Biggest league threats? : Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:55 pm  

As we have now seen a few results and had early indications of teams strengths and weaknesses, thought it might be a good time to gauge the opposition before the league starts.

Obvious choices for me seem to be Fev and Leigh, don't know much of Fax so far but I dare say they will be driven by the SL application to do well. Might Batley be the dark horse this year though, not impossible!

At the other end of the league might we see Barrow suffer as the club implodes?

Any thoughts?

Re: Biggest league threats? : Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:17 pm  

Halifax
Fev
Leigh
Barrow


The usual suspects and less we forget Batley who have already beaten Fax twice.

Re: Biggest league threats? : Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:28 pm  

Leigh
Fax
Widnes
Fev

Re: Biggest league threats? : Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:30 pm  

That's my top 4 league finishing places by the way

Re: Biggest league threats? : Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:05 pm  

Surprised Fax rate so highly

Re: Biggest league threats? : Tue Mar 08, 2011 4:55 am  

My predictions for the year

Leigh (good attacking style)
Fev (not many will win at the Big Fellas)
Widnes (hopefully an injury free season but still bringing thru alot of youth)
Fax (the older heads at Fax are another year older and that little bit slower)
Batley (seem to be going from strength to strength)
Barrow (will be in CC1 within the next 5 years)
Sheffield (kings of the bonus point)
Dewsbury (Branbini in a very good SH and will win them a few games this season)
Toulouse (will only just stay up due to home form)
York (dont appear to have the sqaud to survive)
Hunslet (see above)

Leigh to win the NRC
Fev to win the GF
Widnes Promoted
Swinton and Keighley Promoted from CC1

Re: Biggest league threats? : Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:49 am  

Brenio wrote:

My predictions for the year

Leigh (good attacking style)
Fev (not many will win at the Big Fellas)
Widnes (hopefully an injury free season but still bringing thru alot of youth)
Fax (the older heads at Fax are another year older and that little bit slower)
Batley (seem to be going from strength to strength)
Barrow (will be in CC1 within the next 5 years)
Sheffield (kings of the bonus point)
Dewsbury (Branbini in a very good SH and will win them a few games this season)
Toulouse (will only just stay up due to home form)
York (dont appear to have the sqaud to survive)
Hunslet (see above)

Leigh to win the NRC
Fev to win the GF
Widnes Promoted
Swinton and Keighley Promoted from CC1

Well thats us jinxed, finishing 5th and out in the 1/4's of the NRC

Re: Biggest league threats? : Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:59 am  

Not sure on Fax this year, they've lost a few and don't have much strength in depth as previous, losing Royston/Gleeson were big losses to them.

Think it's pretty even so far between Fev, Widnes and Leigh, with Fax behind and Barrow looking very average. Batley will always be tough as long as Harrison is there.

Re: Biggest league threats? : Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:46 am  

Don't think there is much, if anything, to call between Widnes, Leigh, Fax and Fev this year. With Barrow and Batley just slightly behind and making up the 6.

Promises to be another great year in the championship. Hope you all enjoy it (but not too much ) as it will almost certainly be your last in this league for a while.

NRC - Fev
GF - Leigh
Promoted - Widnes

Promoted - Swinton and Oldham

Re: Biggest league threats? : Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:46 am  

2 main points I keep see coming up...

1) Why do people think Halifax will be that bad?
2) Why do people think Leigh will be that good?

At the start of the season I personally looked at Fev & Barrow to struggle from the top sides. Fev have lost key players and squad isn't the biggest, they were excellent last season, but will sides no more about them now? Barrow have also lost some hard grafters and seem to have a lot of issues I don't think Schofield is the man to sort. I still think Fev will be in the top 4/5 I just mean not top 1/2.

Halifax have lost Gleeson (didn't play a lot last year) & Royston but they have Greenwood back who is a very good championship full back and also Danny Jones replacing Barnighan with Holyroyd wtill knocking about. Gleeson was part of a trio of hookers that didn't fit in great anyway so no real loss. They have a 23's so a bit more depth and should do as well as the last few years IMO. Standard slow start.

Leigh may be 5/5 (but aren't we?) who have they played? Sheffield? Who did no pre-season and always start off slowly and then pick later on. Fev is the big test of where they are at.