Super League 2022 Predictions

And so, here we go again. The Super League rollercoaster sets off for another ride on Thursday night, with a rematch of last year's Grand Final as St Helens host the Catalans Dragons. Wire's season gets underway on Saturday noon with a trip to Headingley, with all twelve clubs in action this weekend. Let's find out my take on the runners and riders...

1st: ST HELENS

2021: 2nd (Champions)

Coach: Kristian Woolf

Ins: Konrad Hurrell (Leeds) Will Hopoate (Canterbury) Curtis Sironen (Manly) Joey Lussick (Parramatta) James Bell (Leigh)

Outs: Lachlan Coote (Hull KR) James Bentley (Leeds) Theo Fages (Huddersfield) Kevin Naiqama (Sydney) Joel Thompson (Retired)

Star Man: Jonny Lomax

Most Important Player: Alex Walmsley

Top Tryscorer Tip: Tommy Makinson
Youngster: Jack Welsby

It's very hard to see anyone stopping the Saints juggernaut from making it four in a row. They've lost Coote, Fages, Bentley and Naiqama but have replaced the former three from within, promoting Jack Welsby, Lewis Dodd and Joe Batchelor to the first 17. Woolf's team have also added NRL standard players Hopoate, Sironen and Lussick, the latter of whom will be James Roby's long-term replacement. Quite simply, Saints are insanely strong in every department and it'll be a surprise if they don't win the lot this year.

2nd: LEEDS RHINOS

2021: 5th (Semi-Finals)

Coach: Richard Agar

Ins: James Bentley (St Helens) Blake Austin (Warrington) Aidan Sezer (Huddersfield) David Fusit'ua (New Zealand)

Outs: King Vuniyayawa (Salford) Alex Sutcliffe and Callum McLelland (Castleford) Konrad Hurrell (St Helens) Luke Gale (Hull FC) Corey Hall (Wakefield) Luke Briscoe (Featherstone) Robert Lui (Retired)

Star Man: Harry Newman

Most Important Player: Kruise Leeming

Top Tryscorer Tip: Ash Handley
Youngster: Jack Broadbent

My dark horses. I like this Leeds squad. They've kept together all of the young squad that showed signs of progress last season, and have gone about adding Super League experience. Bentley will bring about some bite into the back row, while Austin and Sezer will look to rediscover their partnership in the halves at Canberra. Fusit'ua looks a monster of a winger and with youngsters such as Newman and Oledzki they have an exciting squad capable of going far.

3rd: WIGAN WARRIORS

2021: 4th (Quarter-Finals)

Coach: Matty Peet

Ins: Kaide Ellis (St George) Patrick Mago (Souths) Cade Cust (Manly) Iain Thornley (Leigh)

Outs: Joe Bullock (Warrington) Chris Hankinson (Toulouse) Jackson Hastings and Oliver Gildart (Wests)

Star Man: Bevan French

Most Important Player: Liam Farrell

Top Tryscorer Tip: Jake Bibby
Youngster: Kai Pearce-Paul

A lot of people seem to have written Wigan off this year and I can understand why - losing Hastings and Gildart, an inexperienced coaching team, a tough year last year. However, they have made some good signings - Mago in particular looks a very good prop. Most importantly, they have the returns of Jai Field and Bevan French, who can be devastating on their day. It is the return of these pivot players that makes me think Wigan could improve on 2021.

4th: CATALANS DRAGONS

2021: 1st (Finalists)

Coach: Steve McNamara

Ins: Mitchell Pearce (Newcastle) Dylan Napa (Canterbury) Tyrone May (Penrith)

Outs: Joel Tomkins (Leigh) James Maloney (Lezignan)

Star Man: Sam Tomkins

Most Important Player: Sam Tomkins

Top Tryscorer Tip: Tom Davies
Youngster: Arthur Mourgue

I am predicting Catalans to struggle to replicate their heroics of 2021, when they finished top of Super League and visited Old Trafford for the first time. They will still be there or thereabouts, but I think it's unlikely Tomkins will be able to produce such a magical season again, and they will miss Maloney's experience and game-management a lot. Pearce is good - but he's not Maloney.

