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Super League Predictions 2023

Jughead

By Jughead
in The General Rugby League Forum

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ChristianB

ChristianB

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, MZH said:

As a Hull fan it's interesting to see how many people have written us off completely given that for the first time in forever we've actually got an experienced proven coach in and have, on paper at least, recruited pretty well. Yeah we were useless last year, but you can't just ignore the amount of long term injuries we picked up that contributed to that. Not that it matters of course, I'm just curious about what people are seeing (or aren't seeing) to put us as low as 10th or 11th?

Anyway, as always I'll be miles out:

Saints

Wigan

Leeds

Huddersfield 

Hull

Catalans

Hull KR

Salford

Warrington

Castleford

Wakefield

Leigh

Although I've got Leigh bottom I do think they are better equipped to stay up than any promoted team has been in a while. However history has shown that even with a talented squad it's a hard gap to bridge, so I've gone with the safe option of putting them bottom. They could survive very comfortably if they get a bit of luck with injuries though, especially if they can get off to a fast start.

I certainly think Hull will go well this season with TS at the helm. Like Warrington, I don't expect them to be at full bore from the get go, but both teams should be vying for silverware at the end of the season.

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GUBRATS

GUBRATS

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Chronicler of Chiswick said:

Can't see beyond Saints for the League Leaders and Grand Final double and Hull are looking a bit steadier so they might win the CC. Relegation's the interesting one. Although on paper Leigh and Wakey have to be the main contenders I'm wondering if there could be a bit of a surprise here with possibly someone like Cas being dragged into the dogfight.

😂 , And there we have it people " Relegations the interesting one " 😉

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GUBRATS

GUBRATS

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, sweaty craiq said:

Leigh

Saints

Wire

Cats

Wigan

Hudds

Leeds

Hull

Cas

Hkr

Wakey

Salford

 

Had my tea read yesterday

Don't be silly 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No way will Wire get to 3 rd 😉 

Come on you Leopards 🐆😀

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Wellsy4HullFC

Wellsy4HullFC

Posted
Posted

This is one of the hardest years to predict in a long time. So many variables.

The unbeatable Saints have a new (unproven) coach. Could that make them more beatable?

Can Wigan finally break the Saints stronghold?

Hull FC finally have a proven coach. Could they finally be less disappointing?!

The promoted team, Leigh, have recruited very well compared to previous years. Will they avoid the yo-yo effect?

Wakefield bookies favourites to go down... again. Yet this never happens. Could this be the year?

Leeds, who have been dire for god knows how long, finally had a great run with their new coach last year. Could this finally be the turnaround back to good fortune, or will they return to type?

Warrington had a dire year under Powell. But with his own squad and strategies in place, he's proven he can do wonders with often little. Could they finally click? Or will Powell depart?

Will Radford prove it was the set up at Hull holding him back? Or were the doubters right?

How long can Salford overachieve on a shoestring budget?!

The Giants have signed some big names too! Will Huddersfield's squad click with Watkins and go one further than last year?

I don't even know where to begin with Catalans.

Oh, and Hull KR are there too.

 

Think I'll go...

1. Wigan

2. Saints

3. Huddersfield 

4. Leeds

5. Hull FC

6. Catalans

7. Warrington

8. Salford 

9. Castleford

10. Hull KR

11. Leigh

12. Wakefield

+/- 4 positions! 🤣

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DimmestStar

DimmestStar

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, ChristianB said:

I certainly think Hull will go well this season with TS at the helm. Like Warrington, I don't expect them to be at full bore from the get go, but both teams should be vying for silverware at the end of the season.

Is this the same Tony Smith that finished 11th in his first 2 seasons at Hull KR and ended up with a record of Won 26 Lost 43 at Rovers?

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George Watt

George Watt

Posted
Posted
16 hours ago, ChristianB said:

I certainly think Hull will go well this season with TS at the helm. Like Warrington, I don't expect them to be at full bore from the get go, but both teams should be vying for silverware at the end of the season.

As my 2 favourite teams are Hull followed by Warrington would love to see that happen CB. The decade of real excitement for me was in the 50's when Hull reached 3 consecutive league finals and became champions in 2 of them.   Were also in 2 consecutive Challenge Cup finals and numerous Yorkshire Cup finals. Also were the European Club Champions in '56/57. Warrington were league champions in 2 consecutive seasons and won the the C. Cup twice being arguably the best team in the Lancashire league. Also won the ITV Floodlight Trophy in '55/56.

Both to finish in Top 6.... but do not bet on it!!

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Saint Toppy

Saint Toppy

Posted
Posted
17 hours ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

Think I'll go...

