This is dream team nominations, not underachievers.

Shaul
Solomona Fonua Atkins Broughton/Talanoa
Miller/Gidley Gale/Sandow
Taylor Houghton Hill/Bousquet
Stewart/Westerman Minichiello
Ellis

A dream team isn't necessarily the best X13, it's those who have performed well this year. There is a lot of quality not in those selections.

Contrary to popular belief I'm not sure the standard of the league is as bad as some are making out. I think defences particularly those of teams towards the bottom of the league keep improving making it harder to score. A lot of teams play a very structured game based on percentages, we are where the Australians were about 10 years ago when they decided they needed to tidy a few things up. I watch the NRL regularly, they have a lot less niggle and a lot less messing about at the play the ball with the ref controlling that area and another ref controlling off side at the defensive line. This leads to a cleaner ruck and a better product.

SL must be of a higher standard than last year or how can you explain last season's treble winners being relegated to the middle 8's?

It's a bit too early for a Dream Team but here's what mine would be so far:

1. Shaul
2. Broughton
3. Fonua
4. Atkins
5. Solomona
6. Gale
7. Sneyd
8. Taylor
9. Houghton
10. Bousquet
11. Currie
12. Miniciello
13. Ellis

No-one from my team deserves to be in it this season, though special mention has to go to Jimmy Keinhorst for working his backside off and putting in good performances even whilst the rest of the team were dire.

I can't see middle 8's players being eligible anyway

Why? I'd expect the players to come from the 12 teams which started SL this year.

Don't think he should be considered for the dream team, but Segeyaro has been very good when I have seen him play. No coincidence Leeds' upturn in form coincided with his signing.

Talk of how bad this years dream team by some, had me looking back to a couple of years ago 2014. Is it going to be much worse than this lot?

Full-back: Zak Hardaker (Leeds Rhinos)
Wing: Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos)
Centre: Michael Shenton (Castleford Tigers)
Centre: Kallum Watkins (Leeds Rhinos)
Wing: Tommy Makinson (St Helens)
Stand-off: Kevin Brown (Widnes Vikings)
Scrum-half: Matty Smith (Wigan Warriors)
Prop: Jamie Peacock (Leeds Rhinos)
Hooker: Daryl Clark (Castleford Tigers)
Prop: Chris Hill (Warrington Wolves)
Second Row: Elliott Whitehead (Catalan Dragons)
Second Row: Carl Ablett (Leeds Rhinos)
Loose forward: Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors)

Or the 2013 team?

Sam Tomkins
Josh Charnley
Leroy Cudjoe
Ben Crooks
Tom Lineham
Danny Brough †
Matty Smith
Eorl Crabtree
Shaun Lunt
Jamie Peacock
Brett Ferres
Danny Kirmond
Sean O'Loughlin

Yeah I think it's substantially worse - what the above does show though is that the decline has been coming over a few years. Leeds tactic of previous years to basically take the pee for most of the regular season and then only turn it on for the play-offs showed that.

I wouldn't