Catalans look to have a very good squad and I expect them to go well, got some quality backs.



Im suprised also Rovers are down in the pecking order according to most 'in the know' also, we are no weaker than last season and we are stronger as far as I can see. Yes alot of teams have strengthened their squads but these teams will need to gel.



Hudds are one team for me who will not go aswell as they managed last season.

Cats need a strong start, to improve this year they have a great finish, also have to take into account the travel, however I fancy them to be further up this season.



A lot will depend on Hudds how the present situation affects them..



I do not see how you are stronger tbf, your pack is too light presently also I fear you have no depth in your squad and a couple of injuries could cause you big problems.

No real need to explain it to you, do you think we was light up front last season?

I cant really see why people are saying we have a weaker pack.



OK we have lost Aizue and Fozzard but to be fair neither played a great deal last season did they?

Aizue certainly didn't play as much as I'd have liked him to, I think we're now used to him not being in the team but we certainly missed his go forward last season at times and I felt it was a mistake for him not to feature more.

I agree with that.



I think Fozzard on the other hand was a big disappointment but you can guarantee when we play Saints again he will have a blinder

Ratu indirectly replaces Aizue, who'd already effectively been replaced at prop by Lovegrove. Walker takes Lovegrove's second row spot in the squad. Cook should be an improvement on the 2009 edition of Stanley Gene. [uIf[/u Fozzard is replaced by Clinton that only leaves Fitzhenry as not replaced at least like for like. As older players depart, younger ones become more senior and you bring in youngsters behind them like Hodgson. Murrell to hooker gives us more options there and allows us to player a bigger back row: Newton-Cook/Walker-Galea.



Looking at squads around the league, your point about injuries applies to most. Including Clinton (and Walker), by my count, FWiW, we have 18 front line players, 4 back-ups and 8 promising youngsters. When I looked at Hull's squad it was something like 20, 3 and 4. Given the requirement to include 7 homegrown players (8 next year) in the top 25 earners and without the luxury of as many experienced homegrown players in the squad as long-established SL clubs, we've got as much depth as realistically possible.

We haven't got that many 'big' names in our squad and as such we'll get overlooked. Our pack isn't the biggest but by contrast its one of the most mobile. The front row lacks in status so we will need big seasons out of the likes of Wheeldon and Netherton with Vella and Lovegrove supplying the spark of pace and invention. We have depth in the FR but not the experience. The 2nd row by contrast is exceptional and I believe even tho it got the accolades last term it has been overlooked in the predictions.



The shadow of injuries will hang over most teams again and how well they are coped with, we got off lightly in terms of 'key' personnel last year but suffered quite a lot i the FR (which was overlooked by some pundits) so hopefully we get a reasonable run in that dept again.



Catalans for me are the team to watch. I'd say they'll get 3rd (maybe 2nd) this term, Wigan are again being hyped and overrated again and will flatter to decieve .

Im happy for all the so called 'Experts' to tip us to finish outside the top 8, Rovers squad strength wise I would say is exactly the same as last season in that we haven't made any significant new signing to vastly improve the squad but the players that have left have been replaced with players of the same standard. As stated by someone earlier in this thread the Wigan’s and Bradford’s of the world get tipped to do well every season purely because of their history.

Puts an end to that discussion then

And the second part to my response?

No need to explain to you