A couple of predictions for 2025.....

[Wilderspoolmemories]

Just a couple of thoughts on next season. 

I think saints will be one of the teams to beat again due to having Lee Briers on the coaching staff. Briers is a really good coach and it'll always be my opinion that Warrington were wrong to allow him to leave. 

Talking of good coaches, I think Castleford will go fairly well under Danny McGuire. They won't win any trophies, but I expect them to upset a few big guns next year and make the play offs.

Without wishing to sound bitter, I hope Wigan don't dominate again next season, we don't want one team being so dominant, it's not good for the game overall in my opinion.

And just one more prediction for you all to remember, you saw it here first.....................2025 will be the year of the WOLF!

[RoyBoy295]

You was doing great, then ruined it with the year of the wolf remark 

[graveyard johnny]

Maika Sivo to be top try scorer

Edited November 20, 2024 by graveyard johnny

[Northern Eel]

I can see a close race between Cas and Wakey as to who ends higher and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that this is a mid-table tussle. 

[graveyard johnny]

JWH not to be sin binned or sent off once all season 

[georgeb1]

37 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

JWH not to be sin binned or sent off once all season 

James woodburn hall has never had any disciplinary issues

[Dullish Mood]

(1) Wigan win SL again.  Nailed on.

(2) The “cool” CEO of my club Mr Pitzfatrick organises some guerilla marketing around a mid season Jake Paul vs Hulk Hogan tag team match at the HJ….and we do not win SL….again.  Nailed on.

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

Crusaders win League 1, Bradford the Championship, Wigan finish SL leaders but Warrington at last win the Grand Final.

[up the robins]

HKR to finally win a trophy by taking the challenge cup wigan league leaders and grand final, Wakefield to scrape into playoffs and the img thread to break the thousand post mark by the end of the season.

[Agbrigg]

6 minutes ago, up the robins said:

 Wakefield to scrape into playoffs 

Cant argue with that 

[phiggins]

Think it could be difficult for Wakefield to get into the 6. Wigan, Saints, KR, Warrington, Salford, Leeds and Catalan will all be expecting to challenge for those places. Leigh could go one of two ways, but likely to be a season of transition.

[Agbrigg]

One thing that happens every season, most people select the 'obvious' top six but at least one of them has a shocker. For instance many had Hull FC to be in the 6.

So my tip is for another top 6 fancied side to finish way down the league.

 

[yipyee]

5 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

One thing that happens every season, most people select the 'obvious' top six but at least one of them has a shocker. For instance many had Hull FC to be in the 6.

So my tip is for another top 6 fancied side to finish way down the league.

 

Warrington? 

Mind you their slip was last year, maybe Catalan

[Eddie]

IMG decide who gets promoted and relegated with no regard to performance on the pitch. 

[Dullish Mood]

2 hours ago, phiggins said:

Think it could be difficult for Wakefield to get into the 6. Wigan, Saints, KR, Warrington, Salford, Leeds and Catalan will all be expecting to challenge for those places. Leigh could go one of two ways, but likely to be a season of transition.

Wakefield will find it extremely difficult to finish in the top 6…..given they’ll finish 12th.

[Kirmonds pouch]

2 minutes ago, Dullish Mood said:

Wakefield will find it extremely difficult to finish in the top 6…..given they’ll finish 12th.

What a boring individual you are

[Dullish Mood]

2 minutes ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

What a boring individual you are

Steady on the personal insults. Just a genuine prediction given (a) the fact you were in the 2nd division (finally after bumping around the bottom of SL for years) up to 4/5 years ago.  (b) your coach.  

[WN83]

2 hours ago, phiggins said:

Think it could be difficult for Wakefield to get into the 6. Wigan, Saints, KR, Warrington, Salford, Leeds and Catalan will all be expecting to challenge for those places. Leigh could go one of two ways, but likely to be a season of transition.

Looking across the board, a general prediction could be that the 2025 season is looking like being extremely competitive and it should be a good one. You name 7 sides there who will all expect to go pretty well again but I don't see how Hull and Huddersfield won't improve on 2024 and Wakefield will clearly be much stronger than London. There still looks to be some work to do at Cas and that just leaves Leigh, who as you say could go either way but they've made some exciting signings and will hope to make the play offs again. 

[sweaty craiq]

2 hours ago, phiggins said:

Think it could be difficult for Wakefield to get into the 6. Wigan, Saints, KR, Warrington, Salford, Leeds and Catalan will all be expecting to challenge for those places. Leigh could go one of two ways, but likely to be a season of transition.

Leigh T3. Cas and Wakey to scrap with Hull in B4

[LeytherRob]

I think barring Wigan being pretty much nailed on top 2 with a pretty unrivalled depth particularly in the pack, the rest of the division is going to mostly come down to who has the better time with injuries vs who can get a bit of on field consistency and momentum. There really isn't much between the majority of teams this year on paper and the gap at the bottom looks like catching up to the main pack with Wakey being an improvement on London and Hull, Cas, Hudds improving. 

 

[sam4731]

Confirmation of the 3 tests against the Aussies given 3 weeks before the first match. DW, Headingley and Bolton. Derek Beaumont to moan about something. IMG to.. oh who cares.

[Stainesrover]

Hull KR will finish above Hull FC (aka the Man City of RL)

 

That is one you can take to the bank!!!

[Sports Prophet]

IMG and RFL will announce the SL will expand to 14 teams for the 2027 season.

[Eddie]

16 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

IMG and RFL will announce the SL will expand to 14 teams for the 2027 season.

Wishful thinking sadly. 

[Sports Prophet]

11 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Wishful thinking sadly. 

Funny, after I posted that, I saw a post on the Championship thread of a journalist thinking 14 team 2026 is on the cards.

It may be wishful thinking, but 14 teams is also the ambition of IMG and the RFL as I see it. I think 2026 is too early. By giving clubs 18 months preparation, it gives them the opportunity to further solidify their business foundations and best prepare for entry to SL if good enough, whilst also keeping those lower ranked SL clubs on their toes for another 18 months, with any of Toulouse, London, Bradford, Fev, York and maybe a couple of others harbouring reasonable ambitions to make a 14 team cut, even if it means overtaking the score of an underperforming SL club.

Edited November 19, 2024 by Sports Prophet