My new predictions based on recent recruitment evevts.

Wigan
Hull
Warrington
Cas
Saints
Leeds
Catalans
Wakey
Hudds
Widnes
Leigh
Salford

Middle 8s will be very interesting especially as recruitment has improved.

So the team that finishes 8th, keeps all it's best players and recruits well and you can't make a better case for anyone else including a newly promoted team - bizzare.

** Doesn't want to make the case for anyone else **

Yes. At least I can find a woman who's not made of rubber.

When Chris Chester came in you hit a good run of form and rode it pretty much all the way to the 8's. You won 1/7 before his appointment, and once you got a few injuries and your form hit the buffers you managed 2/15, including losing every Super 8's game. Of course it doesn't matter when the points come, and you deserved your place in the top 8, but you are very unlikely to go on another run like that, so can you play at a more consistent standard and keep the points ticking over throughout the season? I'm not sure.

Looking at your squad. In Jowitt and Johnstone you have two very exciting prospects. Miller blows hot and cold but seems to be improving all the time. Your pack I've already spoken about (solid but unspectacular). MCB should be a good signing, as should Sam Williams. I don't know enough about the youngsters to make a proper comment if I'm honest. The rest just look like filler.

I don't think you are too far off the likes of Widnes, Huddersfield, Leigh and maybe if they have a poor season Catalans and Salford, so if the stars align you could plausibly make the top 8 again, but I just think all those have slightly more going for them squad wise.

That's the key thing for me with Wakefield. Was that form that got them up the table just one of those honeymoon periods for a new coach.

That's probably a better way of putting, but that's exactly what I'm getting at. That's the big question.

Not sure how you can say Wakey 'deserved their place in the top 8' when, they were only there by default...

Your reply to my claiming you would be underwhelmed with Allgood suggests otherwise.

Just interested in your opinion of us, how many points deduction have you got us down for ? because that squad would have finished seventh last year and we've only lost caton-brown and of co our usual one a season to Hull in Griffin.

Basing more on the your performance, In the middle eights, the one in which you lost to two championship teams, no recruitment and losing Sheens (maybe he was behind your early success?) You are very, very lucky to be even in this league.

If everyone put Roversmad on ignore, that'd already make this site a better place. Bitterness and jealousy is strong with that one.

Jealous and bitter because I don't rate Allgood? Ignore me, I couldn't care less.

It could also be argued that squad shouldn't have been anywhere near the middle 8's, as for no recruitment please define "no"

Sense at last!

Let me be clear about this, Wakefield have every chance of finishing in the bottom 4 of SL, maybe even bottom was do a large number of clubs once things start for real and I’m as nervous about this as ever - you just can’t tell.

What narks me about these predictions is they are not based on any present form but on previous form and player acquisition/retention and the perceived effects that will have on the team. In other words it’s all on paper.

With this in mind I can’t see how anyone who isn’t either prejudiced or biased could place Wakefield at the bottom. For my money that place automatically goes to Leigh who have no previous form and a group of players (not a team) that has been assembled with a large number of new recruits. They may do brilliantly but at this point they have no SL pedigree other than one victory last season.

Personally I hope Leigh do extremely well but sanity suggests bottom. Ditto Hudds who really seem to be struggling, I don’t think signings are the be all and end all but Hudds clearly need some and they seem to be very late. I slow think anyone can see that the exceptional talent that is Danny Brough is winding down, the equally important Robinson has gone and a Hudds team without Crabtree!

I nominate those two as SL strugglers based on science - whether they will in reality I have no idea. I think Wakefield are a match for both Salford, Cas, Catalan and Widnes and I see us battling for bottom four and 7th or 8th with those teams.

I see on last years from Hull, Wigan, Warrington as definite top four with Leeds and Saints to hard to call.

Warrington
Hull
Wigan
Saints
Leeds
Catalan (based only on Bird doing well and home advantage)
Castleford
Salford
Wakefield
Widnes
Hudds
Leigh

but that’s really just an educated guess nothing more.

Yet you don't have the same question mark over Leigh, a newly promoted club with loads of new recruits and an unproven Coach - seriously! Ditto Salford - seriously!

Don't get me wrong, once the season starts Wakey like many teams could easily implode and finish bottom - however on this thread these are predictions based on last seasons form and this seasons recruitment in which case you have no real argument other than prejudice and assumptions certainly not the playing roster.

Mind you people have been making that error with Wakefield for 17 years so if they haven't learned by now....

So what your saying is Wakefield could finish anywhere even bottom but when anyone else says it they haven't got a clue yeah that makes sense for the record I think Wakefield have recruited really well certainly better than Widnes, Salford, Huddersfield and even Leigh who I think will struggle

I'm saying this could be the possibilities when the season starts which is all mystic meg stuff if we are honest.

