Barring the odd, isolated result, I can't see Salford, Widnes, HKR or Wakey causing any earthquakes.

Hull will improve, I think, although won't have enough attack-wise to trouble the top 4. Catalans won't either; I suppose it's possible that their away form might improve though equally their home form could deteriorate. Not at all convinced by the ethos at that club.

I reckon Huddersfield will be a diminished force. Many inexperienced coaches seem to operate to a fairly conservative attacking structure while focussing on defence (see KC, Radford) for their 1st year or two. Anderson is no longer a rookie yet seems reluctant or unable to progress from this (he may not be helped by Brough having such a good kicking game, in so far as they create pressure while forgetting to score the points). Throw the aging process and a few more mental scars into the mix and I only see mid-table for them.

Cas will continue to surprise a few and to be a good watch. Conditioning and squad depth may catch them out by the time trophies are decided but they'll continue to earn admiration.

This is where it gets tricky. I think both Saints and Wire will be better than they were last year and I certainly don't see Wigan being worse. I could see TS inspiring the type of rugby from his side that could win a CC but that won't be sustainable to the season's end. Wigan seem a good bet for the LLS as they can surely only be more consistent than they were in 2015, whereas I'm not sure that we can owing to comings and goings. Saints will, I reckon, make at least one final though I'm not convinced they'll quite have what it takes.

I think Hull will be the biggest dark horse this year. I don't think they will win anything, but I think they will be the biggest improver, and will probably over take Castleford as the challenger to the top teams. Like everyone else I am not convinced by Radford, but do feel their squad is much stronger than given credit for.

I suppose the other question is whether Huddersfield will replace Ferres. He was a top player for them, and quite an asset to take out. If they replace him, then they will still challenge, if they don't then they may falter.

Catalans without the injuries last year, would have had a much bigger say on the placings and trophy's. Can they have more luck with injuries? that will determine their season.

As stated already Wigan can't have worst a[iway[/i form this coming season I'm sure...and will do enough to be top IMO at the end of the regular rounds. However, in the Super 8's I believe the new Leeds team will have gelled sufficiently to snatch the LLS from Wigan (if maybe not in such a glorious manner as in 2015).

Catalans can't have such an injury season again you would think...and in the way they despatched Leeds last season with such attacking (Carney led) aplomb it make me think they will do enough to finish as high as I have forecasted (their away form will stop them finishing higher).

I think Huddersfield have missed their boat with regards to winning anything - can't see them as being anything more than mid table this time around and Hull will leapfrog them in being a top table challenger IMO.

As always though; injuries will have the most impact on anybody's forecasting. You never know....Salford could even finish as high as 7th.

Not seeing the big deal over Hull's signings, if I'm honest.

Pritchard's attitude is going to be all important, is he over here coasting his way into retirement for a nice pension like Asotasi, or has he actually come to play?

Sika Manu is another who looked good in Melbourne's system, but less so once he left it. Slipped out of the NZ international reckoning in the process.

Scott Taylor? How many people on here who had him down as a player that Leeds should have been targeting a couple of years ago are disappointed that we didn't? Last two seasons have given ordinary a bad name. See also Danny Washbrook, a poor man's Westerman.

They'll be bouncing around the 7th-8th spot again I reckon, certainly don't see them challenging the top 4.

That might well be the case, like I said. But the difference is that they will probably pick up more points than they did last year, and against the better teams, which makes the competition closer. This is an improvement on previous.

Regarding injuries I think it inevitable that most teams will suffer at various stages so squad depth is an important factor. Whereas several years ago you'd get 2/3 teams who had bad luck with injuries it seems nowadays that only 2/3 teams escape an injury hit period.

As I've said in previous years the cup is the big X factor and even more so now with the Super 8's. As we've seen in the last 2 years it can cost you several league points which could be the difference between missing out on the LLS, or home field advantage or even the top 4 altogether, and I can't see the cup finalists avoiding that hangover with the toughness of the Super 8 games.

I'd pretty much go with that except I don't see the board love-in for Wigan. For mine they have over-achieved for the last few years. Their pack is average & will largely depend on how long O'Loughlin can keep his body going. They will be top 4 as Wane knows how to get the best out of them but would be surprised, & gutted, if they made top. I see Hudds struggling to keep up, with Anderson possibly a casualty, & Cas over-performing again, their 3/4s are much stronger this year.

Love-in for wigan? I'd rather bathe in kebab fat. But they were only a fag paper's thickness away from their own trophy double last time and it's very rare for any team to over-achieve over a period of years. You may be underestimating them, even if I hope you're not.

I see a LOT of the opposition clubs with coaches in the last chance saloon.

It's been a dull off-season for them with very few talking points regarding signings - they've just had to suck it up as Leeds piled up the plaudits. Sensible squad expansion to adapt to the new reality of the league structure would have been a good plan, but nobody else seems to have evolved in this way.

I predict a mass extinction for dinosaur SL coaches.

I'm fairly confident that Leeds have done all they can to cover the loses in personnel from last season so looking forward to at least one final appearance this time around.

I think it will be Wigan pushing us once again, their home form is annoyingly good and cant see that changing too much. 1 maybe 2 losses at home maximum. Interested to see how Saints go, but as has been mentioned if they lose Walmsley and/or Roby then that may severely derail their season!

For me Warrington look too light in the front row. A huge reliance on Hill to do big minutes and not much else after that. I'm not sure Westwood's body is up to stints at prop if that is what Smith does as a few seem to think he will.

Roll on February.........

I would already say Hull FC and Catalans will be looking for a big improvement and pushing for the top four at least, Those are the two most likely to fire the gun mid season if they start bad. If Warrington don't make the top 4 Smith will be vulnerable, as will Anderson at Huddersfield if they don't. The Salford job is a merry go round anyway, and i don't think Hull KR will settle for anything less than a top 8 finish so Chester is under pressure. Cunningham will be expected to at least make a major final this year or he will come under real heat after a season of mediocrity by Saints standards. I think Betts has done a fine job with what he has at Widnes over the years but they don't really show any signs of kicking on (not that i feel they have the team to do so) but how long until the board feel he has taken them as far as he can and they need a change?

So yes i would agree, the only coaches i feel could have a mediocre/ below par season and still be in a job for certain next year are Mcdermott, Powell and Wane. Could be interesting.

From what he said to my Dad at the gym, he is after smashing it over here as he wants to be in the Samoan World Cup Squad. He seems to be settling in and the group of Mahe Fonua, Pritchard, Sika Manu, Talanoa, Feka and Tuimavave spend a lot of time together and seem to be good mates which give him a good environment to get to his best

I thought similar however I would say IF Wane goes a 3rd straight year without the GF or CC then they'll be some rumblings of discontent over in Wigan.

Strangely, perhaps, I think Wane's the most vulnerable of them all. The limitations of his guile-free systems are now fully exposed and the Wigan club are the most psychologically disrupted by Leeds' supremacy.

I do agree that a fair few Wigan fans would be a bit disgruntled by a poor showing this year if it happens, they normally are if they aint winning silverware, but it's hard to argue that Wane hasn't got enough credit in the bank to be able to survive the chop off an average season. He has a double from 2013, 3 consecutive GF appearances and almost snatching top spot last year until the last play of the regular season to point to and all that with a squad that wasn't the best in the league going in imo.Ironically, bringing Tomkins back on the assumption he is the same player he was when he left (which i don't think he is, but we will see) could be his eventual undoing if it goes t@ts up, with expectations high.