1st Leeds Rhinos

The key to Leeds’s achievements has been their ability to keep together the players at the heart of their success: Jamie Peacock, Danny McGuire, Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield. They have all the elements to win a fourth title in a row.

Odds (William Hill, to win Grand Final): 11-10 Coach Brian McClennan (New Zealand, appointed Nov 2007) Captain Kevin Sinfield Player to watch Greg Eastwood, 2008 New Zealand World Cup-winning forward Rising star Kallum Watkins 2009: Super League: first. Play-offs: Grand Final winners. Challenge Cup: fourth round. World Club Challenge: lost to Manly. Average attendance: 15,312.

2nd Warrington Wolves

Last year’s Challenge Cup winners will be desperate to shake off the tag of Super League underachievers. The introduction of Richard Myler, David Solomona and Ryan Atkins to an already star-studded squad is an appetising prospect. The question is, can Tony Smith make this group work or will it be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth?

Odds 9-1 Coach Smith (Aus, March 2009) Captain Adrian Morley Player to watch Richard Myler, precocious teenage England scrum half Rising star Tyrone McCarthy 2009: Super League: tenth. Challenge Cup: winners. Attendance: 9,228.

3rd St Helens

Kyle Eastmond and Leon Pryce are two of the best attacking runners, but with Sean Long no longer at the helm, the burden of directing play will fall to one of them. Pryce, 28, has plenty of experience but has not played the part and Eastmond has yet to be tested. How this works will affect Saints’ success.

Odds 11-4 Coach Mick Potter (Aus, Dec 2008) Captain Keiron Cunningham Player to watch Eastmond, Long’s youthful successor Rising star Andrew Dixon 2009: Super League: second. Play-offs: Grand Final runners-up. Challenge Cup: semi-finals. Attendance: 11,027.

4th Huddersfield Giants

The Giants’ loss in last year’s Challenge Cup final and disappointing play-offs experience has left them with a sour taste in their mouths. They have a tight unit and all work hard for one another. Their home form will need to improve early and Kevin Brown and Luke Robinson must stay fit, as they are irreplaceable.

Odds 14-1 Coach Nathan Brown (Aus, Dec 2008) Captain Brett Hodgson Player to watch Hodgson, influential 2009 Man of Steel Rising star Michael Lawrence 2009: Super League: third. Play-offs: preliminary semi-finals. Challenge Cup: beaten finalists. Attendance: 7,641.

5th Catalans Dragons

When I think of the Dragons, I think, “Big men, inconsistent form and big men again.” A year after playing them and the pounding I took at their hands at Salford, I am still sticking myself back together. Pound for pound the biggest team in rugby league, during last year’s play-offs they showed that French flair. They are my dark horses.

Odds 20-1 Coach Kevin Walters (Aus, Dec 2008). Captain Thomas Bosc. Player to watch Dallas Johnson, tough-tackling exponent from Melbourne. Rising star Kane Bentley. 2009: Super League: eighth. Play-offs: qualifying semi-finals. Challenge Cup: fifth round. Attendance: 9,104.

6th Wigan Warriors The homecoming of the “baby-faced assassin”, Paul Deacon, and introduction of new head coach, Michael Maguire, from Melbourne, should breathe fresh life into the Wigan faithful’s expectations. Stephen Kearney, the New Zealand coach, rates Maguire highly and expects him to prosper in Lancashire.

Odds 10-1 Coach Michael Maguire (Aus, Oct 2009) Captain Five-man leadership team Player to watch Sam Tomkins, talented young England half back Rising star Shaun Ainscough 2009: Super League: sixth.

Play-offs: qualifying semi-finals. Challenge Cup: semi-finals. Attendance: 13,695.

7th Castleford Tigers

Castleford will be focusing on trying to improve on last year’s finishing spot. They have a host of good youngsters within their ranks. Rangi Chase and Ryan McGoldrick are devastatingly elusive with ball in hand but the problem is that sometimes their own players do not know what they are going to do.

Odds 80-1 Coach Terry Matterson (Aus, Nov 2005) Captain Ryan Hudson Player to watch Chase, gifted New Zealand half back Rising star Jordan Thompson 2009: Super League: seventh. Play-offs: elimination play-offs. Challenge Cup: quarter-finals. Attendance: 7,490.

