Toronto - The strongest set up by far but vulnerable at play off time.
Toulouse - Will be stronger for the experience of last year and could easily go one better
Fax - Well used to playing consistently at a decent level but very much dependent on their playmakers staying fit.
Widnes - A bit of an unknown quantity - they looked awful in the playoffs last year - will they steady the ship or go into freefall?
Bradford - Seem to have plenty of depth but a conservative gameplan and a lack of experience in maintaining a high intensity means 5th is our best bet this year.
Fev - Could easily get into the top 5 - a lot depends on how quickly the new lads gel with all the Leeds lot and the PNG guys. The coach is an unknown.
Batley - A really tough pack of forwards who'll propel them onto the fringes of the 5.
Leigh - Depends on Saints dual reg filling in the gaps but will have some good days.
Sheffield - Recruited well - will be better than last year.
York - Could finish higher if they stay injury free.
Dewsbury - Don't think they're doing dual reg are they? Greenwood will make them very hard to beat.
Barrow - Should be clear of the drop easily.
Swinton & Rochdale battling it out at the bottom.

Depends which players Saints send to their reserve team. Douglas has been confirmed but if Welsby goes, then Leigh will be top 3, maybe 2

Bitch

Edited for accuracy.

So have Saints grown a pair as a club and decided whether the want a reserve team or just do DR instead or are they just going to continue to flip flop around the issue and be in, then out, then tell other clubs they’re in only to be out again? No wonder you struggle to make finals and win the major trophy trophies nowadays with that sort of poor ownership.

I think you will surprise a few people next season. Given our link up I will defo be rooting for you

1. Toronto, bought Super League already so give it them now !
2. Weirdnes, just because of Gelling & Inu bit could implode quite easily & end up 3rd or 4th !
3. Toulouse to go from strength to strength in an even stronger Chamionship !
4. Fax, doing it the right way !
5. Bradford or Leigh, would depend on injuries for Leigh with a squad far to small, maybe 5 or 6 short of a full squad !
6. Leigh or Bradford, Bradford seem to be building steadily & have some very good players I would like at Leigh + they have a solid & growing fan base !
The rest don't matter much but I expect Batley to be tough on their own patch & be mid table, Fev I can't work out but could be anywhere from 5th to 7th & I would like Swinton to go well but realistically will just escape the bottom 2. Sheffield to implode & have a stinker of a season !

Toronto will finish top but we (Widnes) can beat them I think in a one off game come the end of the season. Having the final game this time over in England personally i think is a huge blow to them.

Gelling and Ashall standout players for Widnes.
We have a strong pack with Liam Hood (very underrated, best hooker in the division), Cahill, Tangata, Dean, Hansen.

We struggle in the halves but Jack Owens has slotted in very well.

We’ll claim quite a few injuries to the i pitch then our squad will really be tested. Not much strength in depth.

Toulouse does not struggle in the halves. In Jonathan Ford and Stanislas Robin Toulouse has the best two halves in the Championship. It also has excellent outside backs. The only question is the power of the Toulouse forwards. If the Toulouse forwards can at least hold their own then Toulouse will beat Widnes, and maybe even Toronto.

The opening fixtures throw up a lot of perfect games for us to establish how everyone is fairing.

Leigh vs Toulouse - Interesting battle. Have Leigh recruited well enough after their earlier trauma, and will Toulouse travel well?
Batley vs Barrow - Will Batley be pushing for the playoffs and are Barrow going to be in the relegation fight?
Bulls vs Featherstone - Battle of playoff contenders. A good indication of whether Bulls have recruited well enough to make the playoffs, and if Feath have built the strength back up after the financial blip.
Rochdale vs Dewsbury - Are Rochdale relegation fodder, can Dewsbury be more than mid-table.
Sheffield vs Swinton - Are Sheffield just coasting in mid-table, can Swinton avoid the drop.
Widnes vs Halifax - Another interesting one. Widnes looking to bounce straight back up, with a tough game against an established playoff side in Fax.
York vs Toronto - Do York have enough to thrive in this division, and are Toronto a cut above the rest?

Despite my previous post regarding the "inevitability" of The Championship, there are some cracking games there.
Widnes v Fax and York v Toronto should be excellent games and it will be interesting to see whether Leigh are anywhere near Toulouse, who you would expect to win this one (settled side and all thet).

Widnes V Fax should be a great game and after it we'll know more about if Widnes have the stomach for the fight that they didn't show in the middle 8s. Fax are one of the toughest teams in the division (provided they have their playmakers available).

While I was seriously impressed with York last season I think Toronto will be far too good. Same applies to Toulouse vs Leigh (who haven't had much time to train together).