Owen scored hisfirst from full back with a sweeping move, before being heavily involved in thesecond. Having spotted a defender out of position, Daryl Clarke made a halfbreak with a scoot from dummy half and his offload found its way to Owen, whochipped across field. The ball was delicately hacked on by Josh Griffin totouch down in goal, finishing a very impressive try.
Once they were behind, theReds started to play with a bit more adventure, trying to get the ball todanger man Patten, with some success. Dropped balls from half breaks byAnderson and Gleeson could have been the difference, but by now the Cas halfbacks had got the measure of the conditions and were pinning Salford back witha impressive short kicking into the snowy in goal areas; one kick finding itsway into the arms of hooker Milner to score between the posts.
That looked like the gameuntil one last burst from Salford from their own half saw Matty Ashurst finishedan early contender for try of the season until Owen struck back at the death.
Despite being on the wrongend of the result, I must say that Salford looked a lot better than I hadperhaps expected.

On to Sunday, where the bigresults came in. A depleted Huddersfield side travelled away to Wigan and won,with Larne Patrick, only just declared fit after a broken wrist, coming off thebench to score 2 tries. I’m afraid, given Huddersfield’s injuries; this is twopoints lost for Wigan, but credit the Fartowners for taking hold of such a biggame. The Wigan fans are bemoaning a lack of kicking game, but seem reasonablyhappy with the forward effort. Giants fans don’t seem to want to pick outindividuals, it sounds like it was a very rounded team performance.

Possibly a bigger shockwould be the Hull v Warrington game, which Wire rescued with a try late on (andcould have won, if Westwood had made the conversion). Reports make it soundlike an exciting match up. The Hull speccies were disappointed not to take thetwo points, but fairly happy with honours even, using the old adage “I’d havetaken a draw beforehand”. New signings on both sides in the form of Lynch andWaterhouse seemed to impress.

Following me saying Ifancied Bradford to improve this season, it sounds like the Dragons gave themquite a thrashing, with last year's dream team #7 Dureau pulling the stringsand ensuring that they had things sown up by half time, leading 20-0. TheBradford scores came towards the end, seemingly as nothing but consolation.

So who's happiest? Wakeyfans must be looking forward to an entertaining season and certainly show theycould threaten the play off places, although it will be interesting to see howtheir forwards go against a more established opposition pack. Hull FC fans,too, must fancy their chances of putting a cat amongst the pigeons. As for Huddersfield, to take down Wigan at the DW with a host of players missing is testimony to their squad and perhaps shows that they're capable of a more consistant season?

Unhappy? Bradford fans mustwonder if they'll ever see their former glory regained. Potter's now in hissecond season, so really needs to start getting a grip of things. Saying that,Catalan couldbe a real force this season, so perhaps its not the end of the world?
Wigan fans will have to resist that nagging doubt that could creep in to the minds, that life after Michael Maguire is going to be less than rosey. Wane seems like a determined chap, though, and has some real quality to work with.
Don't write them off just yet.

Wakefield are going to ask the appropriate authorities about the excessive grazes their players suffered in the match played on the new iPitch, which you could see on the knees and elbows (check Mather's elbow after he scores), but have a look back at the last 20 minutes of the Cas/Salford game and you'll also see a lot of blood on the joints (look in the back ground when the Howarth is being treated for concussion). The players may pick up scratches, but do we think its any worse than the ones you can get from some hard and dry pitches in the summer? What do you think?

So week one is down, seven fixtures, only one of which seemed one sided and three matches being attended by 10,000+ crownds despite horrid weather. A good weekend, and I reckon things are only going to get better.

Kick-Off’s Here!

2012-02-03T00:53:00.000-08:00

Get your Sky set on record, dig out your long johns andWoolley hats and get ready for Superleague 2012!

Whilst we’re not quite into summer rugby territory, yet, Ithink we’re all in the same boat that we’re ready for some real blood and gutsaction. Pre-season friendlies whet our appetite, but now it’s time for business,to stop the speculation, no more unlimited substitutes to experiment withcombinations and test youngsters – there’s league points at stake now.

