I'd say Cas are stronger.

Whilst the loss of Rangi has an impact, it allows us to work harder as a team and we have a very good strength in depth now compared to sides around us.

Like the previous Cas fan, I'd probably give us +1 and a good starting point moving forward now.

I think Hull KR are much stronger. Defensively we where really poor last year, Sandercock obviously knows this and has gone out and brought in two really strong defenders in Weyman & Costigan, and added plenty of grunt up front in Poore, Walker & Langtree.

Alot will depend on how Keating replaces Dobson but Dobson was also one of the reasons why we where so poor defensively. Ryan O'Hara joined Lezignan but was hardly a loss as he never managed a single game in 2013 and when one of your top earners fails to make an appearance then your already at a disadvantage before a balls kicked.
We can't suffer any worse with injuries although we've had a broken leg in training already.

The major plus last season for Huddersfield was remaining pretty injury free. Your spine played together for pretty much the whole season a luxury other teams wasn't quite so lucky with.

1)Grix 28
6)Brough 28
7)Robinson 29
9)Lunt 26

If that can happen again in 2014 then you'll have a great season.

The physio and rehab staff brought in by Anderson do an excellent job along with the conditioners.

What helps in 2014 is having Broughton so Murphy can do a great job at FB if grix is injured / needs to be moved. Also Connor is a highly gifted FB and is excellent at centre. Bailey will take pressure of our halves and has plenty of NRL experience at 6. By all accounts Kyle Wood is going great in training (cover at 9 and in halves) as is young international 9 Leeming. Also faiumu has played for the kiwis at 9.

Of course long term injuries to players like Lunt / Brough would hurt any team.

bulls -1 ( as Gaskell and Blythe were there last season anyway)

someone needs to do there sums again , gaskell was with Salford last season

Cas will be a decent watch this year. Sneyd, Tansey and Dorn are all attack minded pivots with Finn steering them around. Clark and Milner will be better for having some more structure. Stay injury free and they can make the eight. Just if you lose a forward or two and it hurts the momentum to make the space.

I like the look of Saints though. Big pack, pacey backs and a genuine 7. All the ingredients of the saints of old. Keep Roby on the field, Wellens off it and they will be close

Cas have a big squad this season with plenty of experience - in terms of forwards:

Props: Lynch, Huby, Massey, Boyle, Fleming, Wheeldon.
Backrow: Millington, Mariano, Holmes, Gilmour, Hauraki, Martin.

Good close season fun, but when so-called experts look at it like this it always makes me laugh. It's not just about in and outs but also improving what you already have, blending them into a team and bringing kids through, and on all these counts Wigan have a massive +.

Leigh have 30 + players and ten props in total so ours is bigger and better this year

Rovers have a better pack and same backs. Big change is at 7. If Keating is as good or better than Dobson time will tell.

got him mixed up with someone else ( Evans)Bulls had on loan OOps

Tuson will be in 2nd row with Ellis when he is fit (slipped disc,had op and out until rd 2/3).would leave Westerman at 13 as Radford wants him as a ball playing 13 so Pitts,Whiting,Thompson,Kent or Hadley will get a chance.....

You mistook a prop for a half back/centre? Oh wait, Giants fan, your team are a bunch of 2nd rowers and Danny Brough so your confusion is understandable



But back to Bradford, assuming we actually make it to the start of the season, I'd say we're at 0. We're not really any stronger but I don't think we're any weaker following the recruitment. We've can put out a decent first 17, but beyond that we really don't have a lot of depth in certain areas.

Just an observation but whether any club has strengthened or weakened is really irrelevant.
Only 4 clubs, at most, have a realistic chance of winning anything worthwhile. The rest are making up the numbers, and that is the saddest part of the game.

Another southern hemisphere player off the quota anyone?

Wigan , saints , wire , Leeds and giants .. Which 1doesnt ??

Saints

Nearly every professional sporting league worldwide is the same, I wonder how many people have had a cheeky tenner on Crystal Palace to win the premiership this season.

The NRL seems to have had a mix of winners in recent times

Were the chucks not the Crystal Palace last year

I know its not quite the same, but comparing last years finishing positions Vs this years odds is a good benchmark. The bookies are usually right.

2013 2014
1. Hudds 1. Wire (+1)
2. Wire 2. Wigan (+2)
3. Leeds 3. Leeds (0)
4. Wigan 4 = Saints (+1)
5. Saints 4 = Hudds (-3)
6. Hull 6. Hull (0)
7. Catalan 7. Salford (+7)
8. Hull KR 8. Catalan (-1)
9. Bradford 9. Hull KR (-1)
10. Widnes 10. Cas (+2)
11. Wakefield 11. Bradford (-2)
12. Cas 12. Widnes (-2)
13. London 13. Wakefield (-2)
14. Salford 14. London (-1)

Can't say I agree with Hudds. They could win it again. Saints also look a good bet to me.

7 different winners in last 10 grand finals

Helps when every club can spend full cap and it is policed properly.

Warrington Wolves2014

In: Matthew Russell (Gold Coast Titans), Anthony England (Featherstone Rovers), Ben Evans (Loan Return - Bradford Bulls), Roy Asotasi (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Kevin Penny (Swinton Lions).

Out: James Medeika (Featherstone Rovers), Mike Cooper (St George Illawarra Dragons), Gareth Carvell, Matty Blythe (Bradford Bulls), Adrian Morley (Salford City Reds), Tyrone McCarthy (Northern Pride), Rhys Williams, Brett Hodgson (Released), Lee Briers (Retirement).


The guys out
Cooper, Blythe, McCarthy squad players
Mendieika and Williams fringe players
Moz and Hodgson senior players past their best.

Lee will be missed but he's no longer as integral as people make out, he was out for a large chunk of the season and we still did well without him
Carvell I don't get, still effective can only assume he peed someone off at the club.

The guys in
Russell looks dynamic, looked good in the World cup, looked good in the friendly v Widnes, time will tell
Tony England is huge I reckon he could well do what Chris Hill did.
Asotasi unknown over here but he was the Rabbits captain so we know we are getting someone professional and inspiring. How he takes to SL thougj is anyones guess, I think he'll be solid in a similar way Soliola was at Saints.
Penny? We know is attacking skill is capable of lifting you off your seat, lets hope his defence has improved

policed properly like melbourne storm's cap you mean?

Like Melbourne storm being found out and massively punished I mean.

They didn't win anything of course - least not anything anyone else was really trying to win.

spot on.
I'd take 7 winners over 10 years and a splurge of publicity when London were stripped of titles and hamstrung for a season over the 4 sides over 18 seasons or even the 2 teams over 7 years beating the same 2 other teams in the process


6 Sides out of a possible 21 over 18 seasons have either won it or featured in a grand final. I suspect 5 of those 6 will be in the top 8 next year and 2 of them will contest the Grand Final.......the other clubs are either trying for an away play-off game or to avoid finishing a place above London and going down.

Back on topic. London will be weaker than 2013. There are no quality players left to sign, the standard of loaners will not be sufficient to keep them off the foot of the table and the only positive for the club will be the inevitable minor raise in average attendances as AWAY FANS tick another ground off their bucket lists!