...or eight, including the WCC, are about as tough an opening as there could be for the new generation.
Wire(H), Widnes (A), Catalans (A), Hudds (H), Pies (A), Sts (H), Cas (A). Ten points would be great, twelve would be out of this world. But that fixture list is a truly brutal start.

yes a very tough start.Hopefully we can make Headingley a fortress and win the 3 home games out of that lot.All the four away games look tricky, and it wouldn't be a huge surprise to lose all four.I think we have to brace ourselves for a slower start than last year in the league especially with the WCC as the immediate focus.

On the predictions thread, the majority of posters have Widnes down as the bottom team. How does it then go to tricky and possibly losing?

If you are going to challenge for trophies you have a run of games somewhere that are tough, and that applies to each and every team in the Super League, it is no different for anyone else.

Widnes away is always tricky, especially in the first 4/5 games when every team is pretty much full strength and full of optimism.A game we should still win but wouldn't be a surprise to see us lose a close one would it? Cas away same as for me.

Speak for yourself, I'd have preferred the team to have chance to gel before a run of games like that.

I'd be very disappointed to see us losing away at Widnes in the 2nd round. For me it's better to have that type of away game early in the season as there are no excuses of fatigue or 'not getting up for a meaningless fixture' - there should be a buzz at start of the year naturally, plus we should be building to the Cowboys game....

It's the 4 games directly after the WCC that pose the biggest challenge (Catalan away, Hudds, Wigan, Saints) - could easily see us having a slump after the WCC and struggling for those games against top teams wanting to knock us off our perch... We've then got a good few weeks of what could be seen as 'easier' games - Cas, Wakey, Salford, Hull, Hull KR - though they'll all be gunning for us too....

Our pack could well carry us through some of those early season toughies, especially in the build up to WCC, competition for a spot in the 17 their is tougher than ever arguably, so I'd expect to see big games from those that get their chance.

It is a bit strange how our fixtures are bunched together into tough periods and 'easier' periods after the WCC. Got to play everybody I suppose, just a bit of a unique pattern to the fixtures.

Warrington Wolves
Widnes Vikings

World Club Challenge

(Tough period against the top sides from last year)
Catalans Dragons
Huddersfield Giants
Wigan Warriors
St Helens
Castleford Tigers

(Period against the bottom sides from last year)
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Hull KR
Salford Red Devils
Hull

(Top teams again)
St Helens
Huddersfield Giants
Castleford Tigers
Wigan Warriors (MW)
Warrington Wolves
Catalan Dragons

(Bottom sides again with Wigan thrown in near the end)
Salford Red Devils
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Widnes Vikings
Hull
Wigan Warriors
Hull KR

Yep, I can already hear the 'Always said McDermott can't do it without Sinfield and JP', 'This team is finished without Sinfield and JP' and 'Bring back Sinfield from RU' knee jerkers warming up heir typing fingers ready for after a few consecutive losses in one of those tough patches.

Also, if the conditioning of the team looks a bit dodgy, they will even have the opportunity to BLAME IAN KIRKE again.

Happy days.

True, we can already see McGuire being set up for a fall, wouldnt be surprised to see Falloon take some stick if we don't start off like a house on fire too.

Two ways of looking at it, bad thing because there is a lot of tough games in one block. Good thing because we can 'start early' when some good sides are still blowing off cobwebs, and when our performance levels dip, which they will, we are playing sides we can still beat. Real chance for us to set down marker and we could very easily have our top 8 place sewn up by mid april, giving us a real shot at going for the cup again. Conversely, even if we have a bad start, it gives us a chance to put some form together.

Regardless of form slumps, you'd think after last year the usual suspects would learn and have a bit of belief that regardless of form/current results, the lads will come good and still be there or thereabouts come the business end....

They've earned that right surely - to not be ripped to shreds at the first sight of trouble.

Absolutely

It may take a little while for the newcomers to settle in but the squad looks strong enough to take on any team in SL with confidence. Our strong pack should produce adequate go forward to create opportunities for the halves and backs . Mac will be aiming for the team to peak in good time for the WCC with the accent on performance and building momentum, so the odd loss, if indeed there are any, should not be a big concern. It will be interesting to see how soon Sutcliffe returns.

With a new combination at 6,7 and 9 I'm sure Leeds would have liked a sprinkling of "easier" games at the start of the season to give it time to bed in under competitive conditions, but it is what it is.

A good start will give the opportunity for a bit of rotation in those two easier blocks of games, particularly the second one heading into the Super 8s.

Challenge Cup draw could be interesting - the 6th round falls between Huddersfield away and Cas at home, with the quarters between Wakefield away and Widnes at home and the semis between Hull KR away and the start of the Super 8s. So progression in the cup might not be as potentially harmful as it could have been in previous years given the fixtures either side of the big cup games.