Fanning the flames

Fanning the flames

Super League VIII promises more thrills and spills as 12 teams fight it out over eight gruelling months.

Here, fans of Castleford, London, St Helens and Wigan reveal their hopes and aspirations for 2003.

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Castleford Tigers
Fan: Stuart Main

We have recruited very well in the off-season. The signing of three-quarter Paul Mellor from Cronulla is one of the biggest the club has made.

Orr will be full of confidence after playing for the Lions

Making the Lions team will have done Danny Orr's confidence the world of good.

He has proved you don't have to be over 6ft to make a big impression.

Michael Smith should also have another good year.

Our coach has managed to silence the critics who got on his back when he first took over.

The players seem to respect him and he is obviously highly-rated because he was involved with the Great Britain team at the end of 2002.

After finishing sixth last season and making the play-offs, the aim is to consolidate in 2003.

It will be harder this time around because we have a tougher draw, with more games against the other top-five sides, but there is no reason why we cannot make the play-offs again.

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London Broncos
Fan: Al Ferrier

The new signings look pretty good, with Bill Peden obviously catching the eye, but the club have wisely avoided trumpeting his arrival after previous big-name signings failed to deliver.

The loss of Richie Barnett is a blow, although, after a fantastic first season, he did not really perform as we know he can last year.

Tony Rea has achieved a lot for us but has he got the ability to lead us to a trophy?

It soon became clear he was on his way to Hull - and that generated a lot of ill feeling. The aim has got to be the play-offs but I am not sure we have got a coach capable of leading us into the top six.

Tony Rea has achieved a lot for us but has he got the ability to lead us to a trophy?

It is a big season for London. We need to put rugby league on the map in the capital.

And to do that we need to make the play-offs or perhaps reach the final of the Challenge Cup again.

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St Helens
Fan: Albert Mousdell

A player to watch this year could be Micky Higham. I already rate this guy as the second-best hooker around.

Dark horse Ade Gardner is 6ft 2in and goes like the wind

With Keiron Cunningham injured for the first few months, Higham could really show what he is worth.

A dark horse for the first team could be Ade Gardner, who is 6ft 2in and goes like the wind.

He may be behind Darren Albert and Anthony Stewart in the pecking order, but he should get more opportunity to show what he has got.

I really feel we will come up short this season. We will make the top three, but I just cannot see us winning it this time.

It is at prop where we could struggle. Darren Britt and Barry Ward are well into their thirties now while Mark Edmondson is at best a lightweight version,

I can only assume the coach is hoping Bruce Johnson is ready to step up from the Great Britain Academy side.

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Wigan Warriors
Fan: Andy Rimmer

With the salary cap hitting the club hard, we have been unable to recruit any new players during the off season.

The only fresh faces will belong to two Academy youngsters, Gareth Hock and David Allen.

The team is in a period of restructuring but hopefully our youngsters can develop their full potential this season

I can't say many fans will be sad to see Harvey Howard leave - he was an average player at best - but the loss of Gary Connolly and Dave Furner are big blows.

Stuart Jones also left Wigan at the end of last season after a contract dispute and was promptly snapped up by St Helens.

The team is in a period of restructuring but hopefully our youngsters can develop their full potential this season.

If they do, we could be a force to be reckoned with come play-off time.

There are so many good youngsters to choose from but Shaun Briscoe is the one to watch.