1. Wigan

2. Saints

3. Huddersfield 

4. Leeds

5. Hull FC

6. Catalans

7. Warrington

8. Salford 

9. Castleford

10. Hull KR

11. Leigh

12. Wakefield

 

I don't think those predictions will be too far off, though I do think maybe Salford will finish higher than 8th.

Agree about Wigan winning the hubcap ahead of Saints this year. The WCC is going to be a major disruption for them at the start of the season and I can't see them being any higher than 4th or 5th come Easter, leaving them too much ground to make up on the leaders come the end of the year. Regardless of the result in the WCC Saints will almost certainly send another 'weakened' team away at Cas the round after they get back from Aus. so come round 3 Saints will already be 4pts behind the leaders. 

St.Helens - The Home of record breaking Rugby Champions

 

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Jughead

Jughead

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I’m looking forward to the season and think we should have a real good year on our hands. I hope we’re not bogged down in player welfare issues and the small time nature of clubs being unable to name full squads to take some of the gloss off the season.

I think you can make a genuine case for most of the competition having a valid claim at finishing in the play-offs come the end of the season. Looking at sixth for the past four seasons, the teams that have finished sixth have ended with fourteen wins from twenty-seven, ten wins from twenty, nine wins from seventeen and fifteen wins from nineteen. You need to win just over half of your games to finish sixth and many of the sides will fancy their chances if injuries can be avoided and form can be put together. 

I think Wigan and Saints are in the top six but apart from that, I think it’s going to be tight and any of six or seven sides can probably put forward a good case for the six. 

I think Wigan win the shield, this year. They have had a year under Matty Peet now and had a great first year and their backline is probably the best across the comp. We have a history of Super League sides struggling post-World Club Championship and it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a couple of struggles for Saints early on, though they’ll almost certainly have enough about them to be comfortably within the play-offs. 

Catalans look strong, again. I liked Sio Siau Taukeiaho in the NRL and he could be the difference in their pack, though it’s an ageing side. 

Huddersfield must have one of the strongest teams in the comp but how they keep all of those players happy is going to be interesting. It would be a real failure if they fail to make the play-offs and probably even the top four given that squad. 

Hull under Tony Smith interest me. I’ve been clear on my absolute disdain for Hull FC over the past few years. They turn up for a week and then seem to get pumped by 48 the following week. Smith’s already made a bold decision moving on Jake Connor and I can’t see him standing for the performances that Hull have put out every other week for the last five or six years. As above though, Hull could quite easily win 13-14 games and give themselves a chance of the six. Conversely, Hull KR without Tony Smith interest me. They’ve been building on and off the pitch for the past few years and been within touching distance of a Grand Final and played some good rugby but how they’ll do without Smith and with Willie Peters in charge. They’ll fancy their chances of making the six. 

Leeds will want to continue the momentum they had under Rohan Smith and get into the top four, never mind the six. Salford go about their business quietly but have some real quality and again, will be eyeing 13-14 wins this year. 

Warrington can’t be as bad, surely? The issue Daryl Powell faces is he’s now shipped a hell of a lot of players and this squad can now most definitely be defined as “his” and after last year, he’s likely to be judged after 6-8 games and if it’s not going well, he’ll surely get sacked. That said, there’s a lot of pace in their backline and their pack reads well on paper, a top six finish will be an absolute minimum you’d think. 

I’m not sold on Cas personally but their fans will likely fancy their chances of the play-offs. Wakefield have been written off by all but do have a knack of putting together some impressive and important wins, so can’t be written off as relegated straight away. 

The Leopards of Leigh, then. Interesting. I’m not convinced they’ll be close to the play-offs but have a better squad than they’ve probably ever had at Super League level, though how they compare to the rest of Super League in 2022 is going to be interesting. I think they’ll be in the bottom three, personally. 

Wigan, Saints, Catalans, Leeds, Huddersfield and Warrington to make the six. Hull to just miss out on the play-offs. I can’t split Leigh and Wakefield to go down. Think Cas could struggle, too. 

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SalfordSlim

SalfordSlim

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Posted

I'm not convinced by Catalans this year at all. Stade GB ain't the fortress it used to be and with Tomkins & MM becoming less & less effective I think they'll miss the play-offs.

Cas looked an ageing team when we beat them in the play-offs last year. Their pack feels a little over the hill (most are comfortably into their 30's) and McShane seems to have lost a bit of spark (always a player I feared playing against Salford). Hopefully they've got some decent young talent coming through to give them a bit of energy. I wonder if Evalds regrets ever leaving Salford? He'd have been deadly playing Rowleyball!!!

Saints & Wigan will obviously be up there but I think the bookies may have over/underestimated a few teams looking at the odds posted above (Catalans being one of them!).

 

 

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