The broadcasters have chosen two less glamorous fixtures towatch from our armchairs, but I’m glad we’re getting a chance to see the newboys Widnes and I’m sure the cameras will enjoy having a look around the newSalford ground.

Widnes vs Wakefield will be an interesting game between twosquads that have a lot of new comers. In my season preview I picked out a halfback from both teams as their Star Manand now Tim Smith and Rhys Hanbury are set to go head to head. They’re bothtalented, but as always, your forwards need to carry the piano before the backscan play it.

Salford and Cas should be a good game and, if I know IanMillward, the Tigers will arrive full of energy and keen to throw the ballabout. I reckon this could lead a few good scores from either side withenthusiasm for attack trumping defences that are missing missing match practice.
Phil Veivers isn’t getting ahead of himself and gave CODE 13 this rather understated interview.

He has a good little percentage gamer in Matty Smith who has a nice long booton him, so perhaps a solid showing from the Salford pack could mean that theycould frustrate the Yorkshiremen in the territory game.

I hope televising the above games doesn’t take away too muchfrom what should be good attendance figures, with Widnes having their firstgame back in Superleague and Salford with a competitive debut for their newground.

I would have preffered to be able to see at least one ofthe more top end Sunday fixtures, with Wire travelling away to the KC Stadiumto play Hull FC and Huddersfield going to Wigan. I reckon both of these fixtureswill pull big crowds and pit twoestablished coaches trying to build on previous seasons with two newlyappointed men who’ve spent the off season settling in to their new role. My gutsays that the Ws will both be victorious. I do love an upset, but with Huddersfield starting the season missingsome key forwards, including O’Donnell, I reckon this one’s beyond them.

Looking through the fixtures, there’s none that I can be that confident in predicting and as Casand (what were) Quins proved last year, your overall standing in the game isn’talways indicative of how you’ll start the season.

Saints fans should be confident against the Broncos, but it’s a long trip andthe London side have beaten them early in the season a couple of times to myrecollection.

The only ominous one for me is Leeds at home to HKR. Another game with a bumpercrowd, Rovers will have to start with some real intent or else the Rhinos havethe ability to run away with the game.

Having fancied Bradford to improve this season, the openingfixture against Catalan is an interesting one. On a level playing field I’dhave no doubt about backing the Frenchmen; so can the Bulls build on homeadvantage and make a statement of intent for the season? Let’s see what they’vegot, but turning over the Dragons is a substantial task. Mind you, on top ofhome advantage, I’m sure a freezing cold afternoon on the Pennines won’t doBradford’s chances any harm and Catalans have had what could be a disruptingset of injuries in the three quarters. This may be closer than some suspect,but I still lean towards the continentals.

I’ll go – Widnes, Cas, Warrington, Wigan, St Helens, Leedsand Catalan for victories this week.

Looking Forward to the 2012 Superleague Season

2012-02-01T00:56:00.000-08:00

With the new season kicking off this Friday, I thought we could take a look at the clubs competing and what we have to look forward to. Are we going to see the best superleague ever?

Bradford

The fallen giants. Bradford’s season is one I’m going towatch with real interest. I think a lot of us expected a bit more from themlast year, with Slick Mick Potter replacing the much maligned McBanana. MattOrford’s withdrawal late in the off-season probably didn’t help and the year certainlyhad more lows than highs for the Bullmania Massive.

I have slightly more hope this year, mainly due to heavyrecruitment in the backs, including halves Jarrod Sammut and Luke Gale,especially Gale, who impressed greatly at Quins last year. They also have someup and coming forwards in Kopczak, who was impressive for wales in the 4nations and the likes of Whitehead, Donald and the humungous Burgess, who willall be a year older. I reckon they may creep into the play-offs this year,which will be welcome relief for the fans, for whom the 2005 success must feela very long time ago.

