Super League 2020 Predictions

It's time for me to look into my crystal ball and do my annual 2020 Super League predictions.

Last year I predicted Warrington, St Helens, Castleford, Wigan and Leeds to make up the top five, four of which did indeed make the playoffs. I also correctly predicted London's relegation, though I was wrong on both the Grand Final and Challenge Cup winner - I had Warrington and Leeds respectively. Let's see where my money is this season then...

CASTLEFORD TIGERS

Could this be a tricky year for Cas? Despite making into the playoffs after a season in which they suffered many injuries, I reckon this could be the Tigers' hardest year yet under Daryl Powell. I don't for one minute foresee them being in any threat of relegation but I also don't think they'll have enough to make the playoffs. I think it will be quite a transitional year for them, with a number of young players involved, including the new and very youthful halfback partnership of Jake Trueman and Danny Richardson. Richardson played very little rugby for Saints last season and it could take a while for him and Trueman to gel, though they are both long-term options. I'm not sure that Castleford will be able to get the same standard for a full year that they got out of Liam Watts in 2019, which could leave them light through the middle. There is always an emphasis on playing attacking, attractive stuff under Daryl Powell and I expect them to be as entertaining as ever, though with a few less results. It's not like they were brilliant last year, they were in fact a very patchy team whose place in the playoffs was under threat right until the last day of the season.

Prediction: 8th, which for a very transitional season isn't bad. They'll go big again in 2021.

CATALANS DRAGONS

The hardest team in Super League to predict are always Catalans Dragons. The French side are ridiculously inconsistent and it is that inconsistency that prevents them from being serious contenders for the Super League title in my opinion. They have a talented squad, with a former Man of Steel in Sam Tomkins and excellent attacking players including Fouad Yaha, while they have a really strong pack too. The addition of James Maloney is one of the most exciting in Super League's recent years. Even at the back end of his career, he will be outstanding for the Dragons and is an early contender for the Man of Steel award. The signing of Israel Folau is extremely controversial but it adds more top talent to a side brimming with box-office players. Can Steve McNamara get some consistency out of his team? If he does, then they'll be in the playoffs. However, their away form has been shocking for years and they weren't particularly good at home last year either. They have certainly improved their squad but I think McNamara may have the same issues with consistency and motivating his squad that he had last season. Also baffled that they let Tony Gigot leave.

Prediction: 6th. I reckon they'll be just outside of the playoffs but I wouldn't be surprised if their new signings carried them to the top five.

HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS

Now I come to Huddersfield Giants, who avoided relegation on the last day of 2019 after an awful season. The Giants have recruited quite well, Aidan Sezer is a marvellous signing and is one of many huge talents joining Super League from the NRL in 2020. If Sezer and Lee Gaskell can get working well together in the halves, then Huddersfield could be a decent attacking force. Ashton Golding is a decent signing from Leeds as well as James Gavet and Kenny Edwards, who should add a bit of firepower into the squad. Ukuma Ta'ai, Darnell McIntosh and the evergreen Jermaine McGillvary mean that they have a decent enough team, but for me they will really suffer with the losses of Kruise Leeming and Alex Mellor who were influential last season. I also don't think Simon Woolford is necessarily a strong enough coach to keep them up - they flirted with relegation for most of last season with positive performances being few and far between. Unfortunately, I think this could be their last year in the top flight for the time being.

Prediction: 12th. Sorry Giants fans (yes, all three of you), I think this is the year your stay in Super League comes to an end. 

HULL FC

Hull FC are for me the side that has recruited most impressively. Bringing Mahe Fonua back to Hull gives them a huge threat in attack, while Manu Ma'u brings some NRL quality and will improve their forward pack massively. Josh Jones got in the dream team for Salford last season and Ligi Sao will be another useful signing. Sika Manu and Joe Westerman will be losses but they have more than replaced them. Crucially, this will be Ratu Naulago's first full season at FC, with a full pre-season behind him. They have kept hold of Jake Connor and still have a deadly partnership at halfback with Albert Kelly and Marc Sneyd. It's make or break for Lee Radford this year and with the squad at his disposal, he should be getting them in the top 3. Consistency and desire were issues last year - with the signings they've made, they should be a far more impressive outfit. 

Prediction: 2nd. They'll comfortably make the playoffs and be one of the top teams, though I'm not sure they could win a Grand Final. I reckon they'll give the Challenge Cup a good go too.

