Blimey, I didn't realise some Reds were so sensitive.



It is a thread called "league predictions", so I was just giving some predictions. Let's be honest - if any of us knew exactly what was going to happen, we'd all be picking lottery numbers and laying down accumulator bets, so that next season we could buy our own teams full of NRL stars.



I don't disagree with some of Mike's assessments of Saints players, by the way. I think our threequarters are fairly unexciting, and Hohaia and Laffranchi are clearly unimpressive occupants of overseas spots. But in SL, it's not whether all your players are excellent, it's whether they are better as a group than the other groups you're playing. Saints can carry a competent-but-not-great set of threequarters because at fullback and hooker they have genuine class, while they have a very strong pack with a good replacement bench. Last year a weaker pack, no halfbacks and both class players missing for much of the season, still saw them top 5. Avoid injuries, and nobody has strengthened more.



Salford's pack, on the other hand, are suspiciously weak. Either getting on a bit with best days behind them, or a bit below-average. The threequarters are again either past-it or below-average. The halfbacks are probably above average, but as Chase has found at Cas, you can't win games with just a good half playing alone.



Noble's done some good things with average squads in the past, but he's got his work cut out here. There are some right characters in that squad. It's like throwing sulphur, charcoal and saltpetre into a dressing room filled with pyromaniacs.



Anyway, no need for anyone to get upset. I hope Salford do really well. We certainly need more competitive teams in SL, and for me the best thing about SL 2013 apart from the World Cup was the emergence of Huddersfield as a genuine contender. Maybe this year will be Salford. I just hope no Reds fans are betting the house on it.

Weak pack! You are joking! People are entitled to there opinion so what ever you think pal. By the way I think our pack is stronger that yours. But hey! Opinions opinions.

And before you say it! No I don't think our squad is better than saints, neither do I think we'll win the league or think we will finish above saints!



I'd be chuffed to bits to finish in the playoffs! But starting 2015 in Superleague is what I'd be happy with.

Exactly we can't comment on our new team as we've not seen 95% of the players play before, but you won't see any Salford fans predicting us to get into the top 4 or even 6th 8th would do us all fine, well more than fine actually, from bottom last year to 8th is a massive step for me.



Saints fans predicting to win it this year are IMO just setting them selves up for a fall and a lot of disappointment if you don't perform,



And yeah it is a prediction thread but you can't use that as an excuse to tear opposition squads to pieces as that too will make you look very foolish if your proven wrong, (ala huddersfield).

Saints will be there or there abouts. The only thing stopping them winning will be Nathan Brown.

Nah!

It will be the players or allegedly the match officials.

Widnes are going to beat the lot of you so don't bother turning up.

You could probably do a similar hatchet job, with 3 exceptions, of the Wigan squad who won the double last year.

Loving this Saints Vs Salford match-up. Can I bet Saints finish above Salford in 2014 please.

So 2014 Predictions. Here are mine:-



1 team to win SL - Wigan (can't see past them tbh)

1 team to win the CC - Warrington

2 teams to be relegated - London and Wakefield or Widnes

1st - Warrington

2nd - Leeds

3rd - Saints

4th - Wigan

5th - Huddersfield

6th - Hull KR

7th - Catalans

8th - Salford

9th - Hull FC

10th - Castleford

11th - Bradford

12th - Widnes

13th - Wakefield

14th - London

Saints are the only ones with the remotest chance of finishing top who may actually want to finish there.

Mr koukash seems to want a top 4 finish so that's not entirely true





There doesn't appear to be more saints fans tipping great things this year than there are fans of other teams predicting saints to do well (though to be fair the saints bunch on here are generally pessimistic souls) - I'm quietly confident well be challenging this year - as has been said our signings appear better than those leaving and with an injury crisis last year we still weren't too far away so who knows - I don't think anyone's setting up for a fall - no ones said "this is definitely what's going to happen!"