For me, the re-signing of Karl Pryce epitomises the potentialfor both success and disappointment this season. We’ll have to wait and see howhe and his new(old) team fare.

Star Man: Luke Gale. Someoneto boss things in the middle could really make a difference for this team.

One to Watch: TomBurgess. Big as a house, surely the mark IV model can only get better.

Castleford

Classy Cas started last year like a house on fire beforeslipping down the table in the second half of the season to disappointinglymiss out on the playoffs. They’ve started a decent conveyor belt of youngplayers coming into the team, highlighted by exciting talents like Arundel andOwen in their backs and Clarke at hooker, as well as more established Cas boyslike Huby and Orr. They also have the often irresistible Rangi Chase, who adds areal element of danger.

Making sporting predictions isn’t often easy, especiallywhen Ian Millward is involved. I’m sure he’ll get them playing some excitingrugby, but his skills at Super League level were never really tested against afully affective salary cap. I predict quite an emotional season for the Casfaithful. They’ve not been very busy in terms of big transfers, but have lostsome real experience in the likes of Fozzard and Widders. Whilst they may getsome memorable victories, Cas fans should brace themselves for at least acouple of 60 point spankings.

Star Man: Rangi Chase.Reigning Man of Steel, he’s got some some real magic up his sleeve.

One to Watch: DarylClarke. The young hooker showed a lot of guile last year playing in a difficultposition.

Catalans

A slow start last year was washed away with a strong second halfof the season which saw the Dragons drag themselves into a play-off spot andregain the prominence they had before the disappointment of the 2010 season.The theme with signings has been quality and not quantity with two very bignames coming in. Louis Anderson will add some appreciated, if hardly needed,biff to the pack already bustling with Gallic charm, and if Leon Pryce canrecover from last year’s injury woes he’ll return to being arguably the mostdangerous individual in Super League. Combine that with a hopefully fit againThomas Bosc and you have some mouth-watering combinations on the field. Theonly problem will be finding space for both of these alongside Dureau andHenderson.

Another boost for the Dragons is that they’ve finished somework on their ground, which means the capacity has been increased for theupcoming season.

Star Man: ScottDureau. Really pulled the strings for them last year, getting himself a DreamTeam selection.

One to Watch: Jason Baitieri. Abrasive and strong running, thisyoung forward is going to cause the opposition problems for years to come. Interestingly,the young Frenchman was on the books of, and had 1 first grade appearance for,the Sydney Roosters.

Huddersfield

I like Huddersfield. They have tough forwards, clever halfbacks and exciting three quarters. They have a seemingly astute coach and theypromote young British players. So what’s missing? Consistency, for one; theyseem to have a wobble most seasons and last year’s lasted longer than usual. Iwonder if Nathan Brown’s bag of tricks is looking a little bare the longer he’sbeen away from the NRL, but I’m always reasonably impressed with not just theirrecruitment, but also their ability to get the best out of players who otherclubs don’t fancy. I feel it will be another year of competing well, but stilllacking enough to grab a trophy. They’ve knocked off some big names in the pastcouple of years, with notable victories like the one over Wire at MM, but theyneed to turn a corner in order that they’re still doing it at the business endof the season.

Star Man: Danny Brough– the little general. Has a swagger that harks back to the likes of Gouldingand Gregory.

One to Watch: JermaineMcGillvary. Some outstanding performances brought him to our attention lastyear, but can he kick on a level to challenge the likes of Ryan Hall?

Hull FC

Fairly busy transfer activity and a new coach will give theHull fans hope that they can return to the competitive level they reached in2005-6. Since then its felt like Hull have under achieved, given the allegedtalent they have had in their ranks.

Despite the departure of Fitzgibbon, Dowes and club championRadford, the new recruits, led by the indomitable Andy Lynch, should bulk upthe pack well and lay a decent platform for new boys Brett Seymour, Aaron Heremaia and a man who I believe could prove to be a veryinteresting long term signing – Jamie Ellis. Released by St Helens, it didn’ttake long for a Super League club to notice him starring at 7 for Leigh andre-ignite his topflight career.

