29 replies to this topic

[Chairman LMAO]

Any advances on:

1. Featherstone Rovers
2. Halifax
3. Widnes Vikings
4. Batley Bulldogs
5. Barrow Raiders
6. Leigh Centurions
7. Dewsbury Rams
8. Sheffield Eagles
9. Toulouse Olympique
10. Hunslet Hawks
11. York City Knights

[Piggy's mate]

1. Fev
2. Fax
3. Leigh
4. Dogs
5. Barra
6. Widnes
7. Seaguls
8. Sheep
9. Hawks
10. To-lose
11. York

[buford t justice]

1 Halifax
2 Barrow
3 Sheffield
4 Featherstone
5 Batley
6 Leigh
7 Toulouse
8 Widnes
9 Dewsbury
10 York
11Hunslet

[GuyDinlite]

1 Halifax
2 Batley
3 Fev
4 Leigh
5 Barrow
6 Widnes
7 Dewsbury
8 Sheffield
9 Toulouse
10 Hunslet
11 York

[distantdog]

1 Halifax
2 Batley
3 Fev
4 Leigh
5 Barrow
6 Widnes
7 Dewsbury
8 Sheffield
9 Toulouse
10 Hunslet
11 York

Yikes!!!! Play offs would do nicely for me.

[RPH]

We thought we had such a strong squad at the start of last season, i think everyone thought we would finish in the top 6, but at the end of the campaign after winning the cup everything fizzled out .
we had improved our squad but so had everyone else, I just hope we finish in the top 6 this time.

[grumpyoldram]

We thought we had such a strong squad at the start of last season, i think everyone thought we would finish in the top 6, but at the end of the campaign after winning the cup everything fizzled out .
we had improved our squad but so had everyone else, I just hope we finish in the top 6 this time.

Nice of you all to assume we will be out of the relegation zone - I hope you are right. Personally,I'm not absolutely convinced that Powell,Bossy,Brev and Robbo have been adequately replaced, but I'd be delighted to be proved wrong. Toulouse are an irrelevance really, but may surprise everybody this time. The less well off clubs will be the obvious candidates for relegation, which must therfore include the Rams, Eagles, York and Hunslet. Batley appear to have strengthened well - particularly if the dual reg players are available, and I can see them makiing the playoffs. I'll go for:-

Fev
fax
leigh
widnes
toulouse
dogs
barrow

eagles
rams
hunslet
york

bottom group too close to call

[elppaxr2i]

Toulouse are an irrelevance really, but may surprise everybody this time.

The only suprise they will make next year is that they will finish bottom making a mockery out of their expected 2012 application

Their team is shocking and the best/better players have gone and not replaced - the wynns, griffi, mitchell, duport to name a few have all left for pastures new with only craig cook being the only signng so far

Even TO fams are skeptical. They will be the whitehaven of our division next season

[YOUNG UN]

Nice of you all to assume we will be out of the relegation zone - I hope you are right. Personally,I'm not absolutely convinced that Powell,Bossy,Brev and Robbo have been adequately replaced, but I'd be delighted to be proved wrong. Toulouse are an irrelevance really, but may surprise everybody this time. The less well off clubs will be the obvious candidates for relegation, which must therfore include the Rams, Eagles, York and Hunslet. Batley appear to have strengthened well - particularly if the dual reg players are available, and I can see them makiing the playoffs. I'll go for:-

Fev
fax
leigh
widnes
toulouse
dogs
barrow

eagles
rams
hunslet
york

bottom group too close to call

Take a quick look at the Batley forwards, apart from Brev & Robinson, not a great deal of change. If you think that a back line up with Preece and Maun, who we discarded a few years ago, will frighten defences next season then think again. Batley won the NR cup last season, apart from that they finished, league wise, no better than when GT was in charge. They will be in the bottom half shake up once again I am afraid.

[FrankDrebin]

Take a quick look at the Batley forwards, apart from Brev & Robinson, not a great deal of change. If you think that a back line up with Preece and Maun, who we discarded a few years ago, will frighten defences next season then think again. Batley won the NR cup last season, apart from that they finished, league wise, no better than when GT was in charge. They will be in the bottom half shake up once again I am afraid.

