Rugby League in 2010

[MrDave]

What do you want to see in 2010 and what do you expect to see.

Well I think most people on here would want to see Wigan Warriors do well I think it is about time that Leeds and Saints made way for some other teams. I would like to see another team break the top two perhaps Huddersfield or the return of the Bradford Bulls. I also hope the South Wales Scorpions do well, it's back to Championship 1 for the South Wales rugby league fans and I hope they can prove they don't need to cheat their way into super league or move an entire team hundreds of miles way to succeed in rugby league. More of the same from the Championship this year, I saw some excellent games on Thursday nights last year, a lot of them better than any of the Super League games shown and it was good to see Barrow win the title. There are some teams that I hope won't do too well this season, obviously I hope that St Helens dip it would be nice to see them at the bottom of the league but realistically I don't think Saint will ever fall the same way Wigan did. Finally I hope the Crusaders do poorly they were given a Super League licence for no other reason than to promote Super League in South Wales and then are moved to North Wales to attract more away fans, Widnes were already in the area with a better licence application than Celtic Crusaders, not to mention they are allowed more overseas players than everyone else and received no punishment over the visa thing (if it was Wigan a nice 10point deduction would have been quickly written into the rules).

What I think will happen, The Crusaders will win 4 matches and the whole think will be hailed a success by the RFL and Noble will be made out to be the greatest coach in the universe. Leeds will probably win the Grand Final again (if Leeds play St Helens again they might as well just show a reply from the previous three years no one would notice). A salary cap scandal, not had one of those in a while. 'The new era' at Wigan won't turn out as well as people hope, if Wigan don't progress under Michael Maguire then what??

[KOOCH]

Leeds to win title and (lose) Grand Final against Wigan would be a nice way to cap a good season.With the size of the Catalan forwards I would expect a better showing this year.Huddersfield not the surprise package they became last season.I reckon most teams will have done home work on a grand scale as regards Giants.I do however think the Bulls will have a better year.And the dark horses to be Hull.Lets just hope and pray that this is not going to be the same bad start for us and we get of to a flyer.

[ancientnloyal]

I think Leeds have another season towards the top and will be there at the end, purely due to their squad they have this season it's relatively the same but with their new aquisitions it's hard to say otherwise. We've seen it with Wigan, with Bradford and now it's Saints' turn to go down the big dip of the rollercoaster... every team does it and it may be Leeds next year who start to slow down and go over the top. Hull FC are going through it now from CC winners and finalists, a grand final appearance to where they are now I expect them to come back up.

Every year in every paper we see it, we hear it from Stevo... exactly the same... Warrington, this year is their year... and for that, they wont do anything this year! same old same old.

Nothing magical will happen from Salford, castleford, huddersfield, wakefield, those sort of clubs... they never do they are there to make up the numbers and simply get by. I expect Hull KR to have a challenge but mid table fight is expected. Crusaders well, basement again. If catalans have set the benchmark for franchise teams from year 1 to year 3... then it's goodbye crusaders.

The top will get closer I reckon 4 to 5 teams within 4 or 6 points off the top come october, a middle tier followed by the bargain basement quite a distance off.

We will get 20 minute video montages of Harlequins 'attracting new support' as we have had for many a season without success but a new twist will be the reason for producers to bother filming the piece. They won't get support, simple as. Like tonight's Boots n All I saw them play in the City of London against Skolars... they shiuld have just re-run last years film clip but im sure more poeple turned out last year!

[THE 18th Man]

Leeds will be the team to beat. us and Wire will fight for 2nd and Saints will fight with bulls and hull for fourth and Huddersfield will flop in my opinion this year finishing as low as 10th.

crusaders will struggle again but will get about 5 wins. and catalans will squeze in the play offs again. Leeds will be definatly in the grand final but us and Wire will fighr it out for the other spot

[gpartin]

MrDave wrote: "More of the same from the Championship this year, I saw some excellent games on Thursday nights last year, a lot of them better than any of the Super League games shown."

I completely agree with that, I want SL to continue along the lines of anyone can beat anyone on their day eg Salford beating Leeds and Saints but I want it to be because the clubs lower down have improved and the clubs in the middle have closed the gap with the teams at the top and not just because most squades are too poor to be able to put a run of games together. I want games to be closely fought between two determined sides week in week out as appeared to be the case with the NL games shown on Sky.

I think this will be a big season for us but Bradford, Hull and Warrington in particular have all made improvements to their squads and these are the teams we need to be beating to be in with a chance of a decent playoff position. I think Huddersfield will benefit from a bit of stability and another off season with Nathan Brown in charge and they will be no mugs, they seemed to lose form around the time of the CUp final and this continued on a downward spiral but I really don't think they should be written off particularly if the can keep their halfbacks fit. It was reported here in Hull that Justin Morgan is aiming for Rovers to win the cup and the league but I think they will struggle this year and as a club who have been used to improving year on year it will probably disappoint a few of their fans and they might well lose some of them, bad for them given the horrendous financial state at the club. Hull FC on the other hand seem to have more realistic expectations and whatever your view on Agar he has not been afraid to get rid of the idiots at the club who have a reputation for extra curricular activities at Parkers Ale House, this and the addition of Shaun Long, Craig Fitzgibbon and Mark O'Meley should see them challenging a top 6 spot. Bradford seem to have made some quality signings and must surely be in a position to improve on some of last years dire performances, they seemed to show glimpses of improvement in the latter half of 2009 but unfortunately for them they left it too late. I think that McNamara could be one of the first coaches to be sent packing if the talk in the papers of a big year does not materialise on the pitch. Warrington with their seemingly bottomless pit of money must deliver in the league this year, the financial backers will quickly find other pet projects if this does not happen. For all the talk of Tony Smith turning the club around it really wasn't apparent in Super League and the players will be under pressure for major improvement in 2010, I think the cup win papered over a few cracks and lets be fair they won the cup by beating York, Featherstone, Castleford, us (we were poor) and Huddersfield (not much better) so probably the easiest cup run ever. On paper they have a squad full of Superstars but is it going to be their season finally?