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League 1 Predictions


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Probably the toughest league to predict especially with Toronto entering who I suspect will remain undefeated and Workington and Whitehaven have been busy in recruiting players. I think the league will look similar to 2016 with the heartland clubs mostly in the top 8 and it will be another learning year for the expansions clubs. I suspect York will struggle with the off the field issues they have had and Hemel will collect the wooden spoon again due to them traveling to dewsbury to train.

1 Toronto

2 Workington

3 Whitehaven

4 Keighley

5 Hunslet

6 Barrow

7 Doncaster

8 Newcastle

9 NW Crusaders

10 Skolars

11 SW Ironmen

12 York

13 Coventry

14 Oxford

15 All Golds

16 Hemel

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Probably the toughest league to predict especially with Toronto entering who I suspect will remain undefeated and Workington and Whitehaven have been busy in recruiting players. I think the league will look similar to 2016 with the heartland clubs mostly in the top 8 and it will be another learning year for the expansions clubs. I suspect York will struggle with the off the field issues they have had and Hemel will collect the wooden spoon again due to them traveling to dewsbury to train.

1 Toronto

2 Workington

3 Whitehaven

4 Keighley

5 Hunslet

6 Barrow

7 Doncaster

8 Newcastle

9 NW Crusaders

10 Skolars

11 SW Ironmen

12 York

13 Coventry

14 Oxford

15 All Golds

16 Hemel

I think Newcastle will be higher

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Probably the toughest league to predict especially with Toronto entering who I suspect will remain undefeated and Workington and Whitehaven have been busy in recruiting players. I think the league will look similar to 2016 with the heartland clubs mostly in the top 8 and it will be another learning year for the expansions clubs. I suspect York will struggle with the off the field issues they have had and Hemel will collect the wooden spoon again due to them traveling to dewsbury to train.

1 Toronto

2 Workington

3 Whitehaven

4 Keighley

5 Hunslet

6 Barrow

7 Doncaster

8 Newcastle

9 NW Crusaders

10 Skolars

11 SW Ironmen

12 York

13 Coventry

14 Oxford

15 All Golds

16 Hemel

I'll be shocked if Workington finish 2nd.

Their recruitment so far this year seems to be sell their better players to Barrow and replace them with young amateur players. Not exactly a recipe for finishing 2nd.

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North Wales Crusaders ma (hopefully) finish higher. We have a good squad,. Mike Grady (Head Coach) has decided we are going alone - no dual reg. The last time we did that we won the league. Cant see that happening in 2017 but I dont think we will be as low as 9th. Mike has ambitions of finishing in the Top 8 - and hopefully an away fixture at Toronto.

 

I have no idea how other clubs pre -season recruitment has gone but on last years form Barrow should finish higher. I think Coventry and All Golds will go well in 2017

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1/ Toronto, 2/ Barrow, 3/ Whitehaven, 4/ Keighley, 5/ Newcastle, 6/ Hunslet, 7/ Workington, 8/ Doncaster, 9/ York, 10/ London Skolars,11/ North Wales Crusaders, 12/ All Golds, 13/ Coventry, 14/ South Wales, 15/ Oxford, 16/ Hemel. As a supporter of Rugby League in Wales I sincerely hope Ive got this wrong but Ive looked at the squads and other things that could affect form and this is my honest opinion. I wanted to place South Wales higher because I know a lot of really good people involved now but Ive seen too many false dawns in the South. I will be following the Crusaders as usual but I don't think there will be much to choose between us, Coventry and All Golds.

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Think it's a little early to be making these predictions as we don't know the final squads yet.

 

I think York will be right up there with Barrow. They were pretty close to the top last season and I expect the off-field problems will mostly have gone away this year and it looks like mostly the same squad of players stayed together throughout.

 

Second year running where the most Southerly club wins it?

 

Interested that quite a few people have S. Wales a few places off the bottom - is their squad much different to previous years?

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Probably the toughest league to predict especially with Toronto entering who I suspect will remain undefeated and Workington and Whitehaven have been busy in recruiting players. I think the league will look similar to 2016 with the heartland clubs mostly in the top 8 and it will be another learning year for the expansions clubs. I suspect York will struggle with the off the field issues they have had and Hemel will collect the wooden spoon again due to them traveling to dewsbury to train.

1 Toronto

2 Workington

3 Whitehaven

4 Keighley

5 Hunslet

6 Barrow

7 Doncaster

8 Newcastle

9 NW Crusaders

10 Skolars

11 SW Ironmen

12 York

13 Coventry

14 Oxford

15 All Golds

16 Hemel

Hemel may well finish bottom but it wont be due to travelling far for training - they'll be a team of Yorkshiremen. I personally reckon they'll finish a fair way higher up - the worry is how many people will turn up to watch them with a lot of the already small core support disillusioned  with the Dewsbury thing

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Phew - that's a tough league to call. Making the 8 will be harder than ever.

 

If Barrow can maintain last season's momentum, they'll go well: best team we played by a country mile last year.

If York can get their sh! t together and replicate last year's standards, they'll be a threat - they're our bogey side and panned us last season.

Whitehaven will be an interesting one to watch: best half-back pair in the division in Roper and Crook.