I'd say a pack with the likes of Tootill, Hesketh, Walton, Bretherton, Robinson, Manning will be a match for anyone in this league. I'd also say that singling out Danny Maun and Preece as inferior players, simply because you 'discarded' them, is a bit childish. Did you actually 'discard' them? Maun is without out a shadow of doubt one of the most consistent and solid threequarters in the Championship and Preece, without being a superstar, is a proven performer at this level with a very decent tries to games ratio. I actually doubt he'll be a first choice in 2011, so we'll have to content ourselves with Elliott Hodgson or Jonny Campbell, who is rumoured to be close to agreeing a deal should he sort his 'problems ' out.
As for us doing no better in the league last season than under Thornton, you're missing the point. Under his 'guidance' we finished in the play-offs only once, and in his other seasons in charge were relying on the results from the final game of the season to guarantee safety. This year, we were never even in remote danger of relegation at any point of the season, and in with a shout of a play-off place right until the final game. At least a bit of an improvement then, I'd say.
I'm not saying we are certainties for the play-offs, but after the improvement of last season in both our final league position, the brand of exciting rugby we played throughout, and the cup win, coupled with some decent recruitment during the close season, I'm hopeful we can push on to the next level.

[9' oller]

I will make a prediction once we have played a few friendlies and made our mark in the northern rail cup group stages.

Apart from our big cup win the domestic league was a bitter disappointment for us and far too many winnable games slipped through our fingers.

Walking round tesco's last xmas with a Batley shirt on to the cries of arm chair supporters: 'we'll finish 2nd place' was always going to be a far fetched claim.

We are now a team who shouldn't be concerned with the trap door and or administration.

''Dogs for the play offs'' should be the Batley news regular headline.

[Blind side johnny]

If Batley fans think they will be certs for the play-offs this year then that means the standard within this league has gone backwards rather than forwards, as it has been for a number of years.

On the other hand I believe that this may indeed be an odd season with the imminent decisions regarding franchises being in the air. The squad at Widnes, for example, will be being developed very much with an expectation of elevation so should contain an increasing number of young promising players, who may one day grace SL; their actual final position in the league next year won't be their main focus I would expect. As for the other applicants, despite claims that they don't really expect to succeed, the process will cause greater focus to fall upon issues other than the team's performance next year. this may lead to an opportunity for someone to come up on the rails. So Batley may be the ones after all.

As a point of information, does anyone know if the "criteria slate" is now wiped clean, meaning that some clubs may have to put ticks in performance boxes anew, or does this simply progress as before?

[distantdog]

If Batley fans think they will be certs for the play-offs this year then that means the standard within this league has gone backwards rather than forwards, as it has been for a number of years.

On the other hand I believe that this may indeed be an odd season with the imminent decisions regarding franchises being in the air. The squad at Widnes, for example, will be being developed very much with an expectation of elevation so should contain an increasing number of young promising players, who may one day grace SL; their actual final position in the league next year won't be their main focus I would expect. As for the other applicants, despite claims that they don't really expect to succeed, the process will cause greater focus to fall upon issues other than the team's performance next year. this may lead to an opportunity for someone to come up on the rails. So Batley may be the ones after all.

As a point of information, does anyone know if the "criteria slate" is now wiped clean, meaning that some clubs may have to put ticks in performance boxes anew, or does this simply progress as before?

In what sense? First of all, noone has mentioned anything as a matter of certainty. Would it not be appropriate though to have an expectancy of the play-offs after improving our position over the last 2 seasons?
Did the fact that Barrow winning the Championship mean that this division has become weaker? Or Featherstone last year winning the league leaders title?

BSJ, I often find your postings informative, amusing, witty and to the point, but on this one I think I have missed something!

My point is that the supporters of each team have a right, no, almost an obligation to expect an improvement from their team from the previous season. It's one of the illogical reasons why we part with our hard earned £14 or whatever each week and at the start of each new season.

Inn fact, I may be wrong, deluded or both but I believe several supporters from a local club not a million miles from here have suggested they might reach the play-offs. Does that represent a significant weakening of standards over the years?