5th: WARRINGTON WOLVES

2021: 3rd (Quarter-Finals)

Coach: Daryl Powell

Ins: Peter Mata'utia and Oliver Holmes (Castleford) Billy Magoulias (Cronulla) Greg Minkin (Hull KR) Joe Bullock (Wigan) James Harrison (Featherstone)

Outs: Blake Austin (Leeds) Tom Lineham (Wakefield) Jake Mamo (Castleford) Sitaleki Akauola (Salford) Chris Hill (Huddersfield)

Star Man: Daryl Clark

Most Important Player: Mike Cooper

Top Tryscorer Tip: Matty Ashton
Youngster: Josh Thewlis

It promises to be a transitional year for Wire, now under the stewardship of Daryl Powell. Long-timers Hill, Lineham and Austin have moved on, with six new signings coming in. Mata'utia and Holmes look especially useful additions, while they have retained a mouth-watering halves partnership of Gareth Widdop and George Williams. Wire have a glaring weakness though - prop. Bar Cooper, Powell's team lack an enforcer and could find themselves beaten in the forwards most weeks, and this will prevent them from getting too close to the top.

6th: HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS

2021: 9th

Coach: Ian Watson

Ins: Chris Hill (Warrington) Tui Lolohea (Salford) Theo Fages (St Helens) Nathan Mason (Leigh)

Outs: Aidan Sezer (Leeds) Sam Wood (Hull KR) Lee Gaskell (Wakefield) Kenny Edwards (Castleford) Darnell McIntosh (Hull FC) Joe Wardle (Leigh) Nathan Peats (Albi)

Star Man: Jake Wardle

Most Important Player: Luke Yates

Top Tryscorer Tip: Jermaine McGillvary
Youngster: Will Pryce

Huddersfield were arguably the biggest disappointment of 2021. Having acquired the services of Salford's Ian Watson, there was big expectation on the Giants which they never delivered upon, until the latter stages of the year. However, in his second season, I am tipping them to improve. They have a brand new halves partnership - Lolohea and Fages will complement each other well, and in Hill they add experience to the pack. I worry for them at hooker but I think they might sneak into the playoffs.

7th: CASTLEFORD TIGERS

2021: 7th

Coach: Lee Radford

Ins: George Lawler (Hull KR) Jake Mamo (Warrington) Bureta Faraimo and Mahe Fonua (Hull FC) Joe Westerman (Wakefield) Kenny Edwards (Huddersfield) Alex Sutcliffe and Callum McLelland (Leeds)

Outs: Peter Mata'utia and Oliver Holmes (Warrington) Lewis Bienek (London) Alex Foster (Newcastle) Jesse Sene-Lefao (Featherstone) Michael Shenton (Retired)

Star Man: Jake Trueman

Most Important Player: Paul McShane

Top Tryscorer Tip: Jordan Turner
Youngster: Jacques O'Neill

It's all change at the Jungle. New coach, new captain, new squad. Former Hull FC man Lee Radford takes the reins and brings with him a number that he tutored at the black-and-whites. They have an exciting-looking backline and pivot players including Niall Evalds, McShane and Trueman. My worry is whether they'll be good enough defensively, and whether they'll avoid their annual injury crisis - and they may just miss out on the playoffs as a result.

8th: HULL KR

2021: 6th (Semi-Finals)

Coach: Tony Smith

Ins: Lachlan Coote (St Helens) Sam Wood (Huddersfield) Frankie Halton (Featherstone) Tom Garratt (Dewsbury) Phoenix Lalu-Togaga'e (Keighley)

Outs: George Lawler (Castleford) Greg Minikin (Warrington) Adam Quinlan (Retired)

Star Man: Lachlan Coote

Most Important Player: Kane Linnett

Top Tryscorer Tip: Ryan Hall
Youngster: Luis Johnson

I would love to see KR enjoy a similarly progressive campaign to what they had last year. In theory, they have kept together much of the squad that did so well, and added a superstar in Lachlan Coote to the mix. However, I feel it's going to be tough for them to replicate such a great year, in which so much of their success was built on momentum. Still, they'll be well clear of relegation and not too far off the playoffs, and a Tony Smith side is always entertaining to watch.

