Premiership Predictions Thread - 2024/25 Turbo Championship Edition

[Which Tyler]

I feel a little naughty, but I've editted my predicted table, based on Sale having lost both their FHs

[Puja]

I feel a little naughty, but I've editted my predicted table, based on Sale having lost both their FHs

Shit, I knew I should've locked the thread earlier! Bad Which! No more editing from people though please - half the fun is in coming back and seeing how wrong we all were.

I'm currently not feeling great about my pick of Wade for the [Redacted] award. Got a feeling that's gonna come back to bite me.

Puja

[FKAS]

I feel a little naughty, but I've editted my predicted table, based on Sale having lost both their FHs

Shit, I knew I should've locked the thread earlier! Bad Which! No more editing from people though please - half the fun is in coming back and seeing how wrong we all were.

I'm currently not feeling great about my pick of Wade for the [Redacted] award. Got a feeling that's gonna come back to bite me.

Puja

I predicted Tomos Williams would be a bad investment and Sleightholme would be top scorer. Not working out well over here so far either.

There's still time for the Gloucester post Christmas slump to save both our predictions though.

[Which Tyler]

I'm currently not feeling great about my pick of Wade for the [Redacted] award. Got a feeling that's gonna come back to bite me.

Same for me and thinking that Gloucester's Welsh half backs were going to do anything except demoralise everyone.
But I'm not going to edit anything more.

Thread's still not locked, I see

[Which Tyler]

Categories are as follows:

Premiership Winner:
Bath - this may be heart over head, but we were so damned close last year, and the most stable off-season of the obvious rivals

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

European predictions - how will the English teams do?
Don't really care - too many teams, too many saffers and a terrible format (again) - not to mention a pool of death for Bath, so - mediocre, 3 QFs, 1 SF

Top try scorer:
IFW

Top points scorer:
FSmith

Surprise of the season:
Sarries struggle without Fazlet and the Vuinpolae, fail to make the play-offs

Biggest disappointment:
Even with half-backs, Gloucester are still shit

Player having a breakthrough season:
I would say anyone with an international cap or who has 20+ Prem starts isn't eligible here. Pick an actual newbie!
Meanie - I'm sure I remember Will Evans getting newbie of the year in something like his 3rd/4th season with 20+ appearances!
I'm going with Sam Harris again - IIRC he was my nomination last year, and missed most of the season through injury

Best signing:
No real big ones this year; but I'm going with Pepper to Bath - think he might even displace Underhill in the starting XV (or start alongside him)

Best unheralded signing:
Again, they're all a bit unheralded this year, so WGC for Exeter - heralded on rugby boards, but not in the press, and even so, coming from the Championship, so IMO he counts.

The [Redacted] Award for lowest performance to hype ratio from a new signing:
Another tough one, with minimal hype over anyone, so I'll go with a Gloucester half-back... Tomos Williams

The Jerome Schuster Award for most pointless signing:
Leigh Halfpenny - just... why?

I may have got one or two things wrong...

I got the most important one right though
I got Bath and Sarries positions right, but that's about it from the table
I was also right not to care about Europe
Poor IFW
I think Fin did well, Finn just did better
Sarries did indeed struggle
Poor Sam Harris - of course, his understudy is the guy who'd probably win this - if anyone had even known his name
Happy with my suggestion of Pepper
Best look away from my next 2 picks though
I think Leigh Halfpenny is a decent option for "most pointless" though

[FKAS]

Premiership Winner: Bath (hopefully this is us all applying the jinx)

Table order:
Bath
Saints
Sale
Saracens
Tigers
Quins
Chiefs
Bristol
Falcons
Glaws

European predictions - how will the English teams do? We somehow get a team into the final.

Top try scorer: Ollie Sleightholme

Top points scorer: George Ford

Surprise of the season: Tigers have a head coach that lasts more than 12 months (third time the charm)

Biggest disappointment: conservative abounds and we don't see any of the talented youngsters get game time.

Player having a breakthrough season: Paul Bampoe-Brown let's get on the hype train for the next Exeter signing from nowhere

Best signing: Nicky Smith, Tigers desperately needed a first choice loosehead and they went out and got one

Best unheralded signing: Keiran Wilkinson gives Falcons some much needed quality at 10, they've had some good fortune with 10s called Wilkinson... (I also think Will Wand might prove to be a useful addition for Tigers from Coventry).