For now though when all teams are just on paper I don't honestly see how Wakefield can be placed bottom of any seriously thought out list. I'm suggesting anything between 10th and 6th as a starting position and in my case I think we will be ninth which I don't want or 8th which I do.

Just as an aside two of Wakefield youngsters Tom Johnstone and Max Jowitt took both the young players awards last season. If that had happened at any other club people would be creaming themselves. I Johnstone we have a future England and world class Winger barring injury and early signs suggest Jowitt is heading the same was way and both are under long contracts. Following them up with first team contract are James Batchelor and Judah Mazive both England Academy players. Forget about signings, for me these are the real signs of a team on the up.

Yes it could all go boobs up but for now the things need to be taken into account. Anyway we'll beg to differ.

Making ammendments to my original 1>12 predictions based on recruitment & departures ...

1. Wigan
2. Hull
3. Wire
4. Cas
5. Saints
6. Leeds
7. Wakey
8. Catalan
9. Giants.
10. Leigh
11. Salford
12 Widnes

Leigh have SC room still to use, whether this is used pre season or mid season remains to be seen.
FWIW, I would like to see a McGillvary standard back, centre & wing being our weakest link.

I now see Wakey as being 'improved' & able to build momentum but Catalan look very, very unsettled, they could have a 'mare.

Vastman, are you being obtuse on purpose? You literally just described a 'prediction', which is what this thread is. How can we assess present form when the season hasn't even started?

For what it's worth, I think Wakefield will be the surprise team next year. But this is a silly thing to get narked out.

But they were and performances overall were appalling, I hope for your sake you don't carry this form over into this year. No recruitment to improve you.

Ok
Giants 2015 finished 3rd
Giants 2016 12th

Difference - conditioning, back office turmoil, awful coaching and losing key players very late

Giants 2017
New coach, disruptive players gone, new conditioner, settled core team
Couple of good signings in the pipeline

The problems that caused a horror season have been dealt with, dead wood cleared out, new young players in position (brierly to take over from brough) and biggest one is Stone is here with new ideas, Anderson took over from Browns team and at the end was clear he didn't know how to get the best out of players

Ultimately, I'm feeling positive after a horrific year which was an aberration in our last 6/7 years


Widnes may well struggle too, no significant signings, struggled to avoid the bottom 4 and now lost captain and playmaker in Brown

Wakey seem to have signed a lot but then needed to maybe? If they gell and play well the good on them, they made the 8 last season due to Leeds and Huddersfield being so bloody awful

Salford, who knows...

Cas are an interesting one, they have the most disruptive set of players I can think of in SL, they could be rocks or diamonds

Leeds have lost the one player that made them look capable last season and signed no one new, how are people tipping them to avoid the bottom 4?

Leigh...they will find SL a wakeup after their middle 8

Any one making predictions is doing so on bias and not any kind of informed position imo

Why not add in Salford's points deduction, ffs lets not put it down to a brilliant mid season run and a valiant rearguard as a crippling injury crisis hit the club. I realise injuries only affect bigger clubs but hey there you go.

Also strange how your Coach was the dogs up until this season - seriously you all said he was.

One day we'll actually achieve something by merit, no seriously we will

Wigan-lost Charnley replaced him with J Burgess, Smith out Thomas Leuleuai in, Sarginson out but Gelling and Joel Tomkins being fit will make up for him in the centres S Tomkins being fit will be a big lift

Warrington-Chris Sandow out but Kevin Brown in because of Sandows Off field problems I see this as a net gain. Losing Ben Curry for the whole season is a huge loss

Hull FC-much the same as last year however Frank Prichard has gone they will be better for the inclusion of Griffin and Kelly

St Helens-Mattie Smith will give them greater structure and direction, they've also added for all day in Douglas and Walker

Castleford-I've got them at 5th but they could end up in the bottom four. They have a big excellent pack and Michael Shenton will return that however it's counted by the loss of Dorn and Solomona the Chase Hardaker partnership could turn into a nightmare

Catalan dragons-the Mason Carney circus has gone so they should be more consistent but as always they'll suffer from being poor travellers

Wakefield- haveretained all of last years high-performers and added much greater depth of quality, the permanent acquisition of Fifita in addition to Williams and Mason Caton Brown will give them a real cutting edge

Leeds-no changes whatsoever from last years squad and the recent upheaval surrounding Segeyero will mean they struggle but maybe not as bad as last year

Widnes-have lost Kevin Brown late in the closed season, no significant signings meaning they will struggle

Salford-reacquired Taxi but have lost Mason Caton Brown and Griffin

Huddersfield- still got some dishonest and Lazy players in the squad, they lost Robinson last year and never really replaced him they have since lost Ellis, Wood, Grix, Connor and Huby which is a lot of talent and footballers from one squad - in Brearley

Leigh Centurions - will struggle in their first season but won't disgrace themselves by being bottom, they should just have enough to stave off Hull Kingston Rovers in the middle 8s