Super League’s 2015 season starts on Thursday night with two less teams and the new competition structure ready to launch.
London and Bradford were relegated after finishing 14th and 13th in 2014 and St Helens took out the league and grand final double. This year a new format has been unveiled with Super League and the comp below, the Championship, breaking into three separate competitions of eight teams, based on league positions, after 23 rounds.
These teams will each play more seven games, with the top four teams after those matches in the Super League first pool of eight playing off for the grand final.
In the second pool of eight clubs, the top three will be promoted into Super League in 2016 and the fourth and fifth placed team will then play off for the final Super League spot.
The same will occur in the third pool of eight clubs, with the bottom two teams relegated into the third division Championship One.
Got all that? Confused? You’re not the only one.
It’s all about the re-introduction of promotion and relegation between divisions and an attempt to make Super League more even and exciting, with less predictable results.
It’s a bold idea but no-one really knows if it will pay off and the fans will get behind it.
On the pitch the 12-team Super League will be keenly contested, with Saints wanting to defend their two titles, Leeds keen to keep their hold on the Challenge Cup and the likes of Warrington and Wigan out to maintain strong challenges.
Salford has spent heavily again and Catalans Dragons have also recruited strongly. Both Hull clubs had disappointing seasons last year, and have beefed up their rosters, while it will be fascinating to see if Castleford can repeat their brilliant 2014 campaign.
Huddersfield will be eager to impress after falling short in the semis once again, while Widnes is out to improve on last year’s surprise eighth place and Wakefield will want to avoid the drop.
St Helens have lost their coach Nathan Brown but I expect the red and white to still be top contenders this year. They have brought in Travis Burns and Atelea Vea, with Sia Soliola joining Canberra and both Anthony Laffranchi and Willie Manu departing. With Luke Walsh and Jon Wilkin returning from injury, Saints will again be the team to beat.
Wigan might not be as fortunate. They have signed Taulima Tautai, Lee Mossop and Lee Patrick but lost Blake Green, Eddy Pettybourne and 10 others. The Warriors are a champion club but I can’t see them finishing in the top four in 2015.
Warrington are on track for a strong season with the additions of Man of Steel Daryl Clark and Cowboys enforcer Ashton Sims. They, and France’s Catalans Dragons, should enjoy impressive campaigns. The Dragons have added Todd Carney, Willie Tonga and Remy Casty, and were only one game from the grand final in 2014.
They may go one better this season if Carney and livewire fullback Morgan Escare fire.
Leeds have retained the bulk of their experienced squad plus one addition – the NRL’s Adam Cuthbertson. I’m tipping the offloading former-Newcastle Knight to do well in the Old Dart.
Huddersfield always seem to have a monkey on their back when it comes to semi-final footy but they have strengthed with the arrivals of Jamie Ellis and Craig Huby from the Tigers. Danny Brough should led the Giants to another top six finish.
Castleford have had their guts ripped out of them after a great 12 months, losing 13 players. They have brought in Luke Gale, Scott Moore plus Ben Roberts and Junior Moors from the Melbourne Storm, but I just can’t see them replicating their fifth and Challenge Cup final placings this time round.
Widnes have largely stayed the same, with Aaron Heremaia joining from Hull FC, while Wakefield have made a few transfers in Jacob Miller, Lopini Paea and Ian Kirke. It could be a difficult season for these two.
Probably the biggest movers in the transfer market have been Salford and Hull KR. Marwan Koukash’s mob were disappointing in 2014, finishing tenth after huge changes, and they have brought in another raft of players. Michael Dobson and Corey Patterson from the NRL should do well, as should Mason Caton-Brown from London and Weller Hauraki from Castleford.
Salford certainly have the talent to challenge, but it will be down to Iestyn Harris’ coaching and how the side handles the pressure that is key.
It won’t surprise if they miss the top eight again.
Hull KR and Hull FC were also disappointing last year and it’s make or break time for both clubs. Ben Crooks has gone to Parramatta but most exciting is the captures of Marc Sneyd, Leon Price and Mark Minichiello. Sneyd will add flair and Mini and Price much-needed experience.
The Robins have seen 18 players go and 13 new players come in. There is some quality in the arrivals – Terry Campese, Albert Kelly, Keiran Dixon, to name just a few – but it will take time for them to gel. As Salford showed last year, you can’t throw a side together in the last minute and expect it come together successfully straight away.
Round 1 kicks off on Thursday when Wigan travel to Widnes. Catalans take on champions St Helens on Friday while other eye-catching matches include Salford and Warrington at the Halliwell Jones Stadium and the Yorkshire derby of Cas and Wakey.
Bring on the footy.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
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That's a bold call John, Wigan to finish outside the top four. A lot will depend on the pup they've brought in at stand off, George Williams, if he can bond quickly with Matty Smith and create a fluent half back combination they have a nasty, aggressive pack to play off. Shaun Wane has plenty of faith in him and from what he's said is prepared to stick with Williams in the number six jersey. Catalans should be good this year, the only thing is they suffer from the same problem as the NZ Warriors in the NRL, ie; excess travelling every other week that can have a detrimental effect on their away form. If they can get over that they're going to put in a real challenge. Escare is a real talent, they have a very good pack and their new recruits don't need explanation on this board. St.Helens will be good to watch this year, they managed to get through the business end of last year without any of their play makers, that can only bode well for 2015. The new coaching set up will lend its self to the old swashbuckling style of football to be back at Saints. Warrington look very dangerous this year again and their recruitment has been very good. In 2014 they were still trying to come to terms with the loss of Lee Briers, who had been at the heart of all the good things they'd done since leaving St.Helens as a precocious kid in 1997. Hull are the enigma, they should a real contender every year. To look at their whole set up they appear to have everything in place for a very successful club, but with the odd exception usually flatter to deceive. Leeds are hoping the young lads are going to back up a promising first season and will have to if they are to challenge for the top four. My top four are: 1. St.Helens. 2. Warrington. 3. Wigan. 4. Catalans.