Betfred Super League 2020 - Season Preview

Thursday sees the return of the Betfred Super League, and the curtain-raiser for the 2020 season is a blockbuster matchup between 2 of this years favourites in the Wigan Warriors and the Warrington Wolves, 2 sides who have invested heavily in the off-season with new recruits, such as Gareth Widdop and George Burgess. This is going to be an overview of the season, predicting the season of all teams and the end of year 'Steve Prescott Man of Steel' award.

Castleford Tigers (Last Season - 5th)


Castleford will go into this season with yet another half-back partnership and that will be the biggest question asked of the Tigers this season. Will Jake Truemen and new signing Danny Richardson gel together? I feel they will work well together, however I do think it will take them a season to fully get to know how to adapt themselves to each others game. Castleford's key player this season in my eyes is 2019 Man of Steel contender Liam Watts who has been impressive for the Tigers since signing from Hull FC and I am expecting Australian import Sosaia Feki to be their top try scorer this season. I feel they will fall short of the playoffs this season after creeping in to the post-season in 2019 at the expense of Hull FC. They're an easy team on the eye are Castleford and an exciting team to watch when chosen to be the televised game.


My Prediction - 7th


Catalans Dragons (Last Season - 7th)


Well haven't Catalans brewed up a storm, whilst I am writing this they have just completed the signing of disgraced Australian rugby union player Israel Folau on a 1 year deal, something I didn't see coming. However with other signing James Maloney, favourite for the Man of Steel, also coming in to the side, I do see this being a good season for the Perpignan outfit. I'm a huge fan of the pack of the Dragons, especially captain Remi Casty who I feel has been fantastic the last couple of seasons and I expect him to lead from the front once again this season. It's also hard to ignore England international Sam Tomkins when talking about the Dragons who I felt had a good season last year off the back of his move from Wigan and proved a reliable goal kicker when needs be last season. They have lost the talented Tony Gigot but I do see this being a season where Catalans make the playoffs.


My Prediction - 4th


Huddersfield Giants (Last Season - 10th)


This is an interesting season for the Giants who I do feel will be battling to save themselves from the drop. They have brought in half-back Aiden Sezer and immediately decided he will captain the Giants this season, they will be hoping he can fill the void left by Danny Brough before his move to Wakefield before the start of last season. I do worry for their depth at the hooker position with the departure of Kruise Leeming to Leeds in the offseason and therefore leaving them with just Adam O'Brien in that position, they have also lost the talented Alex Mellor to Leeds as well which could hurt them in the long run as I felt he had a good season in the Second Row last season. Overall I do see Huddersfield having enough to beat the drop, as long as they keep Jermaine McGillvary fit you know he will provide tries for the Giants. I am also a fan of Darnell McIntosh at full-back and I'm expecting a big year from him.


My Prediction - 10th


Hull FC (Last Season - 6th)


Possibly the trickiest team to predict in the Super League are Hull as you just do not know what is round the corner with Lee Radford's team. They've made solid signings in the offseason such as winger Mahe Fonua and second rower Josh Jones, but their marquee signing has to be the 'Tongan Terminator' Manu Ma'u, all of this on top of a solid team which includes such players as Jake Connor and in my eyes underrated full-back Jamie Shaul. I see Hull having a good year this season and I do believe they will creep into the playoffs come the end of the season, however I just don't see them progressing far as I do feel the 3 powerhouses come the end of the season will have enough to see them off. Hull are also my pick for the Challenge Cup, they have had a great Wembley record lately, winning the trophy back to back in 2016-2017. I will back Marc Sneyd to control the game and collect the Lance Todd Trophy.


My Prediction - 5th


Hull KR (Last Season - 11th)


I feel it's going to be another long season for Hull KR, they didn't hit the heights last year and losing the experience of Danny McGuire and Mose Masoe will really hurt them in 2020. They have however improved their backs with players such as Greg Minikin and Shaun Kenny-Dowall, and their solution to the retirement of McGuire is to bring in London Broncos stand-off Jordan Abdull in his place, he will probably partner Jamie Ellis or young Mikey Lewis in the halves. I do feel as if they are going into this season as arguably the weakest outfit and with the fitness doubts of Weller Hauraki and Mitch Garbutt, I do feel it could be a season too far for the Robins. It'll be tight come the end of the season at the foot of the table, but I'm predicting this could be our relegated side.


My Prediction - 12th


Leeds Rhinos (Last Season - 8th)


Leeds go into this season with a point to prove and so does their new signing, 2017 Man of Steel winner, Luke Gale. Gale has been injury ridden since that Man of Steel victory and it will be interesting to see if he can reclaim his wonderful form when he was the spearhead of a brilliant Castleford team, his kicking game putting teams on the back foot and working with Paul McShane down the right edge of a devastating attack. This year Gale will probably be partnering Rob Lui in the halves, so if Leeds want to achieve playoff rugby this year, they will have to gel quickly. Leeds have also strengthened with the addition of prop Matt Prior and it'll be interesting to see who plays at hooker with Kruise Leeming and Brad Dwyer battling for the starting spot. Big seasons expected from youngsters Jack Walker and Harry Newman as well, Walker a recognised starter and Newman will push for the centre spot alongside man mountain, Konrad Hurrell.