8th Hull Kingston Rovers

The best way to explain Rovers is as a well-oiled machine. The true strength of their squad stems from Justin Morgan’s ability to communicate his messages to his players.

What the Robins missed last year were a couple of extra strike weapons. Good teams get you into the play-offs, great players win you the championship.

Odds 25-1 Coach Justin Morgan (Aus, July 2005) Captain Mick Vella Player to watch Shaun Briscoe, consummate England full back Rising star Frankie Mariano 2009: Super League: fourth.

Play-offs: preliminary semi-finals. Challenge Cup: quarter-finals. Attendance: 8,501.

9th Hull FC

After setting the Super League on fire in the opening five games last season, they pulled up horribly short, lacking direction and leadership. The introduction of Sean Long at No 7 should remedy the situation, and word from East Yorkshire is that he has made a seamless transition into the squad. Expect this year to be very different.

Odds 25-1.

Coach Richard Agar (England, May 2008).

Captain Sean Long.

Player to watch Mark O’Meley — former Australia prop known as “The Ogre”.

Rising star Tom Briscoe.

2009: Super League: twelfth. Challenge Cup: fourth round. Attendance: 13,226.

10th Bradford Bulls A crunch season for Steve McNamara. His choice of 31-year-old Australian Matt Orford, to replace last year’s captain Paul Deacon, will attract most attention early on.

If Orford can deliver the same all-round quality that Steve Menzies has for the Bulls, they may cure McNamara’s sleepless nights. Bradford have a lot to prove this year, mainly to themselves.

Odds 14-1 Coach Steve McNamara (Eng, April 2006) Captain To be named Player to watch Dave Halley — exemplary at full back in 2009 campaign Rising star James Donaldson 2009: Super League: ninth. Challenge Cup: fourth round. Attendance: 9,677.

11th Wakefield Wildcats

The Wildcats are always one of the dark horses for the play-offs. Many teams see them as easy to beat, but do so at their peril. Wakefield’s home ground is a hard place to steal a couple of points, as they muscle up there and their fans become a fourteenth man. John Kear is one of the best motivators and he consistently brings out the best from his players.

Odds 66-1 Coach John Kear (Eng, July 2006) Captain Jason Demetriou Player to watch Danny Brough — mercurial orchestrator at scrum half Rising star Aaron Murphy 2009: Super League: fifth. Play-offs: elimination play-offs. Challenge Cup: fifth round. Attendance: 5,891.

12th Harlequins

Having two pre- season matches called off because of the adverse weather was something that Brian McDermott did not need. He fears his players have not had enough quality opposition to prepare them fully for their start tomorrow at home to Wakefield. They have also picked up injuries to Rob Purdham and Luke Dorn.

Odds 125-1 Coach Brian McDermott (Eng, July 2006) Captain Rob Purdham Player to watch Chad Randall, master hooker Rising star Ben Jones-Bishop 2009: Super League: eleventh. Challenge Cup: fourth round. Attendance: 3,436.

13th Salford City Reds

A tough season in prospect because Salford have seen players leave and the club has looked to up-and-coming talent to mature into the first team. No big signings from Down Under, but they have recruited solid players from Super League and abroad. The Reds welcome back from injury Willie Talau, who is a strike weapon out wide.

Odds 150-1 Coach Shaun McRae (Aus, June 2007) Captain Malcolm Alker Player to watch Stefan Ratchford, visionary young English half back Rising star Jack Spencer 2009: Super League: thirteenth. Challenge Cup: quarter-finals. Attendance: 4,390.

14th Crusaders

Crusaders have had a terrible pre-season and it was not until a short time ago that they had a place they could call home. After losing six of his first-team players last season because of visa issues, Brian Noble has had to build a team from scratch. His late appointment meant that the pool of players to choose from had become very small.

Odds 200-1 Coach Noble (Eng, Oct 2009) Captain Ryan O’Hara Player to watch Michael Witt, goalkicking half back returning from union Rising star Lloyd White 2009: Super League: fourteenth. Challenge Cup: fourth round. Attendance: 3,603.