Premiership Predictions Thread 2018-19

[Puja]

Previously, on the Rugby Rebels EMB Predictions Threads:

The overall winner is... erm, nobody. Everyone who did well in one section failed miserably elsewhere. I think the major thing we can draw from the data is that I definitely did not win and should probably not be allowed to predict things any more.

From Faf de Klerk as the worst signing, to a bunch of lunatics claiming Leicester would win the league, we truly proved that we know bugger all. As such, let's do it again this season and see how much redemption/further deserved derision we can earn.

Categories are as follows:

Premiership Winner:

Table order:

European predictions - how will the English teams do?

Top try scorer:

Top points scorer:

Surprise of the season:

Biggest disappointment:

Player having a breakthrough season:

Best signing:

The Jerome Schuster Award for least effective signing:

Puja

[Puja]

Premiership Winner:
Head says Saracens, heart says Leicester, but what the hell, let's go with the hear... wait. This seems oddly familiar. Like perhaps I've done it consistently for the past two seasons. Sod it, let's say Saracens this year.

Table order:
Saracens
Exeter
Wasps
Leicester
Newcastle
Gloucester
Sale
Harlequins
Bath
Northampton
Bristol
Worcester

European predictions - how will the English teams do?
3 teams to qualify for the quarters - Saracens, Leicester, and surprise package Newcastle. Of those, Sarries and Leicester to the semis and who knows for the final.

Top try scorer:
Alex Lewington. He is going to love being on the end of that Saracens service.

Top points scorer:
Fazlet

Surprise of the season:
Manu has a long, injury-free run. Pleasepleasepleaseplease.

Biggest disappointment:
Olowofela gets a grand total of 3 minutes Premiership or European time, despite tearing it up in the A-league and whatever the AWC is nowadays. Alternately, Michael Rhodes inevitably getting capped for England despite being neither English nor good.

Player having a breakthrough season:
Cameron Redpath

Best signing:
I think Thompson and Eastmond are going to be great signings for Leicester, but I think in terms of bang for buck, Paul Lasike's going to be top. He's just what Quins need.

The Jerome Schuster Award for least effective signing:
I'm tempted to go left-field on this one and name someone like Shields not acclimating to the Premiership, but I think I'll play safe and go for Jamie Roberts, the hero that Bath neither wanted, nor needed.

Puja

[Stom]

Premiership Winner:
Saracens

Table order:
Exeter
Saracens
Leicester
Wasps
Bath
Newcastle
Quins
Glos
Saints
Sale
Wuss
Briz

European predictions - how will the English teams do?
2 semis, no finalists. Sarries and Exeter to get to the semis.

Top try scorer:
Sam Simmonds (honourable mention to Jonas Mikalcius)

Top points scorer:
Marcus Smith

Surprise of the season:
Jamie Roberts can play rugby again

Biggest disappointment:
Francis Saili ends up retiring...

Player having a breakthrough season:
Alex Dombrandt at Quins. We've been crying out for a ball carrying lock for what seems like decades, can he be the man to step up late season?

Best signing:
Cipriani will do wonders with Glos, but it won't be enough...Francois Venter will make a big impact at Wuss. But I'm going for the opposite of Puja and saying that Roberts will have a huge impact on Bath, helping them bring their back 3 into play more.

The Jerome Schuster Award for least effective signing:
Max Crumpton. I just don't get it.

Puja[/quote]

[Scrumhead]

OK - here’s mine ...

Premiership Winner:
Saracens

Table order:
Exeter
Saracens
Leicester
Wasps
Gloucester
Bath
Harlequins
Sale
Newcastle
Northampton
Worcester
Bristol

European predictions - how will the English teams do?
Saracens to make the final. Exeter to make the semis.

