The Rules:

• Each person predicts the results of every Super League match.
• Predicting the correct winner will get you 1 point.
• If the predictor’s scoreline has the same winning margin, then 4 points will be awarded (only if the predicted winning team is correct).
• Correctly predicting the exact score will win you an additional 5 points.
• Two bonus points will be awarded if the first try scorer is predicted correctly, whereas 1 point will be awarded if the selected player scores during the match.

Well, here we go again. It is a weird quirk of time that it seems like both an eternity and barely any time has passed since the end of last season. I still think I’m getting over my hangover, and the prospect of a World Club Challenge in a few weeks fills me with nervous excitement. However, that is a game outside of this series’ remit.

We’ve had a tweak of the rules for this season, just to shake up the format and make it a little bit more exciting; after all, it’s a season for change in the Betfred Super League, what with Bradford, York, and Toulouse joining the competition. The expansion to fourteen teams gives rugby league fans an extra game every week to enjoy, and gives us an extra game each week to predict, so more bang for your buck either way. I hope you will enjoy our predictions once again this year, and I very much look forward to retaining my crown as chief mystic of rugby league come September, although I’m sure Ian will have a lot to say about that…

Nathan’s Picks:

• York Knights 12 – Hull KR 42. First try scorer: Joe Burgess
• Catalans Dragons 24 – Huddersfield Giants 6. First try scorer: Tommy Makinson
• Leigh Leopards 18 – Leeds Rhinos 24. First try scorer: Josh Charnley
• Warrington Wolves 12 – St Helens 36. First try scorer: Nene Macdonald
• Hull FC 32 – Bradford Bulls 10. First try scorer: Lewis Martin
• Wakefield Trinity 36 – Toulouse Olympique XIII 4. First try scorer: Tyson Smoothy
• Castleford Tigers 10 – Wigan Warriors 30. First try scorer: Jai Field

Ian’s Picks:

• York Knights 10 – Hull KR 36. First try scorer: Liam Harris
• Catalans Dragons 24 – Huddersfield Giants 28. First try scorer: Jacob Gagai
• Leigh Leopards 12 – Leeds Rhinos 24. First try scorer: Ryan Hall
• Warrington Wolves 18 – St Helens 30. First try scorer: Harry Robertson
• Hull FC 36 – Bradford Bulls 12. First try scorer: Harvey Barron
• Wakefield Trinity 30 – Toulouse Olympique XIII 10. First try scorer: Max Jowitt
• Castleford Tigers 10 – Wigan Warriors 42. First try scorer: Liam Marshall