From a Widnes fans perspective I'm quietly confident about the upcoming season. Last year we improved massively on our first year in the league, and I don't see why we can't improve yet again. Last season we only signed 3 players, Hock, Brown and Phil Joseph and we have learnt that continuity is important for us. This year we have only signed Tickle, Galea, Johnson and Carberry (for when Clarke retires) and these signings will improve our squad massively. We're also after one more prop, with Carvell being watched with Bradford's situation. Last year we lost 12 games when the margin was less than 10 points and hopefully with the squad continuing to understand each other and evolving this will be even less next year. Our 3 main players of Hanbury, Brown and Mellor will be key for us and if they stay fit we'll be play off contenders, without a doubt. The only concern amongst Widnes fans is in the pack, we still need another prop and Carvell could be that player. How anyone can say we'll finish below London is absurd.

1. Warrington
2. Wigan
3. Saints
4. Leeds
5. Huddersfield
6. Salford
7. Catalans
8. Hull
9. Hull KR
10. Widnes
11. Bradford
12. Castleford
13. Wakefield
14. London

GF Winners - Warrington
CC Winners - Warrington
MoS - O'Loughlin
SL Rookie of the year - Anthony England
Leading Try Scorer - Matty Russell

Leftfield Prediction - Matt Bowen to retire and go home before Easter
12.

I take it that you have just finished off the bottle of malt that you were given at Xmas.

Thats a very strange comment, Hock maybe a loose cannon disciplinary wise but he can also be a devastating runner and excellent off loader...
Danny Tickle however has been in decline for the last 2 years...Usefull goal kicker that is all...

I'm not sure what you are getting at with Wire's recruitment when we sign players for big money we are accused of trying to buy trophies, We've brought in an experienced forward in Asotasi and two promising lads in Russell and England, with more young lads to be promoted to the 1st team...
The players that have been released or retired are the players that other teams fans were calling too old and the reason (a lot of Wigan fans said) we failed to get over the line in the Grand Final last year...

Now these players have been released all of a sudden (according to opinions i've read on numerous boards) we are now going to struggle with the loss of them and we are now in transition...? Strange...

Despite Shaun Wane's protestations at times Wigan's young lads have done their club proud & pointed the finger at youth development being a better route to success than big name ,big money signings. One of the most important necessities these days is for a player to still have enough left in his tank for 80 minutes.

1 Saints
2, Leeds
3, Hull
4, Wigan
5, Salford
6, Catalan
7, Warrington
8, Hull Kr
9, Castleford
10,Widnes
11, Wakefield
12,Bradford
13, London Broncos

heard it all salford above wire..dear oh dear..lay off the vino if i were you son

Weeellllll, I can't quite make my mind up about Salford. I still think some of their signings are questionable but I'll be happy to be proven wrong, most of their fans a decent bunch, they've had an appalling few years, Wilkinson is a good bloke and they sit astride a huge catchment area so good luck to them.

What I do hope is that the expected improvement at Salford means the competition as a whole is stronger and if that means Salford dishing it out to Wigan, Leeds, Saints etc. but saving their worst for us, I'll be cheering as loudly as anyone outside Barton!

Have you put Wire 7th just to provoke a reaction, if so it's boring.

Prepare to eat your words Salford massive improvement Wire the total opposite imho without P&B tinted glasses on our mediocre and tactically inept half back pairing will be our achilles heel we don't have a leader who can drag a team around the pitch we will miss hodgesons link up play in attack .
we needed a massive replacement for Briers n got mmmmm nobody biiiggg mistake imo we needed Cooper Cronk or someone of the same calibre not doing this will imo cost us dearly I doubt we will go further than first round of play offs and can forget the challenge cup
I'm a realist u lot can bury ur heads in the P&B sand if u want I just call it as it is !

I'd agree with you if any of the main contenders strengthened in an major way.

Leeds have Briscoe but they already had a strong back line
Wigan look weaker
Saints have a half back so they'll improve on last year
Salford have improved but to go from whipping boys to title contenders in one season, can't see it plus how many of Salfords players would a genuine top 5 side want in their side, 3 possibly 4. That doesn't make a team.
Hudds look the same but with a years valued knowledge.

We look weaker but not severely and with a couple of surprise elements (granted potentially negatively) we could really kick on.