Top or bottom - predictions for 2020

[Blind side johnny]

Serious About RL have published their predictions for 2020: https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/championship-club-by-club-guide-how-is-your-team-predicted-to-perform-in-2020-26019/?fbclid=IwAR2ECiEAowFj9E9oLrHlOnfbjh3mQlyC74Cjg0Xu91WfbKYEQ6LluQbf7N0

According to them the league will end up as:

1. London

2. Toulouse

3. Featherstone

4. Leigh

5. York

6. Widnes

7. Halifax

8. Sheffield

9. Bradford

10. Dewsbury

11. Batley

12. Swinton

13. Whitehaven

14. Oldham

Plenty to agree and disagree with in their analysis but let the discussion commence.

 

[NickD]

19 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Serious About RL have published their predictions for 2020: https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/championship-club-by-club-guide-how-is-your-team-predicted-to-perform-in-2020-26019/?fbclid=IwAR2ECiEAowFj9E9oLrHlOnfbjh3mQlyC74Cjg0Xu91WfbKYEQ6LluQbf7N0

According to them the league will end up as:

1. London

2. Toulouse

3. Featherstone

4. Leigh

5. York

6. Widnes

7. Halifax

8. Sheffield

9. Bradford

10. Dewsbury

11. Batley

12. Swinton

13. Whitehaven

14. Oldham

Plenty to agree and disagree with in their analysis but let the discussion commence.

 

Us above Batley

 If only it could come true. I’ll settle for 12th. 

[silverback]

if we dont get a couple more bodys it will be true,and get some legs on tackle bags too, i fancy bradford for better than 9th, and fev to go up for 2021.

[The Blues Ox]

I think it should be a good season as long as you dont end up in the bottom 9. I think Oldham and Haven will go straight back down and that will be established pretty quick meaning 4 teams above them probably have nothing to play for a good few games before the end of the season. 

I think they have the next 4 right but no idea of what order. Swinton seem to have a habit of winning games where as Bradford will struggle with their wafer thin squad and will be in that group of 4. I don't think Dewsbury or Batley have signed that well outside of Shaun Lunt or at least not well enough to have any impact on the top 8.

The group of 3 above with Widnes, Fax, and Sheffield probably have top 5 ambitions and one of those could sneak in to the top 5 but I doubt any have top 3 ambitions. The top 5 to pick the order is tough. For me I think Fev will top the league, on paper have a very good squad backed up by DR from Leeds. Im going for Toulouse second as they are good every year and its tough for teams to go over there but like every year it will be their away form that dictates if they can top the league. Ive gone York next again as I think they have signed shrewdly and will want to kick on from last season. London next as they have lost a lot of players but still look strong and then Leigh in 5th as they have not signed as strong as everyone thought they would do.

That top 5 though could really be in any order but I think out of the top 5 if 2 were to suprisingly miss out on the top 5 it would be Leigh and London although York do have a bit of pressure on them after last season and won't be going under the radar.

[Moscow01]

Oldham and Whitehaven will be lucky to win more than a couple of games. They’ve basically gone with the squads that got them promoted, which is admirable but they’re not playing Coventry and West Wales in the Championship.

 

 

[Crown Flatter]

My prediction is slightly different:

1. Leigh

2. Featherstone 

3. Toulouse

4. London

5. York

6. Halifax

7. Widnes

8. Sheffield

9. Bradford

10. Dewsbury

11. Batley

12. Swinton

13. Whitehaven

14. Oldham

 

I selected Leigh as top dog because, with all that fire power and umpteen half backs, they should be strong, but so should Fev., so wouldn’t be surprised if my 1 and 2 are reversed. 

[Blind side johnny]

League Express predict:

1. Toulouse

2. London

3. Leigh

4. Featherstone

5. York

6. Widnes

7. Halifax

8. Bradford

9. Sheffield

10. Dewsbury

11. Batley

12. Oldham

13. Swinton

14. Whitehaven

This just serves to indicate how open the competition might be this year although I tend to agree with B'sox that there will be a top group and a bottom one with some disparity between them. I will save my sage predictions until a little later.

