Bookies seem to have you as favourites to finish bottom of the league next year which I think is harsh. Albeit it might not matter too much in the current format.

With you avoiding the middle 8s this season and having time to recruit and bringing in good players like Sam Williams and Mason Caton Brown as well as getting John Kear on board I'd have thought you'd have a better team than the likes of Salford, Widnes and (possibly) Leigh.

So, what's the feeling like over with your lot in west Yorkshire? Are you expecting to finish bottom? Realistic expectations for next season.

It's fair enough. We're always going to be favourites for bottom place until we don't have the smallest budget and play out of a decrepit, high maintenance, rented stadium.
However, the underdog tag suits us, particularly with the return of King John.
Perm any 4 from the bottom 6 for the mediocre 8s.
The top teams can start slowly, knowing they have enough class to pick up enough wins to stay in contention and then turn it on at the business end of the season (like Wigan have just done).
The bottom half have to hit the ground running and pick up enough wins in the first half of the season to ensure top 8. A poor start is difficult to recover from.

depends who lelse we get to compliment sam Williams- who BTW played reserve grade this year except when there was a injury- at the moment we will be last I would say but hey we all thought that this year

It is hard to say I think at this stage until all teams recruitment is completed.

One benefit for us is that with there not been too many comings and goings our squad is quite settled.

Leigh on the other hand it may take time for them to gel.

I feel that Salford will be a middle 8 club again next year as I dont really see them moving forward.

Out of this years top 8 I think Widnes will be looking over their shoulder and I think if Solomona goes that will be a blow to Cas and think they drop a bit.

If you look at this seasons bottom 4 and ask, will they improve enough to finish above Wakefield:

Leeds clearly had a poor season but, finished quite well in the M8's and will again be challenging for top 4
Shudds, similar to Leeds, probable top 6/7
Salford, who knows. Their league finish was skewed by the points deduction but, they will likely be bottom 4
Leigh, a bit like Salford, they are certainly signing plenty but, you have to expect them to be bottom 4

Trinity, finished 8th, just. we need to be lucky with injuries and find a winning run again.

Ill be happy if we are competitive for a full season ! (but we look nailed on for the bottom 4, just as we did last season )

I think Leeds will be top 8 again this year definately, but not convinced about them breaking back into the top 4 yet.

Huddersfield, although I do think will turn the corner, I don't think it will be as easy for them to break straight back into the 8. There was talk of a clear out there and a re build, so again, like Leigh, it may take time fir them to gel.

I said before, I think Castleford may struggle a bit if Solomona goes. I dont doubt that if he does he will be replaced, but it isnt very often a player scores 40 tries + in a season. They could be 20-25 tries lighter than last year. That could equate to 3-4 less victories for them next year.

INOUT

I disagree. Solomon a scored a lot of tries made for him.
If he goes they won't lose 40 tries, as someone else will be stood there catching the ball.
They also have Roberts back.

Dornoch is the bigger loss imho

We'll have to work very hard to clear the bottom 4 this year. I just asked we became more competitive last year but felt we let ourselves down with bottom 4 rivals when we'd done the hard work against the bigger sides. Clearly work to be done defensively but if I see 100% application out there then I can excuse the odd tonking that comes along.

We never seem to back up a good season with another. So its fair to assume that well be back in the bottom four.

Unless your laying a bet who cares what the bookies think - there about as accurate in their predictions as Belly, Wollo and Co.

Hey! I had 7 consecutive winning bets for Wakefield's Super 8 games.

Now that I believe.

If Wakefield finish bottom then a lot of teams will have to have improved a lot on last year. Wakefield made the top 8 and the CC semi final on the back of only winning 1 of their first 7 games and losing their coach part way into the season.
I honestly believe that games would have gone differently had Salford not been deducted points. There were games in the run up to the CC semi where Wakefield looked to throw the game away when they had the lead to preserve players fitness and prevent further squad injuries.
It's hard to tell at the moment as most teams haven't completed recruitment, but with a more stable squad which has a good mix of experience and youth, a full preseason, and a bit of luck, I think Wakefield will be easily competing at a good level where they can pick off wins against any team. Top 4 is a stretch too far, but top 8 should be readily achievable.

I agree here Bentleberry.

Also, players like Crowther, Batchelor, Morris and Moules will be better for that bit of experience they got toward the latter part of season.

Maybe if we brought these into the squad at varying times next year, rather than pretty much all together at the deep end, plus with 3 half backs in the squad, then potentially the squad can be rotated, leaving some of our senior players that bit fresher longer

That's it, they played because they had to play, not to develop them as it should be.

Last season can be broken into three really distinctive parts;

1.(first third) Lots of failure and fatigue, a lack of confidence and self belief in the squad

2. (Second third) self belief and a new found freedom on the pitch, players running hard and expansive, opposition teams became clueless on how to play against the squad

3. (Final third) a mounting list of injuries took its toll, play slowed down and became more predictable in an attempt to preserve the players we had. Once the top 8 was secure and the CC was lost then it quickly turned into an off season and the players seemed to treat the games more like friendlies, willing to try new ideas and plays but lacking the depth of squad to be able to really commit

Just as another point; had we played to the same standard and winning rate under Smith as we did under Chester, Wakefield would have finished the regular 23 rounds on 28 points (possibly more)