Top try scorer:
Denny Solomona

Top points scorer:
Owen Farrell

Surprise of the season:
Quins learn how to defend

Biggest disappointment:
Brad Shields being bang average but still making the World Cup squad ahead of Jack Willis making a late push

Player having a breakthrough season:
Gabriel Ibitoye

Best signing:
Franco Mostert

The Jerome Schuster Award for least effective signing:
Alex Cuthbert

[Shiny]

Premiership Winner:
Saracens

Table order:
Saracens
Exeter
Wasps
Leicester
Newcastle
Sale
Northampton
Gloucester
Bath
Harlequins
Bristol
Worcester

European predictions - how will the English teams do?
Two semi finalists at best

Top try scorer:
Chris Ashton

Top points scorer:
Dan Biggar

Surprise of the season:
Fazlet to get injured and be out for most of the season and Kieran Brookes to be an amazing prop after one to one coaching from Dai Young

Biggest disappointment:
Manu to get injured again and Armand to be ignored by England again

Player having a breakthrough season:
Gabriel Ibitoye

Best signing:
Eastmund for Leicester and Naiyaravoro for Saints

The Jerome Schuster Award for least effective signing:
Alex Cuthbert

[Tigersman]

My Tigers biased one.
Premiership Winner:
Saracens

Table order:
1. Exeter
2. Saracens
3. Leicester Tigers (Only because i'm soooo one eyed)
4. Sale Sharks
5. Newcastle Falcons
6. Gloucester
7. Wasps
8. Saints
9. Bath
10. Bristol
11. Quins
12. Worcester

European predictions - how will the English teams do?
Saracens to Semi that is it.

Top try scorer:
Jonah Holmes

Top points scorer:
AJ MacGinty (Maybe Ford depending on what happens with England)

Surprise of the season:
Sale Sharks to make top 4.

Biggest disappointment:
I think Quins will be IMO.

Player having a breakthrough season:
Harry Simmons

Best signing:
Guy Thompson

The Jerome Schuster Award for least effective signing:
Campese Ma'afu

[Renniks]

Premiership Winner:
Saracens

Table order:
1. Saracens
2. Exeter
3. Sale Sharks
4. Wasps
5. Leicester Tigers
6. Saints
7. Newcastle
8. Bath
9. Worcester
10. Quins
11.Gloucester
12. Bristol

European predictions - how will the English teams do?
Sarries to reach final, who knows what will happen then

Top try scorer:
Christian Wade

Top points scorer:
Dan Biggar

Surprise of the season:
Worcester get 9th

Biggest disappointment:
Joe Simmonds doesn't kick on (I Really hope this isn't true!)

Player having a breakthrough season:
Ollie Lawrence

Best signing:
Francois Venter or Michael Le Bourgeois

The Jerome Schuster Award for least effective signing:
Pretty much all of Bristol's signings - 21 signings, with little results from it

[Scrumhead]

Sale for 3rd is a very bold shout.

TBH I think the top two will have a bit of daylight between them and 3rd and I don’t think there will be much of a points difference between 3rd and 10th.

Good shout on Lawrence and Le Bourgeois.

[Beasties]

Liking this thread.

My sole contribution is Charlie Matthews for the Schuster award. Where's my prize for PDJ last season?

[Stom]

Liking this thread.

My sole contribution is Charlie Matthews for the Schuster award. Where's my prize for PDJ last season?

lol. It could be renamed the PDJ award...

[Puja]

Liking this thread.

My sole contribution is Charlie Matthews for the Schuster award. Where's my prize for PDJ last season?

You get nothing for shooting fish in a barrel! Picking someone like PDJ or Matthews to be crap is likely to be true, but entirely unambitious. Go braver!

I think it was whoever picked Maxime "Was he actually there?" Mermoz that won the Jerome Schuster last season.

Puja

[Tigersman]

Surprised people are picking Internationals to be top points scorers.

Other than Farrell last year think Kenny Logan for Wasps was the last time an current International finished top of the points scoring.

[Shiny]

Surprised people are picking Internationals to be top points scorers.

Other than Farrell last year think Kenny Logan for Wasps was the last time an current International finished top of the points scoring.

That was my thinking. Linked in with team for the fantasy rugby game (and my prediction of Farrell to get injured).

[Digby]

Liking this thread.

My sole contribution is Charlie Matthews for the Schuster award. Where's my prize for PDJ last season?

You get nothing for shooting fish in a barrel! Picking someone like PDJ or Matthews to be crap is likely to be true, but entirely unambitious. Go braver!

I think it was whoever picked Maxime "Was he actually there?" Mermoz that won the Jerome Schuster last season.