9th: HULL FC

2021: 8th

Coach: Brett Hodgson

Ins: Darnell McIntosh (Huddersfield) Luke Gale (Leeds) Joe Lovodua (Souths) Kane Evans (New Zealand)

Outs: Bureta Faraimo and Mahe Fonua (Castleford) Marc Sneyd (Salford) Masi Matongo (York)

Star Man: Jake Connor

Most Important Player: Chris Satae

Top Tryscorer Tip: Adam Swift
Youngster: Jordan Lane

Every year, I think it could be the season that Hull FC finally do well, but this year, my confidence in them is low. I rate Hodgson as a coach, but their annual injury crisis has started already, and they are far too reliant on the mercurial Jake Connor for creativity. I think they will miss Marc Sneyd more than they realise. While they have made some good additions, it remains to be seen whether FC can finally live up to the expectations that perennially surround them.

10th: WAKEFIELD TRINITY

2021: 10th

Coach: Willie Poching

Ins: Tom Lineham (Warrington) Lee Gaskell (Huddersfield) Corey Hall (Leeds) Liam Hood (Leigh)

Outs: Josh Wood (Barrow) Joe Arundel (Halifax)

Star Man: Mason Lino

Most Important Player: Kelepi Tanginoa

Top Tryscorer Tip: Tom Johnstone
Youngster: Jack Croft

Wakefield have a decent squad. David Fifita is a monstrous prop, and with Tanginoa, Lino and Johnstone, they have a squad with strengths in all departments. Having Bill Tupou back from injury is huge, and they have added Super League experience in Lineham, Hood and Gaskell. Where Trinity may struggle is having the consistency - particularly away from home - to get close to the playoffs. I think they'll be well clear of the bottom two, though.

11th: SALFORD RED DEVILS

2021: 11th

Coach: Paul Rowley

Ins: King Vuniyayawa (Leeds) Amir Bourouh (Wigan) Sitaleki Akauola (Warrington) Marc Sneyd (Hull FC) Brodie Croft (Brisbane) Shane Wright (North Queensland) Ryan Brierley (Leigh) Tim Lafai (free) 

Outs: Tui Lolohea (Huddersfield) Declan Patton (Bradford) Pauli Pauli (York) Krisnan Inu (Lezignan) Kevin Brown (Retired) 

Star Man: Brodie Croft

Most Important Player: Elijah Taylor

Top Tryscorer: Ken Sio
Youngster: Harvey Livett

I can see Salford really struggling in 2022. Under new coach Paul Rowley, they have recruited well, with new half-back partnership Croft and Sneyd - the latter back where it all started for him. Where Salford will struggle, though, is in the forwards - they look desperately light in the pack and I don't see how they are going to compete with squads with bigger forwards. Their backs are good, but will they get into the game?

12th: TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE

2021: 1st (Championship)

Coach: Sylvain Houles

Ins: James Cunningham (Huddersfield) Chris Hankinson (Wigan) Gadwin Springer (Featherstone) Matty Russell (Leigh) Lucas Albert (Carcasssonne)

Outs: Jy Hitchcox (Leigh) Remi Casty (Retired)

Star Man: Tony Gigot

Most Important Player: Dominique Peyroux

Top Tryscorer: Junior Vaivai
Youngster: Hugo Pezet

I find it very hard to see any way Toulouse stay up this year. They have some quality in their squad, but other areas are so bereft of the standard that's required. They may pick up some good results at home, like Catalans have made a habit of, but it's unlikely they'll finish anywhere but rock bottom, in my opinion.

Man of Steel: Alex Walmsley (St Helens)

Top Tryscorer: Ash Handley (Leeds)

First Coach Gone: Sylvain Houles (Toulouse)

DREAM TEAM PREDICTIONS

FB: Bevan French (Wigan)

W: David Fusit'ua (Leeds)

C: Mark Percival (St Helens)
C: Harry Newman (Leeds)

W: Tom Davies (Catalans)

SO: Jake Trueman (Castleford)

SH: George Williams (Warrington)

P: Alex Walmsley (St Helens)

H: Daryl Clark (Warrington)

P: Chris Hill (Huddersfield)

SR: Ben Currie (Warrington)

SR: Joe Batchelor (St Helens)

LF: Morgan Knowles (St Helens)

@ALooseWire