It rarely pays off basing the cream of a squad around new imports, even if it does its short lived. Hull need fitz+ogre+long to be fit or they are sunk IMO. Bradford seem to be doing Ok although i think this is more down to the quality of lynch and langley than orford and co.

Thankfully the new regime here realises that a quality Youth system should be what you base a modern RL team around not imports which it is at best a 'hit and miss' affair

Wigan proved for most of the last decade that short term (i.e we'll win it next year) strategies don't work. Thats what Hull are trying to achieve because Long, Fitzgibbon, Horne and others won't be around in 2-3 years time.

Agree Leeds will be the ones to come through to the top four.
I suspect they'll beat Saints on Saturday as they looked very good v Hull.

Any of the clubs in the top four at present are capable of beating each other if they are the form team on the day. Below that and it would be a shock result if any of the others were to get a win against the current top four, with the exception of Leeds.

Injuries will play a part as they always do. How Leeds missed Sinfield!
We have had ours and coped well despite the difficulties. We did well to win at Saints with Phelps, Coley, Riddell & Hansen missing from our starting 13. I know Saints had players out but it was still an excellent win given the injuries we had.

Add Leeds to the current top four and that will be the "group" at the end of the season.

I think Leeds will storm through the field and finish in 2nd place. Saints and Warrington will be 3rd and 4th but not sure which way around and I
think Huddersfield will end up 5th. I had a vision it was us and Leeds in GF and in challenge cup final

still cant get the niggling feeling of a leeds v wire final

Nah. Fancy Wigan v Wire myself.

I just really want us to finish top and give ourselves the best chance! Both finals will do me nicely! We would surely win at least one!

Lets take one game at a time though!

Think it*s going to be a Leeds v Wigan final this time...

Wigan v Leeds

i cant bring myself to think that far ahead. There is far to much rugby to be played in the mean time

I was just going to say that. You see sides often have good regular seasons and then fade away when the lack of squad depth begins to tell. Huddersfield last year for example had a poor play off effort. Hull KR did little either. A good regular season doesn't always convert to a good play off run.

Wigan's problem may be making the play offs very early then stuttering about waiting for those games to come. That'll be a test if it happens. That may happen to Warrington as well, they have very little postive play off experience (think they've only ever won 1 game) and that might tell in September.

Then the Cup Final might get in the way of Grand Final attempts. That perhaps buggered Huddersfield last year? Far too early to call. Injuries, suspensions and desperation will all play a part. Squad depth will end up proving pivitol. I think we are already proving to be OK in that regard. Not sure St Helens for example have that luxury. If Eastmond went out long term for example, they'd have no chance!

Way too early to start getting ahead of ourselves.

That said we are looking good. Mentally much tougher.

Fully agree.

Quins.
Friday.
Smash em!

I have a very funny feeling we may get the Stains this year in one of the finals, hopefully we can and do them again!

you might not get to one