Quinlan is an awful player.

Fair enough. You will have seen him more than me. But I thought he did ok during his short stint with you?

He was okay with ball in hand, but in defence he was the worst full back I've ever seen. If anyone breaks the line against Hull KR, it will result in a try as he's not stopping you.

1. Roberts.
2. Minikin (Lo when Minikin plays in the centre)
3. Webster (Minikin when Webster needs a rest)
4. Shenton
5. Eden

6. Ellis/Trueman. I think Trueman might be something special if he gets his chance this year.
7. Gale.

8. Cook
9. McShane
10. Massey
11. McMeekan.
12. Wardle
13. Milner.

14. Millington
15. Moors
16. Sene-Lafeo
17. Clark.

That bench should win us a fair few games.
Some good players not in there who I’m sure will rotate into the squad when needed - Springer, Green, Holmes, Foster, Hitchcox......

Agree with that. Which is why I'd much prefer Moss at FB. Plus Moss offers more pace.

Cas definitely look weaker. I think they'll finish around 5th or 6th.

Agree with that, along with hoping some of the bigger teams have similar struggles to last year then they could push higher but neither have enough to be top 4 imo. Mamo could be really good if he can stay fit.



Those 3 and Catalans would be my tip for bottom 4 at the moment.

Fact is it's a stronger squad than last year and we went through injury problems then, so we'll see. Also looking at those outside of the starting 17, I wouldn't call players like Arundel/Lyne, Hirst, Jowitt, Caton Brown, Baldwinson, Batchelor, Annakin, & Crowther a big step down from who they'd have to replace. Plus there are some big wraps on a couple of the former U19's in Hooley & Ackroyd that are making the step up.

Looking at the squads I think it’s going to be a top 5 of Saints, Warrington, Leeds, Hull and Wigan withSalford and Wakefield occupying the bottom 2 places

Regards

King James

I don’t get this. We look weaker with the loss of Hardaker. However, the only other players to leave are the ones we were happy to leave.
Given that we finished 10 points clear of the team second and 18 points clear of the the team in 5th last season, I don’t see us finishing with 18 less points and someone else finishing with 18 more.
I don’t think we’ll win the league at such a canter, but I just can’t see such a drop.
However, this is Sport so you never know!

With Cas this year they got off to a great start and momentum and confidence just was through the roof. If they start well in 2018 they could carry that on again. A steady or slow start and I think they'll find themselves fighting to be in the four.

A few used the Leicester City comparison with them and as you saw with them the following year they couldn't follow up a dream season.

Perhaps, but in Leicester’s case one of their rewards was a further 10 games in the Champions League, which isn’t the case in RL.
I’d be happy with 4th. Anyone in the top 4 is 80 minutes away from the Grand Final.

Ellis was mostly ineffective going forward the last two years and was never ever anything like what he was in the NRL, also a liability injury wise.
I think psychologically players needed his leadership and that was the difference at times not his actual play, the coach really needs to ensure we have leaders on the field. Fonua was great going forward, shocking in defence, this was highlighted in his run out in the WC were time and again he was caught out.
I think getting Hadley back to compete for the 13 spot if not second row whilst being cover for Houghton plus Jordan Abdul to compete for the halves is great for us. Washbrook should be nowhere near the 17, disappointed that we yet again let go on loan an up and coming hooker and insist on flogging Danny Houghton week in week out.
Mickey Paea is a good bolster to our already strong pack and we should be better than last year IF the coach can get our defence sorted as time and again we shipped points far too easily and mentally we were weak far too often.

When Ellis missed the middle part of last year with injury Hull went W6 L6 and cost them the chance to have a home playoff. They've dropped a level when he's been missing or just subbed off, his absence will be big for them.

We missed a few important players during that period tbf, it can't all be attributed to Ellis, and a few of our best performances came without him. I think knockersbump has a point. Its his leadership that will be missed more than his rugby, but he will still take some replacing.