Puja

Quite, points should be lost for guessing Kieran Brookes with Alex Cuthbert being even money, Kyle Eastmond returning good odds and Nizam Carr a big earner as he looks a raging cert to have a good season

[pandion]

I think Quins would have a better chance if they played the coaches

[Puja]

Liking this thread.

My sole contribution is Charlie Matthews for the Schuster award. Where's my prize for PDJ last season?

You get nothing for shooting fish in a barrel! Picking someone like PDJ or Matthews to be crap is likely to be true, but entirely unambitious. Go braver!

I think it was whoever picked Maxime "Was he actually there?" Mermoz that won the Jerome Schuster last season.

Puja

Quite, points should be lost for guessing Kieran Brookes with Alex Cuthbert being even money, Kyle Eastmond returning good odds and Nizam Carr a big earner as he looks a raging cert to have a good season

I was tempted by Sopoaga, as I think there's a reasonable chance he might not acclimate to the Prem and might end up being ousted by Gopperth, but wasn't brave enough to go for it.

Of course, if it turns out to be true, I'm totally claiming this post as having called it, while allowing myself to disavow it if he has a stormer.

Puja

[Puja]

Surprised people are picking Internationals to be top points scorers.

Other than Farrell last year think Kenny Logan for Wasps was the last time an current International finished top of the points scoring.

There's not too many top non-internationals who are at top clubs and are guaranteed their places. Steenson and Gopperth are under pressure for their place and it's a question of if Sale and Saints will produce enough opportunities for McGinty and Biggar to convert. Fazlet might be off part of the season, but Sarries love a penalty and will score a lot of tries to convert, and god knows he'll never get a rest, so I'll back him to make up the international windows.

Puja

[Timbo]

You get nothing for shooting fish in a barrel! Picking someone like PDJ or Matthews to be crap is likely to be true, but entirely unambitious. Go braver!

I think it was whoever picked Maxime "Was he actually there?" Mermoz that won the Jerome Schuster last season.

Puja

Quite, points should be lost for guessing Kieran Brookes with Alex Cuthbert being even money, Kyle Eastmond returning good odds and Nizam Carr a big earner as he looks a raging cert to have a good season

I was tempted by Sopoaga, as I think there's a reasonable chance he might not acclimate to the Prem and might end up being ousted by Gopperth, but wasn't brave enough to go for it.

Of course, if it turns out to be true, I'm totally claiming this post as having called it, while allowing myself to disavow it if he has a stormer.

Puja

I could see him potentially having a slow start, but suspect he’s far too good, and surrounded by far too many other amazing attacking players at Wasps not to come good. Similar to Willie Le Roux.

[Beasties]

Liking this thread.

My sole contribution is Charlie Matthews for the Schuster award. Where's my prize for PDJ last season?

You get nothing for shooting fish in a barrel! Picking someone like PDJ or Matthews to be crap is likely to be true, but entirely unambitious. Go braver!

I think it was whoever picked Maxime "Was he actually there?" Mermoz that won the Jerome Schuster last season.

Puja

Fair enough. Maybe we also need a "why the f*** did we sign him" award too? I've forgotten, when Schuster was signed was he supposed to be any cop?

[Beasties]

Quite, points should be lost for guessing Kieran Brookes with Alex Cuthbert being even money, Kyle Eastmond returning good odds and Nizam Carr a big earner as he looks a raging cert to have a good season

I was tempted by Sopoaga, as I think there's a reasonable chance he might not acclimate to the Prem and might end up being ousted by Gopperth, but wasn't brave enough to go for it.

Of course, if it turns out to be true, I'm totally claiming this post as having called it, while allowing myself to disavow it if he has a stormer.

Puja

I could see him potentially having a slow start, but suspect he’s far too good, and surrounded by far too many other amazing attacking players at Wasps not to come good. Similar to Willie Le Roux.

It could be a very tricky start for him as there'll be a few combinations changing around him. The team are used to Cips style of play and getting on the same wavelength is a challenge for any new FH. No WLR to provide inspiration and continuity at the back will not help (much as I like Miller).

