There are two questions here.

1) CAN we go through the season unbeaten?
Answer: yes, that is within the realms of possibility, a condition we share with Wigan, Saints, Cas and Quins at this moment in time.

2) Are we likely to go through the season unbeaten?
Answer: no. Given some of the great sides of the SL era that have failed to accomplish that feat, and given how the salary cap hasa made it less likely, the answer has to be no. Wigan look a much better team than us so far (it's a long season of course) but I don't think they'll do it either.

There, look, I treated it like a sensible question. Mostly because I love an optimist.

There's three actually.

Why does Soprano think you can't beat a good woman?

Surely you can beat a woman, good or bad?

I assumed he was addressing me directly. I can't beat a woman, I'm much too feeble.

I sometimes wish I was a Victorian. It must have been so liberating to give the wife a nice smack in the teeth every time she got ideas above her station and for it to be socially acceptable.

I would also be freely allowed to smoke a pipe in any building I chose and could have young boys clean out my shute for me, my chimney shute of course.

Yeah, but would you smash it?

The squad of 04 could'nt manage to go unbeaten all season so there's no way this one will even if we had everyone fit.

Well done to the OP, for giving leave to every haflwit from other boards to claim that 'the whinos are all claiming they will go through the season unbeaten'.

Yeah but no one cares about them. The posters with some or more brain cells can see that it ain't gonna happen. We'll do well to finish in the top 3. If we run into Wigan without a fully fit McGuire we will be in big trouble, we really struggle to unlock their defence (as does everyone else). Eastwood was another one who could break them down, but he's gone, hope Hauraki can step up.
Warrington and Saints are a bit more vulnerable in defence, but probably have as much firepower as Wigan. It's going to be an interesting season, I would like to see us going back to being abit more ruthless against the smaller teams, let's not drop silly points, this will keep the pressure on the rest of the big 4.

Tony Soprano?






Maybe.

I think it is impossible for any team to go through the SL season unbeaten these days.
Just to many 50 - 50 games and then the banana skins.
No we will not go through the season unbeaten.

Even the dominant Wigan sides in the pre SC era didn't get anywhere near going unbeaten. I would be very surprised and disappointed if any side went unbeaten as that would not be a very good advert for an even SL competition.

Can it happen? At this stage yes it is possible but highly improbable.

I expect Leeds to go well this season but no they will not go unbeaten IMO. I hope the thread isn't tempting fate as Harlequins could also go unbeaten!

Didn't Bradford do it in 1997?

IIRC only a 22-22 draw with London Broncos prevented them from a perfect season.

No that never happened.

I don't have access to the records at the minute but no SL side has gone through a regular season undefeated.

In Bradford's case in '97 I remember them getting beat by Wigan at Odsal, possibly second to last round. I think they perhaps lost the final round also.

Of course it also depends what you include as that was the season of the ill-conceived World Club Championship where the SL teams recorded very few victories between them, Bradford amongst them who were undefeated domestically that season at the time.

Also depending on what you include in the season, they were beaten in the final of the Challenge Cup by Stains weren't they?

Bradford lost to St Helens at Wembley '96 and '97 so that would be correct also.