Next season

[hookender]

I agree about competitiveness.

1. Saracens
2. Leicester
3. Sale
4. Quins
5. Gloucester
6. Saints
7. Wasps
8. Bristol
9. Irish
10. Exeter
11. Bath
12. Worcester
13. Newcastle

Honestly between 1 & 10 is anyone's guess. For me I don't think Wasps are near top 4 yet, if we get a couple academy players turning world class that might change (ain't gonna be via signings). We'll probably be fighting between 5th and 10th again. Not particularly sure we'll be top 6 either!

Kind of agree with this. Can't see Wasps breaking into Top 4.

Seems to be the closest to my way of thinking too. Will be interesting how sale fare without their saffers and Ford injured.

[Shugs]

Comical..5th Shugs, really?, have you learnt nothing from you last 2 season predictions? Top 4 for both wasn't it?
We are weaker than last 2 season but we'll improve and be pushing just outside top 4..blimey..

Sarries / Tiger top 2
Wasps 9th

Yes, stick by it. Last season we were a few brain farts off really pushing for 4th. To be honest it was a toss up 4th or 5th but I wanted to vary it from the last two years.

[Rossm]

Comical..5th Shugs, really?, have you learnt nothing from you last 2 season predictions? Top 4 for both wasn't it?
We are weaker than last 2 season but we'll improve and be pushing just outside top 4..blimey..

Sarries / Tiger top 2
Wasps 9th

Yes, stick by it. Last season we were a few brain farts off really pushing for 4th. To be honest it was a toss up 4th or 5th but I wanted to vary it from the last two years.

I don't think we'll be 4th and I certainly don't think we'll be 9th either.

BTW: Can someone explain the following phrase to me - trying to move the drinks cabinet one inch closer to Berlin. I've only heard it here. I thought I am well read and/or well informed but clearly not

[backdoc]

I can't see Saracens finishing top.

They will have 5 of their best players resting after the England tour, and they don't have the backup players like they did.

They will still put out their best team for Europe.

I think they will finish 3rd or 4th.

[Shugs]

And one of their very best performers will be playing for us. Glad you raised the cabinet question Ross, I don’t know either but I took it the inference was negative. Taking all the points about style into account here are 8 reasons I think we can go 4th/5th
West/Cruse/Koch/Launchbury/Stooke/Shields/Willis/Barbeary.
And here are 8 more.
Martinez/Oghre/Ryan/Cardall/McDonald/Curran/Carr/Willis.
And that’s without Alo!
But I freely admit the big risk is that our backs play basically has to be transformed from last year.

[HDAWG]

Agree bind. I think Tigers will struggle compared to last year. Ford was huge for them, a large number of their squad will have had a busy summer and I also think they’ll really miss Moroni (would have been a cracking signing for us).

+1 Pollard's good, but not in form currently. And Ford is, so the drop off will be noticeable.

[Chunky24]

Agree bind. I think Tigers will struggle compared to last year. Ford was huge for them, a large number of their squad will have had a busy summer and I also think they’ll really miss Moroni (would have been a cracking signing for us).

+1 Pollard's good, but not in form currently. And Ford is, so the drop off will be noticeable.

Wouldn't surprise me if we see a lot more of Freddie Burns, whose confidence will be sky high, than Pollard.

[hookender]

Comical..5th Shugs, really?, have you learnt nothing from you last 2 season predictions? Top 4 for both wasn't it?
We are weaker than last 2 season but we'll improve and be pushing just outside top 4..blimey..

Sarries / Tiger top 2
Wasps 9th

Yes, stick by it. Last season we were a few brain farts off really pushing for 4th. To be honest it was a toss up 4th or 5th but I wanted to vary it from the last two years.

I don't think we'll be 4th and I certainly don't think we'll be 9th either.

BTW: Can someone explain the following phrase to me - trying to move the drinks cabinet one inch closer to Berlin. I've only heard it here. I thought I am well read and/or well informed but clearly not

Blackadder goes forth- the futile bludgeoning of the First World War to gain a bit of territory/ use same tactics. Misquoted , it was six inches!

[RogerE]

I think Gloucester will find things a bit more difficult.

Just like teams "found out" Exeter's rolling maul tactics(or as I prefer to call it it: legal obstruction) so they will with Gloucester's version of it.

[backdoc]

Tigers have a more experienced 9 now that JVP is an International, with excellent kicking and better passing and pace than Youngs.

Their 10 is a world cup winner who has enormous top level experience - he was an U20 International at 16.

They will finish top and probably win the title IMO.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

Comical..5th Shugs, really?, have you learnt nothing from you last 2 season predictions? Top 4 for both wasn't it?
We are weaker than last 2 season but we'll improve and be pushing just outside top 4..blimey..

Sarries / Tiger top 2
Wasps 9th

Yes, stick by it. Last season we were a few brain farts off really pushing for 4th. To be honest it was a toss up 4th or 5th but I wanted to vary it from the last two years.

I don't think we'll be 4th and I certainly don't think we'll be 9th either.

BTW: Can someone explain the following phrase to me - trying to move the drinks cabinet one inch closer to Berlin. I've only heard it here. I thought I am well read and/or well informed but clearly not

Blackadder goes forth- the futile bludgeoning of the First World War to gain a bit of territory/ use same tactics. Misquoted , it was six inches!

Lieutenant George : Great Scott sir, you mean, you mean the moment's finally arrived for us to give Harry Hun a darned good British style thrashing, six of the best, trousers down?

Captain Blackadder : If you mean, "Are we all going to get killed?" Yes. Clearly, Field Marshal Haig is about to make yet another gargantuan effort to move his drinks cabinet six inches closer to Berlin.

[westwaleswasp]

Comical..5th Shugs, really?, have you learnt nothing from you last 2 season predictions? Top 4 for both wasn't it?
We are weaker than last 2 season but we'll improve and be pushing just outside top 4..blimey..

Sarries / Tiger top 2
Wasps 9th

Yes, stick by it. Last season we were a few brain farts off really pushing for 4th. To be honest it was a toss up 4th or 5th but I wanted to vary it from the last two years.

I don't think we'll be 4th and I certainly don't think we'll be 9th either.

BTW: Can someone explain the following phrase to me - trying to move the drinks cabinet one inch closer to Berlin. I've only heard it here. I thought I am well read and/or well informed but clearly not

Blackadder goes forth- the futile bludgeoning of the First World War to gain a bit of territory/ use same tactics. Misquoted , it was six inches!

It was indeed 6 inches, but one inch sounds better! Apologies for any confusion. I thought Blackadder was commonly understood.
I shall return interfrastically....

[Chunky24]

Tigers will still be strong but it will be interesting to see how Reffell copes with playing for Wales and in the prem, I remember it was very tough for Will Rowlands trying to do both.
November particularly could be interesting for Tigers, no SA (Pollard, Wiese) and Argentinians (Montoya) potentially a larger number of England players (JVP,  Steward, Chessum, Hayes, Porter etc) plus Reffell absent.

[JF]

Unless we find a way to replace the points that Gopps kicked I can't see us breaking into the top six.

And we have to hope that the injury gods smile on us, another season like last season won't help.

[JonnyD]

Unless we find a way to replace the points that Gopps kicked I can't see us breaking into the top six.

And we have to hope that the injury gods smile on us, another season like last season won't help.

Agree about Gopperth.
Also if Mills and Odendaal are injured, which is very possible, I have no idea what our plan C is at 12 - Hartley or Simonds are raw (but Hartley definitely has the ingredients, just needs to get up to speed), Spink or Odogwu maybe, or shift a 10 there?
Really could do with another option in there.