[Timbo]

Premiership Winner:

Saracens

Table order:

1. Exeter
2. Gloucester
3. Saracens
4. Wasps
5. Leicester
6. Sale
7. Northampton
8. Bath
9. Harlequins
10. Newcastle
11. Worcester
12. Bristol

European predictions - how will the English teams do?

Exeter to make the final, just a feeling. Think they’ll finally have a really good European season.

Sarries will make it through the group too, and one other.

Top try scorer:

Wade

Top points scorer:

AJ Mcginty

Surprise of the season:

Gloucester will be really good. They’ve a very strong team on paper, all their signings are top class, plenty of experience...all based around a big, high quality pack and some good half backs. What could go wrong....at Gloucester.

Biggest disappointment:

Piutau will have lost interest by December when he realises Bristol are going to struggle all season. Might even start looking for a way out of his contract.

Player having a breakthrough season:

Sam Moore looks like he’ll be quite involved at Sale. Tom Lawday looks good, and Exeter have moved on quite a few backrow to make way for some academy players.
Best signing:

Grobler at Glos.

The Jerome Schuster Award for least effective signing:

Ben Tapuai. Over rated.

[swindonbri]

Premiership Winner: Saracens

Table order:
Saracens
Exeter
Wasps
Glos
Leics
Saints
Sale
Newcs
Bath
Quins
Worcs
Bristol

European predictions - how will the English teams do?
Sarries to get to semi. Leicester the only other team to get out of their group

Top try scorer: Alex Lewington

Top points scorer: Joe Simmonds

Surprise of the season: Manu stays fit for most of it

Biggest disappointment: Newcastle

Player having a breakthrough season: Harry Randall

Best signing: Gerbrandt Grobler - think will make a big physical presence for Glos until the SA imports are in place properly

The Jerome Schuster Award for least effective signing: Charles Piatau - such a talent but can't see how Bris will get enough ball to him to justify all those £££

[Scrumhead]

Surprised people are picking Internationals to be top points scorers.

Other than Farrell last year think Kenny Logan for Wasps was the last time an current International finished top of the points scoring.

There's not too many top non-internationals who are at top clubs and are guaranteed their places. Steenson and Gopperth are under pressure for their place and it's a question of if Sale and Saints will produce enough opportunities for McGinty and Biggar to convert. Fazlet might be off part of the season, but Sarries love a penalty and will score a lot of tries to convert, and god knows he'll never get a rest, so I'll back him to make up the international windows.

Puja

This was exactly my thinking. I was tempted to go got Joe Simmonds but I think Exeter will swap between him and Steenson a fair bit.

MacGinty is a good shout though. I wish I’d gone for him as I think Sale will score a lot of tries although I think they might concede a fair few too.

[Puja]

Liking this thread.

My sole contribution is Charlie Matthews for the Schuster award. Where's my prize for PDJ last season?

You get nothing for shooting fish in a barrel! Picking someone like PDJ or Matthews to be crap is likely to be true, but entirely unambitious. Go braver!

I think it was whoever picked Maxime "Was he actually there?" Mermoz that won the Jerome Schuster last season.

Puja

Fair enough. Maybe we also need a "why the f*** did we sign him" award too? I've forgotten, when Schuster was signed was he supposed to be any cop?

Schuster was actually a "Why the f did we sign him?" player so it's a bit of a misnomer, but he was a waste of space and salary cap for Leicester the year before I started these prediction threads, so his name gets to adorn the worst signing award forevermore (although I was tempted towards replacing him with Pat Cilliers. What is it with us and signing terrible squad props for no reason?!).

Puja

[Gloskarlos]

Premiership Winner: Exeter

Table order:

Exeter
Sarries
Wasps
Tigers
Glos
Newcastle
Bath
Sale
Saints
Quins
Wuss
Brizzle

European predictions - how will the English teams do? No finalists, Ireland v France, Exeter and sarries to make semis

Top try scorer: Lewington for sure

Top points scorer: Ford

Surprise of the season: Bristol win away at Newcastle in a blip, Ludlow named glos captain and makes an England squad.

Biggest disappointment: Glos miss out on playoffs having been in the top 4 nearly all season

Player having a breakthrough season: harry Randall, such a shame we let him go.

Best signing: if he is fit Jaco Kriel

The Jerome Schuster Award for least effective signing: cuthbert.