The usual suspects Manu, Yeaman and Briscoe will mean a lotof threat out wide, but, again, the biggest influence is going to be the newcoach. A few years ago, the prospect of a visit from the Black and Whites couldput the shivers up any team, but I feellike it’s a long road back to that stage and I worry that if the new coachdoesn’t settle in well they’ll miss out on the playoffs in the coming term.

Star Man: Willie Manu.Extraordinarily hard to pull down when he taking the ball in, he’s a realdanger out wide.

One to Watch: JamieEllis. Has a look of an old-school scrum half general and impressed at Leigh. Iwonder whether he’ll get the chance with new signing Seymour around, but if hedoes, I’m sure he’ll take it.

Hull KR

Traditionally one of the most famous names in rugby league,the Robins have received a fair bit of flack over their recruitment policiesover the past few years, favouring imports over British talent, but theycertainly can’t be accused of not adding to SL since their promotion. The Hullderby itself is a massive day in the sport and there’s plenty of big clubs thathave been turned over at Craven Park.

As well as some solid additions to the squad, this yearthey’ve imported Mickey Paea, who comes with a ferocious reputation and classyfullback Shannon McDonnell, who impressed in the friendly derby match. I think it’sfair to say things had gone stale under the amiable Justin Morgan, so perhapsthe squad will flourish under the fresh approach of the amusingly namedSandercock.

They have some big game players, do HKR, and a smart driverin the form of Dobbo, so they’re another team that should not beunderestimated.

Star Man: MichaelDobson. No surprise, but this guy is the brains behind all the Robins do.

One to Watch: KrisWelham. He can really rip it up in attack, so if he tightens up the defensiveside he could perhaps threaten the international squad.

Leeds

Written off by us all as contenders by midseason 2011,people ridiculed McDermott’s appointment and consigned the Rhinos to the scrapheap as has-beens. The decision to release two of their first team props halfway through the campaign seemed madness, but whatever strategy Brian Mac appliedworked incredibly, as they knocked favourites Warrington out of the playoffsafter being chosen in the club call, and went on to give Saints yet anotherkick in the proverbials.

Brent Webb summed it up for me; after a season full of gaffsand penalties for descent, the full back burst through Chris Bridge’s tackle tobreak the game against the league favourites when it counted. The JJB inspiredsquad seem like they’d walk across hot coals for the Blue & Amber shirt andshould never be underestimated on the big day.

A modest off-season of transfer activity, but Griffin andMoore will be solid acquisitions to replace the dead wood they shippedmidseason. More interesting will be the development of Zak Hardaker, along with the other promisingyoungsters like BJB and Watkins.

Can they continue to pull it out of the bag? I’d say no, butI did the same last year, so what do I know?

Star Man: DannyMcGuire. Following a season decimated by injury last year, he’s back and strikinga formidable partnership with Sinfield in the halves.

One to Watch: Zak Hardaker.Took his chance in the centre last year and was mighty impressive. Let’s see ifhe can kick on. There’s some big boots to fill since the departure of Keith.

London Broncos

Another year, another set of wholesale changes, includingthe acquisition of Michael Witt from the Crusaders, Julien Rinaldi from Wakey,the return to rugby league of former Penrith bad boy, Craig Gower and two NRL GrandFinal winners in Robertson and Rodney.

Another team that started 2011 well before dramaticallylosing form, the players inbound look of decent ability and have respectablereputations, but the London club has failed to put things together over thepast few years and with a very young coach, improvement could be slow andsteady, which is no great disaster in the grand scheme of things for a clubstill trying to fulfil its potential in the capital. I’m happy about the returnof the Broncos moniker and, given theapparent success of the sport at grass roots level in London, hope that thesenior club can get themselves on a decent footing as the ambassadorial cluboutside our traditional heartlands.

Star Man: Craig Gower.Rightly or wrongly, Gower’s going to command a lot of headlines this year. Ihope this character can still cut it in the faster paced game of League.

