Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Fri Nov 23, 2018 4:39 am  

As a London fan, I would agree with almost all the prediction on here, it is quite difficult to see how we can be 11th at the end of the season, and if we do get that 11th place it would absolutely be on par to winning the whole competition in our eyes.

But also as a London supporter, as much as I would like to get into whose going to win the SL debate, I think a much more unpredictable and harder competition to call this year is in the Championship.
Don't get me wrong, I love bring back in the super league, but a little tiny piece of me would love to be fighting in that 2019 championship promotion spot, and I am going to suspect that is where we will be in 2020.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Fri Nov 23, 2018 6:41 am  

Tommy Duckfingers wrote:

I think Cas need to be very careful again too - Powells tin of turd polish can't last for ever.

Its a smaller tin than Chesters, thats for sure.
"The bubble will burst" and "punching above their weight" quotes have been banded about for 4-5 years at cas.
So.....2019 season?
Dont know how long Wakey can keep punching above their weight,the bubble will burst soon,Chester can only polish turds for so long.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Fri Nov 23, 2018 1:03 pm  

Bigboff wrote:

Its a smaller tin than Chesters, thats for sure.
"The bubble will burst" and "punching above their weight" quotes have been banded about for 4-5 years at cas.
So.....2019 season?
Dont know how long Wakey can keep punching above their weight,the bubble will burst soon,Chester can only polish turds for so long.

Yes, like I said.....

Tommy Duckfingers wrote:

It's also a fair point about us over acheiving in the last 2-3 seasons, despite us being very close in 4-5 games (1 score off winning them) I still can't help think that there has to be a correction somewhere along the line, we can't keep over acheiving

Can't help think that the Cas ship has sailed and if they couldn't pick up some silverware in the last 2 seasons despite playing so well for so much of the season(s) then I dont know when they will.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Fri Nov 23, 2018 1:31 pm  

Castleford not recruiting will surely come back to bite them later in the season, there's always room for improvement and a couple injuries are really going to hurt them as I'd say depth in the squad is questionable.

FB - Mata'utia
W - Minikin - Clare
C - Wardle - Gill
C - Shenton
W - Eden - Egodo
SO - Roberts - Ellis - Aston
SH - Gale - Trueman
P - Watts - Sene-Lefao - Clark - Maher
H - McShane - O'Neill
P - Moors - Millington - Massey
S - Holmes - Cook
S - McMeeken - Foster
L - Milner

The difference in talent between some of the players is massive and if players are injured for any more than 1-2 games it will start to show on the scoreboard/league table.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Fri Nov 23, 2018 4:17 pm  

TheDreadnought wrote:

Castleford not recruiting will surely come back to bite them later in the season, there's always room for improvement and a couple injuries are really going to hurt them as I'd say depth in the squad is questionable.

FB - Mata'utia
W - Minikin - Clare
C - Wardle - Gill
C - Shenton
W - Eden - Egodo
SO - Roberts - Ellis - Aston
SH - Gale - Trueman
P - Watts - Sene-Lefao - Clark - Maher
H - McShane - O'Neill
P - Moors - Millington - Massey
S - Holmes - Cook
S - McMeeken - Foster
L - Milner

The difference in talent between some of the players is massive and if players are injured for any more than 1-2 games it will start to show on the scoreboard/league table.

Catalans starting 17 plus reserves are much stronger than Castleford.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Fri Nov 23, 2018 4:29 pm  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

Catalans starting 17 plus reserves are much stronger than Castleford.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Fri Nov 23, 2018 4:59 pm  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

Catalans starting 17 plus reserves are much stronger than Castleford.

Castleford's application is much better than catalans'

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Fri Nov 23, 2018 6:03 pm  

TheDreadnought wrote:

Castleford not recruiting will surely come back to bite them later in the season, there's always room for improvement and a couple injuries are really going to hurt them as I'd say depth in the squad is questionable.

FB - Mata'utia, Turner
W - Minikin, Clare, Eden, Gill, Carr
C - Shenton, Foster, Egodo
SO - Trueman, Roberts, Aston
SH - Gale, Ellis,
P - Watts, Millington, Moors, Cook, Massey, Clark, Maher
H - McShane
S - Holmes, McMeeken, Wardle, Sene-Lefao
L - Milner, O'Neill

The difference in talent between some of the players is massive and if players are injured for any more than 1-2 games it will start to show on the scoreboard/league table.

You seem to have missed out a few players. When you lump them in separate positions of course it looks like there's no strength in depth - I've edited to show this properly.

This gives us a starting team of

Mata'utia, Minikin, Foster, Shenton, Eden, Trueman, Gale, Watts, McShane, Millington, Holmes, McMeeken and Milner. Subs: Moors, Sene-Lefao, Roberts, Cook.

Backups of Wardle, Clare, Massey, Clark, Ellis, Turner, Maher, Gill, Egodo, Aston, O'Neill and Lewis Carr who has been promoted.

Squad of 29 players, 22 of which have SL experience and are regulars, while Maher, Turner, Gill and Egodo have all played at least one senior game. The only sure fire starter senior player we've lost is Webster and even then he wasn't first choice towards the end of last year, a season blighted by injury where we finished 3rd and that was without a full-back for three-quarters of it too.

Saints have announced squad numbers where 19 only have regular SL or NRL experience, a handful of kids (Lees, Ashworth) who have played a few games, and the rest very few, if any.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Fri Nov 23, 2018 6:22 pm  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

Catalans starting 17 plus reserves are much stronger than Castleford.

Re: Which teams will be the competition leaders in 2019? : Fri Nov 23, 2018 6:24 pm  

Fully wrote:

You seem to have missed out a few players..

I count 29 players he's listed and you say you've got a squad of 29, who's missing mate?