North Wales could be the surprise package if Mike Grady gets 'em firing: they've signed some cracking players.

 

Keighley, Hunslet and Donny will all be keen to improve after disappointing in 2016. Makes for a fascinating year, I think

 

Everyone is looking at Toronto - but it'll be a big job maintaining momentum with all the to-ing and fro-ing across the Atlantic three weeks at a time. Could take its toll later in the season and I'd fancy a Barrow or 'Haven to do a job on them at some point.

IMAG0394_zpsvjvgze6q.jpg

 

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I'll be shocked if Workington finish 2nd.

Their recruitment so far this year seems to be sell their better players to Barrow and replace them with young amateur players. Not exactly a recipe for finishing 2nd.

Would love to think Town will be up there,  but given current recruitment position, we are a mid table team (at best) unfortunatley

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toronto from either barrow or haven . barrow look very strong to me and only a bad run of injuries will ruin their season . Town are taking  a longer term strategy , have lost a lot of last years team , and are more or less building for a couple of years down the road .

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Doncaster with Feka, Muranka, Thackray etc Championship players. Partner that with a lot of kids from Hull FC on dual-reg, I'd suspect higher than 7th which seems to be the general consensus.

 

Equally, Barrow seem to be the most suited Cumbrian side in my opinion. Lewis Charnock was a coup.

Rugby League World writer

Twitter: @a_hope14
Mobile: iPhone 3

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1 Oxford

2 Toronto
3 Doncaster

4 Whitehaven
5 Keighley
6 Workington

7 Hunslet
8 Barrow
9 Newcastle
10 York

11 Hemel

12 London Skolars

13 North Wales
14 Coventry
15 Gloucestershire
16 South Wales

 

 

PS Never said I was a neutral....

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1 Oxford

2 Toronto

3 Doncaster

4 Whitehaven

5 Keighley

6 Workington

7 Hunslet

8 Barrow

9 Newcastle

10 York

11 Hemel

12 London Skolars

13 North Wales

14 Coventry

15 Gloucestershire

16 South Wales

 

 

PS Never said I was a neutral....

 

Keighley fan?

Rugby League World writer

Twitter: @a_hope14
Mobile: iPhone 3

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I am afraid I can't see any change from last year's split between heartlands teams and expansion clubs. It is devilishly difficult for an expansion club to beat a heartlands team, let alone for it to be done with the regularity to propel them up the table. The only chance is if a heartlands club implodes after early setbacks (perhaps not much room for error in a lopsided 15 game fixture list) or because of off field issues (hello York). 

 

With the entry to Toronto, Skolars will be pushed out of the top 8. Skolars will be solid enough, but I am not sure they are ready to quite make the step up to challenging the big boys. Their squad hasn't changed greatly and never really looked like winning a game after the split. Newcastle and Cru should also be about the split, but I can see them, Hemel and Skolars taking valuable points off each other. Hemel should improve, but not enough. While recruiting from Yorkshire may make them better than other expansion clubs, realistically they are just getting the players no other heartlands club wants, meaning they are unlikely to better than any of those teams.

 

On quality of squad, Toronto should be too good. For them I think it will come down to the desire of the players. Are their hearts really in the project, particularly when they are away from home for long stretches.

 

I liked the look of Barrow last year and think they will be there or there abouts. Doncaster look solid, but the other heartlands teams seem to be much of a muchness and I think for them much will depend on how their fixture lists works out. Those playing 8 home fixtures, particularly if they have more of their rivals at home, should do better.

 

At the other end Coventry seem to be gradually building, but even with improvements in their teams, I fear they, Gloucester and South Wales will find how tough it is at this level until the split. That leaves Oxford to finish bottom.

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Can't look past Toronto for top spot. On paper they should win every game. They'll walk the division with maybe the odd slip up.

The other promotion spot I'm going for Barrow. They've recruited well off the other Cumbrian sides and had a good finish last season.

Keighley should improve now March has gone. Beharrell will do well for them at that level where he will have more space to be creative and there's less pressure on him defensively. He had flashes of brilliance for Swinton but never looked comfortable at Championship level.

Haven have the best chance of the relegated sides and I think I'd have tipped them for an immediate return were it not for Toronto.

My biggest hope as always is that the expansion sides have a good season and continue to pick up support. The Toronto game has potential to be a record attendance for many clubs with curiosity from casual fans being something to promote.

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Barrow have assembled their strongest squad for 5/6 years and if it were not for Toronto, would be a good bet for top spot. Unfortunately 5 or 6 clubs will be battling for just one promotion spot !

Barrow to me will be the team pushing Toronto.Recruited well while Town, as mentioned, seem to be starting again after relegation with a number of local amateurs signed up. Whitehaven seem to have put a lot of faith (and cash) into spending only one season in Championship 1. Could be trouble at the Rec if they don't make it back at the first attempt.All three Cumbrian sides should be competetive

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I guess the thing with Toronto is whether the team 'gels' - Brian Noble has previously been involved with similar situations of putting together a new squad from scratch with both Crusades & Salford. Big crowds might also mean that the other teams raise their game  and view the match against Toronto as something of a cup final.

 

Have I missed the draw for the L1 Cup?

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