One to Watch: MichaelRobertson isn’t the biggest name import we’ve had, but with a try every othergame during his 5 years at Manly, he’s obviously a winger of some talent.

Salford

Given they’ve just moved into a brand spanking new home,there didn’t seem an awful lot of positivity about the Salford speccies, andyou can’t really blame them, given all the palaver over their new coach. Adecent showing in the friendly against Wigan seems to have buoyed them somewhat,however.

With The Dingo now in charge, I certainly hope they do well,but I’m not sure if they’ve been busy enough recruiting to make a dent in theleague this season with such an inexperienced coach.

It’s been a less than inspiring round of signings, althoughfrom what I’ve read about Shannon McPherson, he sounds like a real roughcompetitor (despite having a girl’s name) who could be a much needed boost totheir pack. They’ll also be marshalled steadily by the trio of Smith,Holdsworth and Patten.

The new stadium means they’ll go on my list for away visitsthis year, but I reckon 2012 is going to be a tough slog for them.

Star Man: ShannonMcPherson. If the reputation is true, this guy could be the driving forcebehind their pack. Watch for him on the “tackles made” list and expect to seehim towards the top.

One to Watch: JodieBroughton. A very exciting young winger, the like of which we don’t see anawful lot of these days. Give him the ball and a bit of space and you’ll getsome real excitement.

Saints

An interesting season in prospect with a lot of focus awayfrom the pitch and onto the shiny new stadium they’ll be playing in and theencouraging season ticket sales that have followed.

Over the past few years, Saints have turned from theultimate big game club into perennial runners up, annually falling at the finalhurdle. The loss of James Graham is a massive one, although with therecruitment of Anthony Laffranchi and Mark Flanagan, Coach Simmons will behoping Graham’s massive work rate will be shared around with no detriment tothe team. I’m not so sure, but they should still have enough firepower to endsomewhere near the top.

The other big-name signing they’ve made is World Cup winnerLance Hohaia, apparently signed to play half back. Unfortunately for him, sincehe put pen to paper, Saints unearthed the wonderfully talented double act ofLomax and Gaskell. Will Hohaia’s big name get him picked before the impressiveand in-form youngsters? Thinking ahead to the next World Cup, I’d be wanting thosetwo to be getting all the game time possible.

The young guns at Saints excite a lot of people, but theydon’t have the most robust squad, especially in the forwards.

Star Man: James Roby.Not only is he nigh on unstoppable if Saints get a quick play the ball, but theguy is a machine in defence.

One to Watch: LeeGaskell. Flew under the radar last year due to the exploits of Johnny Lomax, andSaints fans are expecting a big season for this mercurial young half back.

Wakefield

To be honest, who knows!? Their transfer activity is vast,with players of varying ability coming and going. There’s some gooduns on thelist, Fox is a proven winger, Mellors is a danger in the centre and the like ofRaleigh and Kirmond coming in from Huddersfield are tough additions to a seasoned squad, but there’s some questionableones too, most notably Tim Smith, a man with a chequered career who I know isnot well remembered by Wigan fans following his stint there earlier in hiscareer, despite glimpses of talent. There’s also a few Aussies I know littleabout, which hinders any comprehensive analysis of their chances from me.

The biggest change though, surely, is the coach. Out goeslovable Penfold and in comes Richard Agar. The general consensus from the Hullfans didn’t seem a good one and I do wonder whether he’s the man to pull Wakefieldup the table. They’ve given local rivals Cas a good hiding in the pre-seasonfriendlies, though, so a fresh start may see his plans unfold better.

Star Man: Tim Smith.The jury’s out, but if he holds it together, he is a man that could really shuntthe Wildcats up the table.

One To Watch: DannyWashbrook. His progress as a player stuttered at Hull, despite him being apromising youngster. I hope this exciting ball player has some luck on a newstamping ground.