HULL KR

KR have taken the scattergram approach to recruitment for 2020, completing no less than 15 new signings. A strategy like this is a very risky one and is likely to end up as one of two extremes. There is the argument that lots of new faces will help KR rebuild and improve on a tough 2019 in which they narrowly avoided relegation on the last day, though on the other hand it is hard to see how their players will gel quickly enough when so many of them are going to be new to the club. Looking in detail at their acquisitions, Jordan Abdull was excellent for London last season and could go some way to helping fill the void left by Danny McGuire and Josh Drinkwater, while I think Greg Minikin and Matt Parcell give them a touch of Super League quality and experience. Their best signing is undoubtedly Shaun Kenny-Dowall, a winger who has scored 139 NRL tries for Newcastle Knights and Sydney Roosters. He will give them a huge threat in terms of points and I feel that they may win a few games because of his finishing ability and prolific scoring, which the teams around them may be lacking. Having Tony Smith as coach is no bad thing and I am backing him to steer KR clear of danger. Just.

Prediction: 11th. I think they will survive relegation by the skin of their teeth, and that's a lot to do with the quality of their coach.

LEEDS RHINOS

Optimism is high at Headingley after a good end to 2019 and some clever signings for 2020. Their big arrival this year is Luke Gale, the 2017 Man of Steel who arrives from Castleford. Gale has been a wonderful player in his career. He is an organiser and a brilliantly creative halfback - never forget his level of consistency in 2017 as Cas finished top. If they can keep him fit - and that's a big if - he will be massive for them. However, Gale only has Richie Myler next to him, who isn't anything much to  Huddersfield duo Alex Mellor and Kruise Leeming also arrive in LS6 and while neither are huge star names, they are very solid and surgical signings who will greatly improve the team. Losing the experience of Jamie Jones-Buchanan could hurt, while the loss of Trent Merrin was expected but will still be felt. The Rhinos have plenty of points in them with Ash Handley out wide and I expect Harry Newman to take huge steps forward this year. I think Leeds will make the playoffs and be vastly improved from last year, though I don't think Richard Agar is necessarily a good enough coach to trouble the top 3. 

Prediction: 4th. Wouldn't be surprised to see Leeds do well in the Challenge Cup. They should make the top 5, but they're not good enough to make the Grand Final. 

SALFORD RED DEVILS

Salford's fairytale run to the Grand Final in 2019 was one of sport's greatest stories of the 2010s. They defied the odds to finish 3rd and then beat Castleford and Wigan to book a spot at Old Trafford, where despite a spirited effort, they fell short. They have lost key man Jackson Hastings, who won the Man of Steel, while centre Jake Bibby and second rower Josh Jones, both of whom were superb, have also left for pastures new. Despite this, I don't think there is reason to panic for Devils fans. Their recruitment has been impressive, signing experienced Super League players in Dan Sarginson, Kevin Brown and Chris Atkin. Luke Yates was outstanding for London last season and will be good for Salford, while Pauli Pauli is a destructive forward who will help the Devils through the middle. Rhys Williams is a decent replacement for Bibby and Ian Watson is a good enough coach to guide Salford to mid-table safety.

Prediction: 7th. Not quite enough for the playoffs, nowhere near relegation. Maybe they should target a run at the Challenge Cup.

ST HELENS

I find it near-impossible to look past the defending champions in 2020. They were the best team by an absolute mile in 2019 and were discussed as being one of the greatest ever Super League teams. In terms of personnel, the only change is their coach - Justin Holbrook has gone home and been replaced by Tonga coach Kristian Woolf. The 44-year-old has an incredible squad to choose from and it is completely understandable that they have opted not to add to it, but crucially they haven't lost anyone either, despite Luke Thompson being linked with the NRL. The only concern for them may be the increasing age of James Roby, while there is perhaps an issue in depth at centre. They are stacked with exciting youngsters to step in though and the sheer gulf in quality between Saints and everyone else will see them through this season. With the likes of Tommy Makinson, Regan Grace and Kevin Naiqama scoring tries for fun and the unbelievable quality of Jonny Lomax and Lachlan Coote, as well as a forward pack containing the two best props in the league with Alex Walmsley and Thompson, as well as underrated stars in Zeb Taia and Morgan Knowles, they're streets ahead of everyone else. 

Prediction: 1st, winning the league leaders' shield and then retaining their title by beating Hull FC in the Grand Final.

TORONTO WOLFPACK

Toronto are the real wildcard for 2020. Making their Super League debut, the Canadian expansion outfit were promoted after winning the Championship at a canter and then beating Featherstone in the playoff final to earn a place in the big time. There has been plenty of hype about the Wolfpack and they have secured the signing of New Zealand rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams in arguably Super League's biggest ever signing. However, beyond Williams, their recruitment is less than impressive and they haven't added enough Super League experience. Ricky Leutele was fabulous in the Championship for them last season and will score bags of tries, though I feel they lack genuine attacking quality beyond him. Playing so many games away from home in the early part of the season will hurt them and I think they'll be battling at the bottom end of the table rather than the top. Brian McDermott won't be short of funds though, which he'll be able to spend during the season if they are in danger of relegation.

