In answer to the OP, Yes I'm looking forward to next season. I argued that we sign Pryce and/or Waterhouse and hoped we would sign one of Cuthbertson or Kite on the grounds we lacked leadership in the forwards and in the halves. Despite none of these coming to pass and some poor performances last year I feel Potter has assessed the weaknesses in the squad correctly. We'll start next season with some passable combination of fit SL half backs for the first time in years which no matter how ordinary cannot fail but to be a significant improvement. If Potter has signed Lulia, Purtell and possibly Manase ? partly on grounds of size I'm broadly supportive as we've been not big/strong/aggressive enough since Nobby left. I'd hoped we'd sign a prop of 'marquee' status but if we don't I'm prepared to trust Potter with the funds at his disposal, which we keep hearing are unremarkable compared to other clubs.

On the specifics, Lulia will be the find of the season, Walker will return to his former self in the 2nd row and we won't miss Lynch at all. If some combo of Gale/Sammut/Briggs comes together we'll run OK and fight for 6/7/8th.

I'm always excited by the new season, I think this one will be the best SL ever.
Bulls look stronger on paper, but the teams you will be competing with have better players &/or coaches. You will be competing with HKR & Cas for 8th, 9th & 10th. 1-6 as last season + Hull to make up the first 7.

still think huddersfield will be as strong? had a poor end to this season.

I think top 5 almost definitely same as last season. The only unknown is Hull who I feel could break in, depending obviously on final recruitment.

I'm not sure. I reckon Huddersfield aren't nailed on to finish there after their slump in the second part of this season. All the top teams seem to be having some significant departures, and it will be interesting to see how it affects them - e.g. James Graham, Danny Buderus, Michael Maguire, Paul Deacon etc

8th is the best we're capable of managing I reckon.

Tend to agree with squad as it stands. But big unknown is injuries both to us and the teams around us. As we know to our cost injuries to a couple of key players can have a big impact on a season. Plus we've got a decent number of players who are young and still improving.

I think we will finish 5th next season.
There you are - I am am always accused of being negative.

A pint of what you're on please.

For me there are 3 legs to the season (apologies for the Phil Clarke-esque analysis):

1. Pre-Easter - when games are on the whole low-scoring, and many of the 'lesser' teams are able to maintain positions towards the top of the table.

2. Post-Easter - for some reason, be it injuries or the weather being more suitable to attacking RL, this is when the likes of Warrington and Wigan really begin to separate themselves from say Bradford and Cas. We start to see blow-out scorelines and the final league table takes shape.

3. The play-offs. Often follow patterns of phase 2 but this doesn't have to be the case, as proven this year.

Bradford have often fallen away in phase 2 due to a lack of good defence and flair players capable of scoring back-to-back tries as the top teams have. Other teams like Warrington seem to do very well in phase 2 but have lacked the experience, mental toughness or killer instinct to do much in phase 3, whereas teams making up the numbers in 5-8 often get spanked at this stage.

If Bradford are to go one better than the 'Orford season' they need to mix it with the top teams after Easter as well as starting reasonably well. Perhaps this is why Potter has brought in two experienced NRL backs, Gale and Sammut?

A new halfback combo (again) was certainly needed and our edge defence and attack has been crap for a few years so Potter had to remedy that. The forwards did get us into attacking positions but we weren't good enough to exploit them.

I think it's phase 2 where the quality and depth of squads starts to tell. We've bit more quality in the backs and halfbacks but not greatly. In the pack we've lost our best forward so I guess we're pretty static in terms of ins and outs.

A lot depends on whether Potter can instil some confidence and enthusiasm so we don't start to give up when the going gets tough like has been the case in recent seasons.

Of course I'm looking forward to it. Always got some kind of hope that we'll do well... Plus, surely things can only get better!

Who knows?

I can't seriously imagine being in the top four but it's all up for grabs otherwise. We definitely need a bit more luck than we've had over the last few years though, that is for sure. I guess reality will bite at some stage, like we'll probably lose three halves and a hooker before the start of March and have no props left by the end of April, but heigh ho, at this stage I'll be as confident as I like.........

I personally see Huddersfield dropping down in the league table this coming season.