Super League’s 2014 season kicks off this Friday night with the competition bracing for change and controversial innovation in 12 months’ time.
After much debate and dispute, the plan to introduce a revamped league of 12 teams for 2015, which sees the re-introduction of promotion and relegation and the emergence of a strange mid-season break-up of three competitions of eight teams, will go ahead.
Will it work? It’s hard to say.
Not everyone is happy with the changes and it is not the easiest structure to get your head around. Read more on the detail of the overhaul here.
But, regardless, that is the way Super League and the competition below it, the Championship, will take shape in 2015 and beyond.
So that makes the 2014 season all the more important, all the more crucial for its 14 clubs. Two will face the chop at the end of the year and it will be very hard to get back up to the top grade.
On the field the season starts with last year’s grand final winners Wigan against last year’s minor premiers Huddersfield. This game should be a corker with both the Warriors and Giants expecting to be still battling it come the business end of the season.
This is the only game in the first round as Wigan will then travel down under to take on the Roosters in the World Club Challenge.
Wigan has lost star fullback Sam Tomkins, winger Pat Richards and prop Lee Mossop, all to the NRL, but they have recruited strongly.
In comes Matty Bowen, Eddy Pettybourne, Tony Clubb and Dan Sarginson and their brilliant coach Shaun Wane, one of the best in the UK, will undoubtedly have them challenging for honours again this season.
Huddersfield will be again led by their halfback Danny Brough, 2013’s Man of Steel. The Giants have also signed Aussies Chris Bailey and Antonio Kaufusi, and will be looking to go one step further this season.
Other top contenders included Leeds and St Helens.
The Rhinos have another great coach in Brian McDermott and a star-studded but ageing squad. Key players Danny McGuire, Rob Burrow, Kylie Leuluai, Jamie Peacock, Jamie-Jones Buchanan and Kevin Sinfield are all on the wrong side 30, but on the flip side you can’t buy that experience.
Like Manly in the NRL, you can’t rule them out and the Rhinos will also have new buys Paul Aiton and Tom Briscoe to add some punch.
St Helens, historically such a strong club, are a little harder to pick but coach Nathan Brown will want to improve on 2013.
The Saints only finished fifth in Brown’s first season in charge after a late surge, but the squad has been beefed up with the additions of a new no seven in Luke Walsh and a massive prop in cult hero Mose Masoe. They should again finish in the semi-final spots.
Putting pressure on the top four will certainly be Warrington.
The Wovles have been out in Australia training with Manly, Souths, the Roosters and AFL side the Sydney Swans, and they remain a professional and driven outfit.
With Ben Westwood, Trent Waterhouse, Richie Myler, Mickey Highman and the Monaghan brothers, not to mention coach Tony Smith, they have the experience to go all way. Throw in new gun Matty Russell from the Gold Coast and the current Challenge Cup holders will be exciting to watch.
Another traditionally big club in the Bradford Bulls continue to go from drama to drama, having recently gone into administration again. They could be headed for the trap door, unless they sort their financial mess out, along with the London Broncos.
The Broncos barely survived to be still above ground in 2014 by the skin of their teeth, and with a squad decimated by player departures, it’s going to be a long campaign.
The Londoners won just five out of 27 games last year, picking up a few hidings on the way, and it will be a miracle if they avoid relegation this term.
Wakefield have financial problems of their own and have been forced to sell their top players Aiton, Tim Smith, Justin Poore and Ben Cockayne.
Whether new NRL recruits Pita Godinet, Matt Ryan, Scott Anderson and Daniel Smith can adequately fill the void remains to be seen.
Battling it out for the final places in the top eight will be Catalans and the two Hull clubs, while Castleford and Widnes will want to be in those spots.
The Dragons have lost legend Steve Menzies to retirement, and talented French prop Remi Casty to the Roosters, but have signed three NRL players and cannot be counted out.
Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers will be fierce opponents and their derbies will be passionate affairs as usual.
Apart from the sacking of their coach Peter Gentle Hull FC have also lost eight players, including seasoned campaigners Daniel Holdsworth, Mark O’Meley and Danny Tickle, meaning stability is arguably more in the hands of their local rivals.
Former Hull KR prop Mickey Paea is also bound to get a hot reception when he returns to Craven Park.
The Robins have losses of their own, like Newcastle Knights-bound halfback Michael Dobson, but Aussie newcomers Michael Weyman, Neville Costigan, Justin Poore and Kris Keating will add size, strength and flair.
If Keating can regain his Bulldogs form of 2012, Craig Sandercock’s men are in for a great year.
Flashy playmaker Ranhi Chase was the heartbeat of Castelford but the Yorkshire side will have to do without him in 2014 after he was snapped up by big-spending Salford.
Daryl Powell has had a good impact since he joined the Tigers mid last season but the pressure will on Luke Dorn, Liam Finn and Brett Seymour to fill the large Chase-sized gap in the club’s halves.
Just how the return of Seymour will go after his bitter split from Hull FC, descent into depression and suicide attempt, will be one of the questions of the season.
And last, but certainly not least, is Salford.
Wooden spooners in 2013, Salford could finish anywhere from first to eighth or even lower than that this campaign.
Expectations are huge because of new owner Marwan Koukash and his bid to bring glory to the Red Devils. Koukash has snapped up some of the best players in Super League, and some good cattle from the NRL, to transform his team.
Read more about Koukash’s plans and approach here.
Salford are shaking things up but it remains to be seen just how far they can go this season. Rebuilding a squad, getting it to know each and creating a good team culture takes time.
On paper the Red Devils have the talent to beat anyone in the competition, but it might take them five to 10 games to start to get it together.
I think they could sneak into the eight, potentially even the top four, but it’s clear that Koukash wants more and won’t settle for anything but success.
How they handle the added pressure will be interesting.
2014 is a pivotal year for Super League, with changes coming and all 14 clubs on notice. How they react and perform this year is extremely important. A terrible year on the field could mean obscurity or even oblivion in the next.
Super League has a new and improved TV deal and there is talk of introducing a marquee system, which could help stop the flow of star players to Australia. There is a lot to play for this season as rugby league in England enters a brave and uncertain new world.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
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