 

[Reverend Ram]

Here’s my prediction- and always remember some team will do the unexpected (like York last year) - so:

1) Leigh

2) Toulouse 

3) Feath

4) Widnes

5) York

6) London

7) Halifax 

 Dews

9) Bradford 

10) Whitehaven

11) Batley

12) Sheffield 

13) Oldham

14) Swinton 

To me the Cumbrian effect will give Haven a surprise advantage despite the apparent limited depth of their squad. Also think London will disappoint....but of course the fun will be when BSJ compares all our efforts at predicting come the end of the season!

[Blind side johnny]

My personal predictions are based upon complete guesswork combined with a couple of factors: travelling will give Whitehaven an advantage; Toulouse will be strong at home due to their new ground; Sheffield will be on the road more than they are currently predicting; Bradford are weak at half back; good coaching will benefit Widnes, York and London. Everyone will be dependent upon the fortunes of avoiding injuries to key players and the largesse (or absence) of their DR partners.

1. Leigh - strongest squad and more money available.

2. Toulouse - strong pack and half backs but still vulnerable on their travels

3. Featherstone - decent recruitment with a question mark over their coaching

4. Widnes - good young squad and a very experienced coach

5. London - questionable recruitment but sure to produce more young stars, good coaching

6. York - can they maintain the momentum of 2019; when will the new ground come on stream?

7. Halifax - flattering to deceive, once again.

8. Sheffield - when will they start playing in their own city again? Tubby's coaching a plus point, once more

9. Bradford - good brand, mixed squad. weak halves

10. Dewsbury - much better than 2019 but still a work in progress

11. Batley - poor recruitment, no money, unproven coach

12. Whitehaven - Cumbrian spirit and isolation will make them strong at home; thin squad

13. Swinton - clinging on by their fingernails once too often; DR won't bail them out this year

14. Oldham - weak squad, no money, no ground

 

One question is how much will be won or lost by a team's drop-goal expertise this season, given the advent of the golden point?

[NickD]

2 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

My personal predictions are based upon complete guesswork combined with a couple of factors: travelling will give Whitehaven an advantage; Toulouse will be strong at home due to their new ground; Sheffield will be on the road more than they are currently predicting; Bradford are weak at half back; good coaching will benefit Widnes, York and London. Everyone will be dependent upon the fortunes of avoiding injuries to key players and the largesse (or absence) of their DR partners.

1. Leigh - strongest squad and more money available.

2. Toulouse - strong pack and half backs but still vulnerable on their travels

3. Featherstone - decent recruitment with a question mark over their coaching

4. Widnes - good young squad and a very experienced coach

5. London - questionable recruitment but sure to produce more young stars, good coaching

6. York - can they maintain the momentum of 2019; when will the new ground come on stream?

7. Halifax - flattering to deceive, once again.

8. Sheffield - when will they start playing in their own city again? Tubby's coaching a plus point, once more

9. Bradford - good brand, mixed squad. weak halves

10. Dewsbury - much better than 2019 but still a work in progress

11. Batley - poor recruitment, no money, unproven coach

12. Whitehaven - Cumbrian spirit and isolation will make them strong at home; thin squad

13. Swinton - clinging on by their fingernails once too often; DR won't bail them out this year

14. Oldham - weak squad, no money, no ground

 

One question is how much will be won or lost by a team's drop-goal expertise this season, given the advent of the golden point?

Crikey BSJ.  Even you have us above Batley..Im starting to believe that its possible despite every cell in my brain telling me otherwise..

[ernieone]

Batley have probably got the weakest squad they have had for a number of years, so if you do not finish above us this season then you certainly will be struggling.

[The Blues Ox]

Im surprised so many people tipping Leigh to top the league. Even their most staunch fans will probably admit their recruitment has not been what they thought it would be. Their pre-season has not been great and they look to be lacking up front and Im not sure Gerrard or Bienek will do much to change that but more worrying for them they go in to the season without knowing who their first choice halves are. The logistics of having 4 players in training all thinking they should be starters in key positions could prove to be a nightmare even more so for the players around them with all 4 been completley different types of players. 

[graham fisher]

23 hours ago, ernieone said:

Batley have probably got the weakest squad they have had for a number of years, so if you do not finish above us this season then you certainly will be struggling.

Tbh I think we’ll be relegated if we don’t finish above Batley.