[HaroldShand]

In what sense? First of all, noone has mentioned anything as a matter of certainty. Would it not be appropriate though to have an expectancy of the play-offs after improving our position over the last 2 seasons?
Did the fact that Barrow winning the Championship mean that this division has become weaker? Or Featherstone last year winning the league leaders title?

BSJ, I often find your postings informative, amusing, witty and to the point, but on this one I think I have missed something!

My point is that the supporters of each team have a right, no, almost an obligation to expect an improvement from their team from the previous season. It's one of the illogical reasons why we part with our hard earned £14 or whatever each week and at the start of each new season.

Inn fact, I may be wrong, deluded or both but I believe several supporters from a local club not a million miles from here have suggested they might reach the play-offs. Does that represent a significant weakening of standards over the years?

I'm hoping for a decent season. With the new signings we've made, the apparent weakening of Toulouse (they've lost a number of key players and not replaced them) and signs that the likes of Halifax and Widnes might be making spending cutbacks, I don't see any reason why both Batley AND Dewsbury can't make the play-off positions.

[9' oller]

Dewsbury play-off positions.

WASH YOUR MOUTH OUT YOUNG HAROLD!

how's it feel to be the wrong end of 29 now?!

am avoiding the Big '30' like the plague!

[Blind side johnny]

In what sense? First of all, noone has mentioned anything as a matter of certainty. Would it not be appropriate though to have an expectancy of the play-offs after improving our position over the last 2 seasons?
Did the fact that Barrow winning the Championship mean that this division has become weaker? Or Featherstone last year winning the league leaders title?

BSJ, I often find your postings informative, amusing, witty and to the point, but on this one I think I have missed something!

My point is that the supporters of each team have a right, no, almost an obligation to expect an improvement from their team from the previous season. It's one of the illogical reasons why we part with our hard earned £14 or whatever each week and at the start of each new season.

Inn fact, I may be wrong, deluded or both but I believe several supporters from a local club not a million miles from here have suggested they might reach the play-offs. Does that represent a significant weakening of standards over the years?

Fair points DD - on rereading my post it does wander around a little.

The pertinent word that I used, I believe, is "certs" - hope and expectation should be in all of our minds (even York fans) before the season starts, but some seem to believe that the play-off place is there already.

I have no doubts that Batley will be highly competitive in the Championship this season, but just have a feeling that it might be a "funny" season in the light of the licensing debate that will soon begin.

[grumpyoldram]

I'm hoping for a decent season. With the new signings we've made, the apparent weakening of Toulouse (they've lost a number of key players and not replaced them) and signs that the likes of Halifax and Widnes might be making spending cutbacks, I don't see any reason why both Batley AND Dewsbury can't make the play-off positions.

Just out of curiosity - anybody know when Toulouse lose the right to stay in the division (presumably before calling it a day in championship}. Still have a bit of a feeling they could surprise everybody though, despite losing players.

[morti]

I'm hoping for a decent season. With the new signings we've made, the apparent weakening of Toulouse (they've lost a number of key players and not replaced them) and signs that the likes of Halifax and Widnes might be making spending cutbacks, I don't see any reason why both Batley AND Dewsbury can't make the play-off positions.

think you could be right harold,both bulldogs n rams for the play-offs

[Sir Jekyll Stocking]

Just out of cuiosity - anybody know when Toulouse lose the right to stay in the division (presumably before calling it a day in championship}. Still have a bit of a feeling they could surprise everybody though, despite losing players.

I have a hazy recollection that Toulouse have a three-year exemption from relegation.
Therefore the earliest they could play in CC1 would be 2013.
Not that I can see this happening.

[vitocorleone]

Any advances on:

1. Featherstone Rovers
2. Halifax
3. Widnes Vikings
4. Batley Bulldogs
5. Barrow Raiders
6. Leigh Centurions
7. Dewsbury Rams
8. Sheffield Eagles
9. Toulouse Olympique
10. Hunslet Hawks
11. York City Knights

1 FEV
2 BARROW
3 SHEFFIELD
4 LEIGH
5 BATLEY
6 HALIFAX
7 WIDNES
8 DEWSBURY
9 HUNSLET
10 TOULOUSE
11 YORK