After months of anticipation, Super League 2017 finally gets underway on Thursday night when St Helens entertain Leeds in the opening game of the new season.
Hopes are high among all 12 clubs – in what could be the most evenly-contested Super League in history – for a strong season, with newly-promoted Leigh Centurions adding an extra shade of interest in the competition as 2017 kicks off. But who will finish where? Here, our team provide their ‘expert’ (!) analysis and predictions for what lies ahead over the next eight months.
Matt Shaw – TotalRL editor
Warrington Wolves
Wigan Warriors
Castleford Tigers
St Helens
Hull FC
Leeds Rhinos
Wakefield Trinity
Huddersfield Giants
Salford Red Devils
Leigh Centurions
Catalans Dragons
Widnes Vikings
Challenge Cup winners: Castleford
Grand Final winners: Wigan
Matt says: It’s so hard to predict the race around the eight. Between Leeds and Widnes I think you could honestly place clubs in any order, there’s so little between them. I won’t be surprised if any of the teams I’ve predicted to be in the bottom four end up proving me wrong. I can’t see any of the top five dropping out of that segment on the table. I can see Castleford making a real push for the top, but Warrington and Wigan have recruited well. Saints have too, but Matty Smith’s injury is a blow. If they don’t lose too much ground early on, like they did last year, they are a viable threat.
Aaron Bower – League Express Reporter
Wigan Warriors
Warrington Wolves
St Helens
Castleford Tigers
Hull FC
Leeds Rhinos
Catalans Dragons
Wakefield Trinity
Salford Red Devils
Huddersfield Giants
Leigh Centurions
Widnes Vikings
Challenge Cup winners: Warrington
Grand Final winners: St Helens
Aaron says: It’s not hard to see why many are tipping Castleford to break the status quo at the top of Super League and make the top four. It’s the bottom six teams which are perhaps hardest to predict; Leigh finishing 11th may be a shade harsh but in reality, there may only be a couple of wins between the side finishing bottom and whoever finishes 7th – it’s that close to call this year. Without Matty Smith, St Helens won’t be as strong at the start of the season as they could have been, but when he returns, they’ll be much better.
Lorraine Marsden – League Express Assistant Editor
Wigan Warriors
Warrington Wolves
St Helens
Castleford Tigers
Hull FC
Leeds Rhinos
Salford Red Devils
Catalans Dragons
Leigh Centurions
Huddersfield Giants
Wakefield Trinity
Widnes Vikings
Challenge Cup winners: St Helens
Grand Final winners: Wigan Warriors
Lorraine says: It is no surprise that I expect last season’s big guns to once again battle it out at the top end of the league, yet anything from sixth place down could prove the hardest season yet to predict.
Much will depend on how squads cope with the inevitable injuries they pick up during another tough season.
Should Leeds’ big signing Matt Parcell live up to expectations I cannot see them not making the eight again, but an ageing squad may prevent them from being in the Grand Final mix come September.
Newly promoted Leigh could push many teams close but may still find themselves having to contest the Qualifiers once again.
Ash Hope – Rugby League World Sub-Editor
Wigan Warriors
Castleford Tigers
Warrington Wolves
Hull FC
St Helens
Catalans Dragons
Leeds Rhinos
Salford Red Devils
Wakefield Trinity
Leigh Centurions
Widnes Vikings
Huddersfield Giants
Challenge Cup winners: Leeds Rhinos
Grand Final winners: Wigan Warriors
Ash says: Leeds and Huddersfield have set a new trend of making predicting a season even more difficult than it already is. Likewise, Hull FC shaking the competition last year has added to that difficulty, but perhaps we should just be grateful we have a sport so spontaneous and exciting.
If you took every coach’s word for it, we’d have 12 teams in the top eight, but sadly, four must fall flat. As newcomers, Leigh will lack the experience but a year in The Qualifiers can only make them stronger. Widnes and Huddersfield have difficult seasons ahead in challenging for the top eight, with the former without the talismanic Kevin Brown. Wakefield and Salford will be no doubt vying for the final spot, but the signing of Todd Carney, if the Red Devils get the best out of him, could be the key component.
The same questions arise at this time at the start of every season. Can Catalans win away from home? Will Castleford make the top four? But like last season, expect new questions to be created, what we all seek is the answers.
