By now I’m guessing you’re all pretty sick and tired of the gazzillions of repetitive predictions threads we’ve had over the off season on RLFans.
”I predict sintellins will finish top and hull will finish second” yadda yadda ad infinitum. The ‘wigan points deduction’ for a magical salary cap breach that hasn’t yet been confirmed has been a favorite of many as well.
I’ve done with predicting exactly where teams will finish, how many points they will score who will get injured and what toilet paper the Hull Kr players use.
Here is White Goodman’s alternative preview of the season.
TEAM TO WATCH
Hull FC
Now that sharp has had a full pre season and has been able to bring in his own players he should really be able to mold the team how he wants it. Hull were runners up last year, their team comprises of some useful youngsters, a workmanlike pack, a clever set of halves and a fast back line. Looking at their squad they have so much depth, they should be able to build
on the consistency they showed under sharp and i think we will see them playing some sparkling rugby league.
Personally, i still have my reservations as to whether they have the game breakers to go on and win the Grand final but they should have the consistency and work ethic to get there.
THE ‘CRAP YOURSELF WHEN THEY GET THE BALL’ PLAYERS
Brent Webb
I think it’s pretty obvious to most people with even an ounce of knowledge that Webb will be one the top fullbacks in 2007 (well, behind Paul Wellens that is ;). He’s the type of player that can make something from nothing, that can change a game in a split second. If you give him an inch, he’ll take a mile.
Super League can look forward to seeing Webb rip it up this year. This is providing however that Leeds don’t ruin him which they seem to have a habit of doing with top players.
Leon Pryce
Pryce has been around for some time now, but we only ever saw glimpses of his potential at Bradford. Since moving to saints we have started to see the real Leon Pryce. At 6’3 and 15 stone, with speed, power skill and awareness Pryce is an awesome athlete. He looks to set to explode this season after feeling his way into the stand off position last season.
Pryce is a game breaker, he has changed the course of the last 2 grand finals and if given the chance he will do it again.
Scott Hill
One of the much less talked about recruits for the 2007 season. However don’t let the lack of hype fool you because Hill can change a game in the blink of eye just as well as Webb and pryce.
In his time in the NRL hill helped Melbourne storm to 2 grand finals. Hill is a versatile player and can play at stand off, loose forward and even in the centres.
He will be the shining light in a poor quins team.
EDDIE AND STEVO’S LOVE CHILD
We get this every season don’t we?
One extremely unfortunate player suddenly becomes their bum chum. They become fixated on this one player, he can do no wrong and they mention him at every opportunity.
For the last couple of years Lyon has held this mantle, and the year before that in 04 it was Danny McGuire (though McGuire has still featured in their affections pretty prominently since).
The early signs point to Webb. They wouldn’t shut up about him in the Tri Nations and what an awesome signing it was for Leeds. However, we all know Mcguire will be there or thereabouts on their ‘hit list’ and i think young Chris Ashton will certainly have a part to play, they really grew fond of him last year.
THE TEAM ‘UP A CERTAIN CREEK WITHOUT A PADDLE’
I want to say Hull KR, i think it will be Hull KR in fact all logic points to hull KR.
But i won’t say them.
I say Harlequins. They hovered on the brink last season and the have lost a couple of players in the off season that haven’t been replaced. This will hurt them and as usual i think they will struggle for consistency.
McDermott is still relatively inexperienced as a head coach and he could find the pressure hard to take.
Well that’s it. Now wasn’t that better than trying to predict the outcome of 168 games?
Here at LEAGUEFREAK.COM we’re better than you, and we KNOW it!