Prediction: 10th. Their squad isn't good enough or big enough for them to compete, but the funds they have available to them means that if they are in trouble at any point, they can dip into the market mid-season.

WAKEFIELD TRINITY

Always a difficult team to predict, I have seen many saying they expect Wakey to go down this season. While I think they'll have enough to survive, it is going to be a tough year for Chris Chester and his team. As a club, they seem to be constantly plagued by injuries and that is what completely derailed their 2019 season. Alex Walker, Joe Westerman and Chris Green are solid additions to the side, though I feel they have missed a trick not making Morgan Escare's loan move permanent. I think what has been forgotten though is that Wakefield actually have a very competitive squad - they were 3rd at one point last season before injuries took their toll. If they can avoid a crisis like last season and keep their big players fit, they shouldn't be troubled by relegation. They're decent at home and I think the return of Tom Johnstone will be a huge boost for them - he was scoring tries for fun before his injury last year. David Fifita is one of the best props in the league and he will always help Wakefield win the forwards battle.

Prediction: 9th. Not good enough for the playoffs but too good to go down.

WARRINGTON WOLVES

Ah my beloved Wire, what to make of you? A horrid end to 2019 saw the Wolves limp home in 4th before being beaten in the first round of the playoffs. My main concern is that 2020 could start the same way 2019 ended - it's not like the squad has vastly improved. Gareth Widdop is an exceptional signing and will sort many of Wire's problems out but his injury record is an issue and we already know he will miss the start of the campaign. Matty Ashton and Keanan Brand look like very good prospects but how much gametime will they get? I'm not excited by the signing of Anthony Gelling and there are still too many areas Wire haven't addressed. Coach Steve Price is under pressure and will be starting 2020 with much the same squad that finished 2019 so badly, with Wigan and Saints as the first two games. A positive performance from some fringe players against Salford in a friendly has raised some encouragement, though I think it could be a very tough year. No clear loose forward, a consistently beaten pack, over-reliance on Daryl Clark, the inconsistency of Blake Austin, the ageing of key squad members like Chris Hill and Mike Cooper, as well as Ben Currie and Tom Lineham not being the players they once were makes me struggle to see Wire challenging for the Super League trophy. 

Prediction: 5th. I hope/think Wire will JUST sneak into the playoffs but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them miss out altogether. The squad hasn't improved enough and I have little faith in the coach.

WIGAN WARRIORS

Despite making a shocking start to 2019, Wigan ended up finishing 2nd after a superb second half to the year. However they were eliminated in the playoffs after two awful displays against St Helens and Salford. Adrian Lam has recruited really well, winning the race to sign Man of Steel Jackson Hastings from Salford, who will add tremendous quality in the halves. It looks like Hastings will be alongside Bevan French, which surprises me as French was sensational at the back end of last year on the wing. George Burgess and Mitch Clark will really improve Wigan's pack, and there is going to be no shortage of tries with Salford's Jake Bibby being added to the already prolific Oliver Gildart, Liam Marshall, Joe Burgess and the returning Dominic Manfredi. Wigan have tonnes of quality and they will have no problems making the playoffs. My concern for them is whether Lam is good enough to lead them to a Grand Final. I also think that George Williams will be a big loss - imagine him and Hastings together. Will Hastings be as good as he was last year? I'm not sure. He'll still be a top player, but whether he'll have the same motivation and emotional desire that he had at Salford is another question.

Prediction: 3rd, firmly in touch with the top two. I think they'll lose in the playoffs for the second year running though. 

My predicted table:

1) St Helens

2) Hull FC

3) Wigan Warriors

4) Leeds Rhinos

5) Warrington Wolves

6) Catalans Dragons

7) Salford Red Devils

8) Castleford Tigers

9) Wakefield Trinity

10) Toronto Wolfpack

11) Hull KR

12) Huddersfield Giants

Grand Final: St Helens

Challenge Cup: Warrington

Man of Steel: Jonny Lomax, Jackson Hastings or Sonny Bill Williams

Top Tryscorer: Bevan French, Tommy Makinson or Mahe Fonua

Fancy a shot at predictions yourself? Why not join my predictions competition? Have a read of the rules here!

What have I got right and what have I got wrong? Let me know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter @aloosewire.

Thanks for reading!

Daniel