If you don't want a team examined closer don't accuse someone of smoking things when they predict!

(or whatever was said)



Anyway league predicition:



The top 5: Huddersfield, Warrington, Leeds, Wigan, Saints in any order.

Fighting for the 8: Hull fc, Catalans, Hull kr, Salford in any order

Potentially at risk if not careful: Widnes, Castleford, Wakefield, Bradford in any order

Seems like certain: London

1) Warrington

2) Saints

3) Leeds

4) Huddersfield

5) Wigan

6) Hull

7) Catalan



Salford

9) Cas

10) Hull KR

11) Bradford

12) Wakefield

13) Widnes

14) London

Hmmm, care to explain?

Hudds, Wigan and Wire have finished top in the last 3 seasons and come unstuck in the playoffs. Representatives from the clubs have stated that they aren't bothered about finishing top. Leeds have a well developed habit of winning it from lower places. Saints would get away with a good regular season this time around after several years of relative underachievement. he rest aren't good enough to challenge.



One of the major drawbacks from the new structure in 2015 is that you will still get scant reward for finishing top.

Okay, this and your following posts indicate you are an extremely arrogant person. So I'll start by saying most Salford fans are nothing more than cautiously optimistic, but there are many faults with the points you've listed above.



Firstly, Morley still managed to average more than eight meters per carry last year, which is more than Chris Hill.



Secondly, whilst I wouldn't argue about our Saints recruits, most of your own fans seem to think Meli did a good job in the centres last season.



Then if you want to know who Lama Tasi is, type 'bondi bruiser' into any search engine or more specifically Utube, he's the guy hitting Greg Bird so hard his ancestors woke up in pain.



Noble is the coach who previously got the best out of Hock, and he had similar success with Tommy Lee at the Crusaders. The quality of a hooker can be considerably improved by the other forwards creating time and space for them.



Harrison Hansen is one of the most destructive tacklers in SL, in fact, I would rate him as the most effective second row in last seasons playoffs.



Then we come to Chase and Smith, please can swap them for Hohaia and Wilkin? Ok, so we're not exactly Koukash and McManus so it's not our place, but imagine we were, there is no chance McManus would/should turn Koukash down. I seem to recall many Saints fans on your forum were wanting McManus to outbid Koukash for his services.



McPherson is a very effective player, when he's on the pitch, and you can clearly see the difference he makes to our defensive line. Plus he regularly manages to find a quick play the ball.



Dixon works hard, but I wouldn't rate him anymore than a squad filler. Ashurst, on the other hand, played some good rugby for Reds in 2012.

But league position do mean more generally under it. 5 into 4 wont go so Wigan/wire/leeds /Saints /Hudds will be desperate to finish in the top 4.

But no real difference if you finish 1st or 4th.

Wigan

Saints

Warrington

Leeds

Huddersfield

Catalan

Hull

HKR

Salford

Cas

Widnes

London

Bradford

Wakefield

How is one home game away from the GF "scant reward?"

Same reward as 4th placed club - therefore "scant".

I am a bit more optimistic about Hulls chances having seen our new signings play. Rankin looks good, Feka is in great shape and Talanoa is a real unit. I think anything less than 6th would be disappointing.

i'll give you that, just a home tie and that doesnt make any difference.

I think a couple of posters are over-ranking Wire here.



They've taken a massive blow in losing Briers, Hodgson, Carvell & Morley all at once, and the pack looks paper thin. They have three replacement forwards in Harrison, Wood & Currie - them aside, the entire backup for the pack is kids.



Leeds are probably a stronger proposition as well, given they have a hooker this year, and will play the entire season with a right winger (as opposed to Joe Vickery).



So I'd go for:



1. Huddersfield

2. Leeds

3. St Helens

4. Wigan

5. Catalans

6. Warrington

7. Salford

8. Hull FC

9. Hull KR

10. Bradford

11. Castleford

12. Wakefield

13. Widnes

14. London