I'm pretty happy that after Leeds the 3 favourites for the league are the local sides of Saints, Wigan and Warrington. Yes we all have a rivalry but it makes for an interesting season and the games between the 3 teams should be as good as we've seen for a long while. The Wigan and Warrington game has been getting bigger year on year and the Derby looks to be back in decent health after our shambolic preformences in recent times.

As for the chances of the 3......I expect Saints to still be challenging Leeds in the top 2. I said it a few times last year and i'll say it again you need Leon Pryce to stand up as the senior halfback at the club and lead the way. He went missing far too often last season but if he can find that form you'll go very very close in both comps.

I'd imagine Wire and Wigan will be there or thereabouts. I think Wires got the better first 17 but we may have a little more depth provided by some top class kids and then slightly more experienced guys like Goulding, Pryce, Mossop, McIlorum etc. I can see us along with Wire, Catalans and Huddersfield battling it out for positions 3-6.

Should be fun.

If Saints don't start well or get any more than one or two injuries we won't threaten the top 4 let alone the top 2. People have forgotten how simply awful we were last season. Even when we were winning it was like pulling teach. This season we're down on experienced players so could add headlesschickenitis to the general lack of pace and attacking flair and strength in depth.

Some other people have forgotten we got far more than one or two injuries last year and were leading the league for a period and went very close to winning the GF.



You say we're down on experienced players, but Cayless didn't play and has been replaced by Foz who is very experienced. Gilmour has been replaced by a NZ international and NRL regular - hardly lacking experience. Longy has left but there are not many in world RL who would prefer to keep him over Eastmond, who has gained the experience of playing (well) against Australia and NZ at 7. Moore will provide further cover for the halves/hookers now Long has moved on and will be a useful extra ball player for us.

It remains to be seen how we cope without Longy, but given Long was very much a part of the drab RL you keep banging on about and Eastmond was pretty much the only spark we had out there at times last year, I can't see us lacking too much by swapping the 2 around. I can see Wheeler and Lomax getting much more time on the pitch this year which will add some pace too.

The extra attention that defences will have to pay to Eastmond simply as a result of his pace should allow Pryce more freedom. Teams were doubling up on Leon for pretty much all of last year and could do so in the knowledge that Long no longer had the pace to fully exploit them. They won't have that luxury with Eastmond alongside Pryce.

Unless Wire get another big lad to play at prop they won't finish in the top three this year.

you're getting boring now. We managed 2nd last year through a truely horrific injury crisis, gained scott moore, foz and soliola for longy, gilmour and cayless, more than a fair swap for me

That is a concern of mine. Rauhihi and a squad player in Pickersgill gone, although Pickersgill didn't play a great deal last season. We are still down a couple of bodies at prop.

We've also "gained" the likes of Eastmond, Ashurst, Dean, Dixon, Lomax and Wheeler who up until last season hardly had any first team experience but who are now IMO exciting members of the squad who can be called upon and now do a better job than some of the regulars

But as you say Cayless (injured) Long (missed big chunks of the season and only has one eye) Gilmour (IMO will be missed) OUT and Moore (Dream Team) Fozzard (No nonsence Prop who makes good yards and plays regular) and Soliola (NZ International whose looked pretty decent so far and is yet to settle in)

Reason has no place here!

rlrl

Saddened has been predicting doom and gloom at Saints since the rebirth of christ, so we shouldn't really read anything into it.

Why alll this negativity? for me our 2010 squad is stronger than the 2009. I really think Pryce is in for a big season as he is at the end of his contact and will be looking for one last big one

I think if Eastmond settles into the number 7 role, we'll be fantastic this year. We have good size in the pack and the youngsters have all featured enough to step up this year and fight for a spot in the first team. The concern is in the backs, but with a good pack laying a platform the halves should get plenty of good position to give the backs room. Let's just hope Pryce and Eastmond go well.

i agree looking forward to seeing pryce and eastmond this season got a good feeling about them doing well

we are undoubtedly a better squad than last year

Just posting here to stop the run of rampant positivity. With Mick Potter in charge there'll be none of that at KR this season.

We are a fullback, two wingers a centre and a quality prop away from winning a trophy next season.