Warrington

Seemingly invincible two months from the 2011 season end,they crashed out the playoffs to an un-fancied Leeds team. Despite theChallenge Cup wins of recent times, the year of the wolf remains somewhat anenigma, with the biggest prize consistently eluding them.

Not much of a change around of players, with Waterhousecoming in for Anderson and the exciting young Ratchford coming in for MattKing. Young Chris Hill could be one to watch for the future. So Tony Smithdoesn’t have many unknowns to gamble on with his preparations for the nextcampaign, but let’s not forget that his squad aren’t the youngest, with starplayers Morley, Briers, Hodgson, Carvell and Monaghan all over of 30. People assume they’re the wrong side of thehill – there’s no substitute for experience, though.

Star Man: M. Monaghan.Saints and Wire fans will argue all day about who is the best hooker (maybe thebest player) in the league. Monas’s craft around the ruck is a marvel and he’sa tough defender to boot.

One to Watch: RhysEvans. Appears big, fast and skilful – exactly what we want from our backs ifwe’re to compete with them lot down under.

Widnes

The promoted team in any sport always has a tough time, themajority of their recruitment normally coming from whatever clubs beenrelegated. However, I see a little bit more light at the end of the tunnel.They’ve gathered experience with the likes of Cross, Clarke and Phelps, a veryinteresting half back combination of Watts and Hanbury and some promisingyoungsters in the form of Ben Davies, the return of Anthony Mullally from ayear at Brisbane and the late addition of a very substantial chap called SioneKite. They’ve also given some big names a run for their money in the preseasonfriendlies.

Watch this space, but, with nothing to lose and everythingto gain, I suspect they’ll do better than some might expect. The team may haveproblems gelling, but they’ll also have players out to prove themselves at anew club.

We’ve also got their super new iPitch to look forward to, don’t forget.

Star Man. RhysHanbury. He’ll be in the middle of pretty much anything that goes on and has avery complete game. Didn’t get the credit I thought he deserved at Crusaders, Ithink he’ll have a wow of a season.

One to Watch. AnthonyMullally. Spent last season impressing with Brisbane’s reserve grade. I’m notsure how much we’ll see straight away, but I’ll watch his development with akeen eye.

Wigan

Michael Maguire came and went like a whirlwind, turning aBrian Noble led team of also-rans into a slick, physically dominating team ofrugby machines. The announcement of his departure prompted much speculation asto whether his successor Wane could maintain those high standards as theyromped to Challenge Cup victory last year. However, the season ended with arelative whimper with a double derby loss to a team they convincingly outgunnedearlier in the season. I suspect things won’t be that simple for Wane as hetakes that precarious step from assistant to head coach.

The playing staff haven’t changed much, the substantial holeleft by Martin Gleeson apparently being filled by the signing of little known AnthonyGelling and the departing Coley and Hoffman hopefully being compensated for bythe return of long-term absentees Hock and Fielden and the substantial newframes of Dudson, Flower and Luaki.

Wigan’s work ethic in the forwards, especially in defence,should see them grind their way to the right end of the table, but the obviouskey to their success will be the quality and frequency of the ball getting toSam Tomkins. However, if he stays at full back, they’ll be looking a littlelight in the half back area following Paul Deacon’s retirement, especially theway Tommy Leuluai has been gravitatingtowards hooker. Perhaps a youngster will step up – Mellor is a name bandedabout by the fans.

Star Man: Sam Tomkins.‘Nuff said.

One to Watch: GilDudson. Massive lump of a lad, let’s see if the boyo can impress when he’splaying for a team at the right end of the table.

So there you go. I'm not going to give a prediction for every clubs finish, but I do think that, along with the usual suspects, Bradford and Hull FC will be the ones to sneak the last couple of playoff spots ahead of the likes of Cas and HKR. I see improvement in most squads, especially those from the bottom end, but someone still has to finish bottom. I do suspect, however, that it won't be the new boys Widnes.

Top spot? I think my money will be on Warrington to repeat last years acheivement. As for the Grand Final, we'll, as Leeds proved to us all, it's anyone's game.