Predictions

[DEANO]

I make Bradford favourites and Toulouse will be there about. Fev Sheffield and Oldham have recruited well and I think London will be dark horses. We need to keep ata and Liam fit and we will be in the mix

[georgeb1]

Fordy got a big increase in pocket money for 2025, Bradford and Oldham have also spent a fortune , so yes one of them must be favourites to top the league, ourselves, toulouse and sheffield could throw a spanner in the works.

At the other end i think batley and barrow will struggle but can't see hunslet finishing higher than bottom.

[Gav Wilson]

[Cam varley]

Bradford

York

Toulouse

Sheffield

Fev

Doncaster

Widnes

Oldham

Barrow

Fax

Batley

London

Hunslet

Champs-Bradford

1895-Sheffield

Top try scorer-Waqa Blake

 

 

[Clarence Street]

Good win for the Bulls at Huddersfield, 28 - 14, but I'm not sure what kind of side the Giants had out.

Edited January 19 by Clarence Street

[Puk]

5 hours ago, Gav Wilson said:

Going to another tough championship this season all depends on how we start the season where we finish at the end,would swap Batley with London and not to sure how Toulouse have recruited this season to finish 3rd.

[Simon Hall]

York top, Hunslet Bottom

 

[DEANO]

1 hour ago, Simon Hall said:

York top, Hunslet Bottom

 

That would be great

[Expatknight]

14 hours ago, Puk said:

Going to another tough championship this season all depends on how we start the season where we finish at the end,would swap Batley with London and not to sure how Toulouse have recruited this season to finish 3rd.

If, and it is a big if, Gary Hetheringtons’ efforts come to fruition the Broncos could be a dark horse this season, pardon the pun. 

[Gav Wilson]

18 hours ago, Puk said:

Going to another tough championship this season all depends on how we start the season where we finish at the end,would swap Batley with London and not to sure how Toulouse have recruited this season to finish 3rd.

Yeah, my disclaimer is I made these predictions last week. If London get their takeover sorted and avoid an awful start, they could make the group battling for 6-8th place. They'll be much more formidable next year.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Must admit as Fev fan I think a lot would need to go right for us to challenge for top 2, we have made some handy signings but have also lost quite a few who would have been significant earners amongst players who featured regularly in the team that was very hit-and-miss in the second half of the season (Minikin, Bussey, Albert, Eden, Patton, Nakubuwei, Bowes, Lockwood). A lot of the replacements look like-for-like, and hopefully in some cases improvements, but we were so poor in so many games last season that there is a vast improvement needed all round to challenge for top 2.

I'd say Bradford have spent far more than anyone else, especially  looking at the depth of their squad and their recruitment over the last 12 months has been pretty good, they really ought to dominate the league just in terms of their physicality. I'll be a bit surprised if they don't top the division with something to spare, though they do have a habit of imploding in terms of discipline from time to time.

Then for me you can put York, Toulouse, Sheffield, Widnes, Fev, Oldham, and maybe a couple of others in the mix for the top six. I think the Brisbane Broncos intervention might come too late for London as they're sure to struggle in the early stages and recruitment won't be easy at this stage, but then again I thought that in 2023.

[AB Knight]

York 3rd

Widnes dark horses

Anthony Thackeray to come out of retirement for Sheffield before round 10.

 

[HaxbyKnight]

Toulouse, Sheffield, London, Halifax and Barrow all have off the field issues which could have a big bearing on this seasons league table. For me, Bradford, Fev., and York will make the top 6, with Toulouse likely to be there as well. Oldham will cause a few upsets, but I don't think they'll be there at the business end. I'll go for Widnes, and Sheffield to make the play offs, with Hunslet, Barrow, and Halifax scrapping to avoid the drop.

 

[DEANO]

2 hours ago, AB Knight said:

York 3rd

Widnes dark horses

Anthony Thackeray to come out of retirement for Sheffield before round 10.

 

Heard Thackeray is going to continue with his reffing duties 

[andyacko]

1. Bradford

2. Knights

3 Oldham

4 Featherstone

5 Toulouse

6 Sheffield

7 Widnes

8 Doncaster

9 Barrow

10 Batley

11 Halifax

12 London

13 Hunslet

[andyacko]

20 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Must admit as Fev fan I think a lot would need to go right for us to challenge for top 2, we have made some handy signings but have also lost quite a few who would have been significant earners amongst players who featured regularly in the team that was very hit-and-miss in the second half of the season (Minikin, Bussey, Albert, Eden, Patton, Nakubuwei, Bowes, Lockwood). A lot of the replacements look like-for-like, and hopefully in some cases improvements, but we were so poor in so many games last season that there is a vast improvement needed all round to challenge for top 2.

I'd say Bradford have spent far more than anyone else, especially  looking at the depth of their squad and their recruitment over the last 12 months has been pretty good, they really ought to dominate the league just in terms of their physicality. I'll be a bit surprised if they don't top the division with something to spare, though they do have a habit of imploding in terms of discipline from time to time.

Then for me you can put York, Toulouse, Sheffield, Widnes, Fev, Oldham, and maybe a couple of others in the mix for the top six. I think the Brisbane Broncos intervention might come too late for London as they're sure to struggle in the early stages and recruitment won't be easy at this stage, but then again I thought that in 2023.

You lads will be Ok. Fordy will sort it - of those eight you mentioned, only Bussey might be a miss.

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 minute ago, andyacko said:

You lads will be Ok. Fordy will sort it - of those eight you mentioned, only Bussey might be a miss.

Minikin was really good despite clearly playing with an injury. Bussey has been a terrific player for us but keeping him fit and on the field seems to becoming more and more of an issue. Nakubuwei went ok, but the remainder were either anonymous or disappointments.

Fordy's in a different spot at Fev to what he was at York, he's come to a place where the fans are used to being top 2 and he's having to work with about half the budget of the previous couple of years. Unsurprisingly some fans were far from impressed with some really poor performances last season and it will be interesting to see if he can turn it around. There's still plenty of talent in the squad but apart from one good spell around August we barely looked a top 6 side for much of the season so there's plenty of improvement needed.

[andyacko]

That's no slight against Locky, by the way, who has been such an fabulous player for Fev over the seasons and it was a big gesture last season to come back and help out.

Edited January 21 by andyacko

[The Phantom Horseman]

1 hour ago, andyacko said:

That's no slight against Locky, by the way, who has been such an fabulous player for Fev over the seasons and it aws a big gesture last season to come back and help out.

Indeed and he didn't let anyone down at the age of 38. One of the most respected Championship players amongst both team-mates and opponents of the last 15 years.

[georgehadgingerhair]

On 19/01/2025 at 11:59, Gav Wilson said:

Would you like to change this or will you stick with it