The [Redacted] Award for lowest performance to hype ratio from a new signing: Rhys Carre relatively big name move for the Welsh international prop to return to Sarries having spurned offers to remain in Wales. The Welsh equivalent of Keiran Brookes, can the Sarries S&C team help him find another level otherwise he might well get left behind sharpish.

The Jerome Schuster Award for most pointless signing: Tomos Williams, cause when your pack is a bit meh what you need is another decent scrum half on big money. Especially when you've got three half decent options including an international.

Well Nicky Smith did turn out to be a cracking signing, writing off Tomos Williams though

No Tigers HC consistency again so that's unfortunate. Rhys Carre started well then disappeared.

PBB showed flashes and the hype train is there for him.

I was spot on with the European finalist call though and Bath winning the Prem.

[Adam_P]

Premiership Winner:
Lets go with heart and say Saints, because I don't want to add another comment saying Bath!

Table order:
Bath
Saints
Sale
Tigers
Quins
Saracens
Brisol
Exeter
Glos
Newcastle

European predictions - how will the English teams do?
Struggling to care still, but lets say two clubs into the semis.

Top try scorer:
Sleightholme

Top points scorer:
F Smith

Surprise of the season:
Cheika does the business at Tigers and gets them playing somewhere near their potential.

Biggest disappointment:
None of the hopefuls at centre really press on and make a solid case for England duty.

Player having a breakthrough season:
Pollock

Best signing:
Kemeny - has been quality in pre season and I think is going to be an upgrade on Ludlam

Best unheralded signing:
Tried to convince myself that I'd not be completely Saints-centric on this, but what the hell - I think Luke Green is going to be a real decent option at tighthead

The [Redacted] Award for lowest performance to hype ratio from a new signing:
Nayacalevu - because I expect him to be excellent but have a feeling he might end up injured for a fair amount of the season.

The Jerome Schuster Award for most pointless signing:
It's been said many times already, but it's hard to see past Halfpenny here. I remember saying 'what the hell?!' when Quins announced him.

Couldn't be more nailed picking Pollock for breakthrough - from non match day regular to Lion. Unbelievable first season.

Nayacalevu was a solid call for disappointing signing, and maybe Kemeny wasn't the signing of the season but he's certainly been consistently excellent for Saints.

[Puja]

I've been meaning to write up the traditional summary post for this thread for a while, but I'm not very well at the moment and it's currently fitting into the category of "Too much task", so it's not likely to happen any time soon. This is an apology and also an open call that, if anyone else wants to write a sardonic summary, awarding NoPrizes for the people who got closest in each category and ruthlessly mocking those who got it wrong, please feel free to take over.

Puja

[Danno]

Get better Puja

[Puja]

Get better Puja

I am aware of the intended meaning of this and am very grateful for the sentiment, but I am highly entertained by the idea of reading this as an imperative command.

Puja

[Danno]

Get better Puja

I am aware of the intended meaning of this and am very grateful for the sentiment, but I am highly entertained by the idea of reading this as an imperative command.

Puja

Why not both?

[Which Tyler]

Get better Puja.
Now dammit!
What are you waiting for?

[Epaminondas Pules]

Premiership Winner:
Northampton

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

European predictions - how will the English teams do?
3 x Quarter Final

Top try scorer:
Sleightholne

Top points scorer:
George Ford

Surprise of the season:
No more coaches leave England.

Biggest disappointment:
The European cup in all its glory, being an utterly shite format on Premier sports. Just an all round shit show!

Player having a breakthrough season:
Ooh tough. Henry Pollock is one. I think Tobias Elliot will get a decent amount of game time at Sarries, and I wouldn;t bet against Gus Hall getting into the first team, despite his age. louie Johnson is another there that could really flourish. Carnduff at Tigers is one I hope to see, and Fasogbon at Glaws. Sela maybe just starting to nudge into that matchday squad. Pollock would be my choice though.

Best signing:
I think I'd go Phil Brantingham to Sarries. They needed to replace Mako and I think its a match made in heaven for both. Also one eye on Sam Spink joining too. For Falcons I'm interested to see if Ethan Grayson can kick on.

One signing that could be worthwhile, and hopefully a champ club will, is Mark Dormer who was released by Newcastle at the end of last season.

Best unheralded signing:
Kofi Cripps to Bristol.

The [Redacted] Award for lowest performance to hype ratio from a new signing:
Is there hype around any of the signings? Fergus Burke maybe.

The Jerome Schuster Award for most pointless signing:
Mata or Halfpenny

Well, I got the breakthrough season pretty much spot on. But for injuries to Carnduff abd Johnson I might have got the full house on that one.