I think that I am possibly one of the few that is really looking forward to this year and think that we will be the team to beat. We were desparate for some youth and speed and think that russell will be a tremendous signing with his pace. Currie is a year older , dwyer has the makings of a very good hooker as does Riley at prop. Hoping we can get a fullseason off evans preferably at centre. Penny back will give us a threat that we havent had for a while and an alternative to the kick to joel. Hoping laithwaite and ben evans can kick on and the same with obrien.

In the Sporting Life Ian Millward has tipped Wire to sweep the board....we're all doomed.

We have the best halves and backs but lack a quality prop.
Our season pivots on the continuing fitness of Atkins and Bridge. They stay fit, we sweep the board. They get injuries more will be expected from the props as a more direct route of attack is required, and this set of props aren't up to it in my opinion.

I don't agree, we have 5 very good prop forwards in Hill, Asostasi, Wood, Riley and England. Not to mention we have Ben Evans and Ben Harrison who can also play there.

I wish I was as optimistic as some on here, I am a natural pessimist when it comes to The Wire.

Toughest season to predict for years
Wigan are slightly weaker with the loss of tompkins and mossop
Huddersfield surely cant repeat last season as i think they over achieved with the squad they have
Saints have recruited well in the forwards but are light and inexperienced in the backs
Hull if they click will be a force and will trouble some teams
Salford have recruited very well and will copmpete with the top 4.
Leeds as always, will be strong, a few players in the last season proberbly so will give it all.
Wire lost players and recruited well so must be up there.
Catalan will be not far away as usual.
I make that 8 teams possible of a top 4 finish.
I cant remember such a competitive season,

Without the tried & tested option of the Briers chip to the corner ,the team will have other exciting ways to score....wouldn't be surprised to see an even more expansive passing game & just hope the handling has improved from some of last season's games.

I am not sure Wigan are weaker as Tomkins has been replaced by Bowen and Mossop by Pettybourne and Clubb. They also have Bateman and Sarginson to add depth.

History suggests settled squads with minimal changes will do best so I expect us, Huddersfield, Wigan and Leeds to be the sides competing at season end. Sintellns will pose a threat but not sure relying on Hohaia on the halves is going to work out. And Salford will implode at some point, if Noble lasts the season I will be amazed.

No reason why Myler and Ratchford can't do the same. These stats might surprise some but top try assists for last season were Myler with 23, Ratchford with 20 and Lee Briers with 13.

And our top five players on the Opta index are all still here with the club; Atkins, Riley, Waterhouse, Hill and Ratchford.

The big improvement this year will be if we can reduce the overall error count which was the worst in SL.

I was a bit worried for this coming season, but after reading the previous comments i am a bit more optimistic. i do think Wigan will be the team to beat and maybe Saints if they can remain injury free.

Wigan will miss Richards' goal kicking as much as we'll miss Hodgson's. Both of us have scored many tries out wide and relied on brilliant goalkickers to make the 4s into 6s.

I don't understand the comment about Huddersfield overachieving as most of their squad would fit neatly into most other top 4 squads.

It's certainly the most excited I've been for a while, still can't work out if that's a good thing or not.

No Morley, Carvell, Briers and Hodgson all bar Asotasi replaced with kids is certainly interesting, the big shadows have gone, time for people to step in to the light.

I'm expecting a mixed start to the season but can see us getting better as it unfolds though Wigan and Leeds have to be favourites for silverware. Still think that we're one or two short in the forwards and any injuries in the early weeks could see us stuggle.

You could say that about any team.

I would say the key man for us to lose this season will be Ratchford. But every team is diminished by the loss of players to injury. Wigan would have a problem without Smith, Saints without Roby, Leeds without Sinfield, Hudds without Brough....

say whaaaaaaaaat?

Padders thinks we have to sign most of the NRL to even be competitive this season.

In my opinion:

The top 5 will consist of the same 5 teams as last year: Huddersfield, Wire, Leeds, Wigan & Saints. In what order though i don't know.

The remaining 3 spots in the top 8 will be anyone from Hull, Salford, Hull KR, Catalans, Bradford & Widnes.

Bottom 2 will be anyone from London, Wakefield & Cas.

If our showings in the friendlies is anything to go by, I'm not confident of making the 8!

Sorry I worded it a bit basic let me rephrase...
We lack (one more) quality prop.
Question marks over Englands ability at top level and Asotasi fitness and his age for recovery.

Yes, in the forwards we basically need three things to happen. All big 'ifs'

1. Paul Wood to have an injury free season (when he gets over his current one)
2. Anthony England to have the same sort of impact coming up from the Championship as Chris Hill did
3. Roy Asotasi bringing over some of the form he had in the NRL when he was right up with Morley as a dominant prop

Get 3 or even 2 of those and we will be alright.
Get 0, which is a distinct possibility, and we will not win a trophy because our front row is too light.

However I disagree with your other suggestion that we have the best halfbacks and backs.
We are behind Leeds for one.

We'll win the league and grand final and the challenge cup this season..... After all it's always our year.

Our starting 17 will be a match for anyone, but I have some concerns over the depth. The influx of youth will freshen us up, bring plenty of enthusiasm and stamina but when the tough moments come and they start to look around for guidance & inspiration I hope Waterhouse, Westwood, Asotasi & Myler grasp the nettle.

One thing I would say is that with some fortune with injuries there should be plenty of tries in that backline .... provided they get the supply with Hodgson & Briers missing.

On the form 2011 Sally. I would say Bridge is the best 3/4 in SL and Atkins the next best and Myler was the stand out halfback.

Unfortunately they have all fell short of that form over the last two seasons.

So I guess were both right.

Yes I completely agree.

One of the reasons why I am apprehensive about this season is that it's not just a case of us losing four major senior players (Briers, Carvell, Hodgson, Morley) but on last seasons form there was evidence of a decline in a number of the other senior players:

Riley
Bridge
Atkins
Waterhouse
M Monaghan
(Morley and possibly Briers were in this category)

Against that we had a couple of others who I would say were improving:

Ratchford
Higham
Grix

And then others that were more or less maintaining their high levels:

Westwood
Wood
J Monaghan
Harrison
Myler
(Carvell and Hodgson were in this category)

The worry is what will happen to that top group of players this season, and thats why I'm worried about our backs where at the moment I'd only say Joel Monaghan was really top class. Compare that to a few years ago with guys like Hicks, King, Hodgson and co in there, we were shredding teams out wide.

Was it just a random dip in form from which they will recover? We have seen that in players before (eg Paul Wood). I'm most hopeful about Riley and Atkins re-emerging, but time will tell.

Atkins seems to be strapped up constantly, maybe he's carrying a niggle that's holding him back.