[ramsfandan]

On 22/01/2020 at 16:11, Blind side johnny said:

My personal predictions are based upon complete guesswork combined with a couple of factors: travelling will give Whitehaven an advantage; Toulouse will be strong at home due to their new ground; Sheffield will be on the road more than they are currently predicting; Bradford are weak at half back; good coaching will benefit Widnes, York and London. Everyone will be dependent upon the fortunes of avoiding injuries to key players and the largesse (or absence) of their DR partners.

1. Leigh - strongest squad and more money available.

2. Toulouse - strong pack and half backs but still vulnerable on their travels

3. Featherstone - decent recruitment with a question mark over their coaching

4. Widnes - good young squad and a very experienced coach

5. London - questionable recruitment but sure to produce more young stars, good coaching

6. York - can they maintain the momentum of 2019; when will the new ground come on stream?

7. Halifax - flattering to deceive, once again.

8. Sheffield - when will they start playing in their own city again? Tubby's coaching a plus point, once more

9. Bradford - good brand, mixed squad. weak halves

10. Dewsbury - much better than 2019 but still a work in progress

11. Batley - poor recruitment, no money, unproven coach

12. Whitehaven - Cumbrian spirit and isolation will make them strong at home; thin squad

13. Swinton - clinging on by their fingernails once too often; DR won't bail them out this year

14. Oldham - weak squad, no money, no ground

 

One question is how much will be won or lost by a team's drop-goal expertise this season, given the advent of the golden point?

They do play in sheffield now it is very amateur set up though. I think its sheff utd womens ground at olympic village

[Piggy's mate]

Looking forward to lauding it over you again in 2020. I will stick with my prediction from last season that Dewsbury will be relegated again this time.

[grumpyoldram]

1 hour ago, Piggy's mate said:

Looking forward to lauding it over you again in 2020. I will stick with my prediction from last season that Dewsbury will be relegated again this time.

"name will crop up again about a fortnight into the season when Piggys mate goes through his annual ritual of asking the dogs faithful, which of our players they would sign for 2021 following our inevitable relegation in 2020.  "

Predictable as ever, but earlier than usual.

[Blind side johnny]

11 hours ago, ramsfandan said:

They do play in sheffield now it is very amateur set up though. I think its sheff utd womens ground at olympic village

I believe that they are moving out of the Olympic Legacy Park whilst conversion work is going on. However, now that the Scarborough group have lost all of their shareowning in Sheffield Utd and are selling their ground ownerships the situation may be less clear than before.

[graham fisher]

27 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

I believe that they are moving out of the Olympic Legacy Park whilst conversion work is going on. However, now that the Scarborough group have lost all of their shareowning in Sheffield Utd and are selling their ground ownerships the situation may be less clear than before.

Maybe wrong here but aren’t they playing their first 3 or 4 home games at Doncaster Rugby Union?

[Piggy's mate]

3 hours ago, grumpyoldram said:

"name will crop up again about a fortnight into the season when Piggys mate goes through his annual ritual of asking the dogs faithful, which of our players they would sign for 2021 following our inevitable relegation in 2020.  "

Predictable as ever, but earlier than usual.

Always been my problem GOR...

[ernieone]

15 hours ago, graham fisher said:

Tbh I think we’ll be relegated if we don’t finish above Batley.

To be honest after watching the Boxing Day match, both sides will be struggling to avoid the bottom 2 places.In some Batley Boys matches there has been more skill on display and more ball retention.

While both sides are working with there present budget I can not see any glory years in the near future apart from possibly having a winning team in Division one.

[Crown Flatter]

10 hours ago, graham fisher said:

Maybe wrong here but aren’t they playing their first 3 or 4 home games at Doncaster Rugby Union?

First three at RU ground I believe, Graham. 

[Colin James]

On 22/01/2020 at 16:11, Blind side johnny said:

My personal predictions are based upon complete guesswork

13. Swinton - clinging on by their fingernails once too often; DR won't bail them out this year

Finished 10 points clear of the drop last year, level with Halifax. Not sure that classes as clinging on. Guesswork indeed.

[NickD]

1 hour ago, Colin James said:

Finished 10 points clear of the drop last year, level with Halifax. Not sure that classes as clinging on. Guesswork indeed.

Hah hah, well said.  You surprised quite a few teams last year and I suspect you'll do the same this.  Cant see you at the bottom, but then again its hard to know at this stage..

What I also like about Swinton is that you always try and play attractive rugby..