Super League 2017 club-by-club guide: Can Warrington finally knock the door down and how will Leeds bounce back?
A look ahead to the new season of Super League
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Your support makes all the difference.Castleford Tigers
Coach: Daryl Powell
Last season: 6th
Gain: Zak Hardaker
Loss: Denny Solomona
Everyone enjoys the way that Cas play the game. The question this season is whether they will have the cutting edge to turn good performances into points without the prolific Solomona. With Hardaker and Greg Eden added to the mix, however, the signs are good. Powell will continue to draw more out of players than seems feasible and the Tigers will continue to over-achieve.
They also need Luke Gale to re-adjust quickly to club rugby after an unhappy time with England in the autumn internationals.
Prediction: 5th
Catalan Dragons
Coach: Laurent Frayssinous
Last season: 8th
Gain: Greg Bird
Loss: Glenn Stewart
With relatively few genuinely world-class players plying their trade, the comings and goings in Perpignan could be pivotal. The Catalans didn't want to lose Stewart and much will depend on how much Bird has left in the tank on his return to the club.
The Dragons showed how formidable they could be in the first half of last season, before falling in a heap in the second. If they fail to find some consistency, Frayssinous' position will be precarious to say the least.
Prediction: 8th
Huddersfield Giants
Coach: Rick Stone
Last season: 12th
Gain: Jake Mamo
Loss: Joe Wardell
After years of relative consistency, last season's collapse showed the need for major surgery. The recruitment they have carried out so far hardly adds up to that, so the fear is that the Giants will struggle again.
That means an unhealthy reliance on Danny Brough's kicking game and on Jermaine McGillvary's try-scoring ability. The appointment of Leroy Cudjoe as captain is interesting and could draw out more impact from a player of undoubted talent.
Prediction: 11th
Hull FC
Coach: Lee Radford
Last season: 1st
Gain: Albert Kelly
Loss: Kirk Yeaman
It was a momentous season for Hull, winning at Wembley and finishing top of the table at the end of the regular season. All their momentum deserted them at that point, but they have made an imaginative move in bringing a wildcard like Kelly on board from relegated neighbours Hull KR. On the other hand, the sheer solidity of Yeaman could be badly missed on his retirement and last year's formidable pack is getting no younger.
Prediction: 3rd
Leeds Rhinos
Coach: Brian McDermott
Last season: 9th
Gain: Matt Parcell
Loss: James Segeyaro
Leeds are keen to pass off last season's disasters as an exercise in character building, but they might not find it easy to bounce back the way they think they should. Much will depend on how they fare with yet another new hooker from the Antipodes in Parcell.
It is also time for the Rhinos' much vaunted next wave of new talent to show that they are capable of picking up the banner and running with it. Watch out for Ash Golding doing just that from full-back.
Prediction: 6th
Leigh Centurions
Coach: Neil Jukes
Last season: 1st in Championship
Gain: Glenn Stewart
Loss: Reni Maitua
Promoted Leigh can be exhilarating to watch, but the issue is whether they can play to the required level week after week in Super League. Their low-profile but highly effective coach has presided over the recruitment of a number of young players who could make the transition, plus the real coup of bringing Glenn Stewart on board when he could have picked from established Super League clubs.
Prediction: 10th
Salford Red Devils
Coach: Ian Watson
Last season: 10th
Gain: Todd Carney
Loss: Josh Griffin
With a bit of luck, Salford will not have their owner, Marwan Koukash, promising their fans the moon and the stars without being able to deliver. The depressing attendances at the AJ Bell Stadium are evidence of the credibility gap that has grown between him and the supporters. Carney is a risky signing, as it is a matter for conjecture how he will behave if he fails to force his way into the starting line-up pretty quickly, but there is talent in the squad.
Prediction: 7th
St Helens
Coach: Keiron Cunningham
Last season: 4th
Gain: Matty Smith
Loss: Jordan Turner
Saints have suffered an immediate blow with Smith breaking his leg in a pre-season game. If they can battle through without him for a few weeks there is the talent in the squad to improve slightly on last season. Cunningham is asking a lot, though, of young players like his son, Jonah. It will be a boost if Tommy Makinson is fit for the start of the season, as there are few better finishers.
Prediction: 4th
Wakefield Trinity
Coach: Chris Chester
Last season: 8th
Gain: Keegan Hirst
Loss: Craig Hall
Chester did astonishingly well to keep Trinity out of trouble last season, but they have had more escapes than Houdini and cannot keep getting away with it. They have done equally well to hang onto the classy young wingman, Tom Johnstone, on an extended contract. Losing the under-rated and versatile Hall is a sign of the times; clubs have not had to worry previously about competition in the player market from Toronto.
Prediction: 12th
Warrington Wolves
Coach: Tony Smith
Last season: 2nd
Gain: Kevin Brown
Loss: Chris Sandow
The Wolves have threatened so often to win Super League that the novelty has worn off. They hope this time that a re-jig in the half-backs will do the trick. Brown doesn't have the electrifying ability to turn a match in a few seconds like Sandow, but he contributes far more over the course of a match or a season; not to mention staying out of trouble off the field.
Prediction: 1st
Widnes Vikings
Coach: Denis Betts
Last season: 7th
Gain: Tom Olbison
Loss: Kevin Brown
The departure of Brown is a severe blow to Widnes' prospects, especially with his obvious successor, Joe Mellor, injured for the start of the season. It looks like an unrewarding season in store, but watch out for the continued progress of Matt Whitley, a second-rower very much in Betts' own mould as a player.
Prediction: 9th
Wigan Warriors
Coach: Shaun Wane
Last season: Winners
Gain: Thomas Leuluai
Loss: Matty Smith
Wigan surprised even themselves by the strength with which they finished the season. To be ultra-critical you could say that they played some pedestrian rugby at times, but they simply never knew when they were beaten. They must try to do it again without two of last season's flair players, Dan Sarginson and Josh Charnley, although the return of Joe Burgess will cushion that.
It would also be good to see Sam Tomkins fit and back to his best, but there has been little sign of that since his return from New Zealand.
Prediction: 2nd.
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