My Prediction - 6th


Salford Red Devils (Last Season - 3rd)


They may have brought in numerous offseason recruits but make no mistake about it, this is a weaker Salford side than the one that played St Helens in the Grand Final in October. Any team in the Super League would miss a player of Jackson Hastings' calibre, especially a team like Salford who exceeded everyone's expectations last season. They've opted for an experienced replacement in Kevin Brown from Warrington, however you have to feel Brown will not be able to live up to the heights of Hastings last season, who was crowned Man of Steel. The Red Devils have also been able to attract centre Dan Sarginson from Wigan, Chris Atkin from Hull KR and have also loaned in prop Sebastian Ikahihifo from Huddersfield to bolster a pack including Lee Mossop and Gil Dudson, who were so impressive the second half of last season. I don't see Salford being in danger of being relegated this season but I do however see them finishing outside of the playoffs, I don't see last season as a one off but this season will certainly not hit the heights of the 2019 campaign.


My Prediction - 8th


St Helens (Last Season - 1st + Grand Final champions)


St Helens were the runaway leaders of the league last season and I do see them as the team to beat this season as well. It'll be an interesting transition for Saints as they are now under the leadership of new coach, Kristian Woolf as he takes over from outgoing Justin Holbrook who has moved to Gold Coast Titans. Saints just have proven quality all over the field, wingers Tommy Makinson and Regan Grace, both scored over 20 tries last season, stand-off Jonny Lomax was my personal Man of Steel, showing his class in that position with a superb partnership with Theo Fages. Prop forwards Luke Thompson, Alex Walmsley and young player of the year, Matty Lees went well all season, and loose forward Morgan Knowles gets better every year. Expect a big season this year from youngster James Bentley who will play either second row or fill in for the ever-dependable hooker James Roby. I don't see Saints having the league won as easy as they did last season but I still see them coming out on top. I also do believe Saints will go on to lift the Grand Final as well for the 2nd year running, with Lachlan Coote collecting the Harry Sunderland Trophy.


My Prediction - 1st


Toronto Wolfpack (Last Season - Promoted)


Sonny Bill Williams is here. The man who seems as if he has done everything in rugby has signed for the Canadian outfit. The Wolfpack have divided opinion on their inclusion into the Super League, however, I think it is great for the game to see a team with huge ambitions join the league. They come into the league with some greatly experienced Super League players such as ex-Saints captain Jon Wilkin, full-back Gareth O'Brien and prop Brad Singleton. I don't see the Wolfpack going straight into the playoff picture however I don't see them going straight back down. I think they will give a good account of themselves in their first season and the only way is up for Toronto.


My Prediction - 9th


Wakefield Trinity (Last Season - 9th)


Another team I think may be looking over their shoulder towards the end of the season are the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. They're a good side on paper but year in year out they have a constant burden with injuries, losing both Tom Johnstone and Bill Tupou for an extended period in 2019, losing one of their left edge is a worry but losing arguably their 2 most influential attacking players has the potential to ruin a season. The key for Wakefield this offseason was keeping hold of prop forward David Fifita which they have been able to do, Fifita also a player who struggled with injuries last season. I don't think Wakefield will go down but I do believe they'll be the ones fighting with Hull KR and Huddersfield for survival, Chris Chester's side will really need to battle this season.


My Prediction - 11th


Warrington Wolves (Last Season - 4th)


Last years Challenge Cup winners Warrington will go into this season with all confidence they can break their Grand Final duck. They have done some superb business in the offseason bringing in such players as Anthony Gelling, Gareth Widdop and newest recruit, Leilani Latu. The Wolves have however lost centre Bryson Goodwin who will be a big miss to them this season, however they do have the afore mentioned Gelling and Luther Burrell who can adapt to that position. Blake Austin is always a threat with his running game and can confuse the defence with a dummy better than anyone in the league, however the biggest threat in the Warrington team for me is hooker, Daryl Clark. Clark, the 2014 winner of the Man of Steel trophy, is a fantastic player and scored the final try in the Challenge Cup final victory in August. I do think Warrington will give the title a good run this season but as has been the case, they just won't get over the line this season.


My Prediction - 3rd


Wigan Warriors (Last Season - 2nd)


Wigan will want to get revenge for losing their Super League crown last season and losing out in both semi-finals in the playoffs to St Helens and Salford. They've made a huge statement in their recruitment of Man of Steel, Jackson Hastings in the offseason who will be a replacement for the outgoing George Williams to Canberra Raiders. Hastings will probably slot in to the halves alongside Bevan French who has been given the 6 jersey by the Warriors this season, so it will be interesting to see yet another new half-back partnership in Super League this season and how it will develop. Wigan have also boosted their pack with the acquisitions of George Burgess and Mitch Clark, 2 players who will run hard for the warriors and will cause defences all sorts of trouble especially if Tony Clubb performs this season, another impressive member of the Wigan side.


My Prediction - 2nd


Steve Prescott Man Of Steel


My pick for Man of Steel this year is the 22/1 rated Warrington hooker Daryl Clark. I'm backing Clark to win this for a 2nd time because of the way the points are tallied I see him being the stand-out performer in so many Warrington games this season, especially whilst Widdop and Austin gel in the halves. I think the other 4 contenders he will beat to the award will be Jonny Lomax, Sonny Bill Williams, James Maloney and Jackson Hastings. I feel Lomax will lose out due to the versatility of Saints and how many players will pick up points this season, Williams will lose out due to his side not winning enough games and the opposition players will pick up the 3,2 and 1 points on a weekly basis, however he will still impress enough to end up in contention. Maloney and Hastings will be in a position where they will still pick up a good amount of points but there will be other good performers in their team, they're probably in the same position as Lomax but not to the same extent.


Top Try Scorer


If you're looking for a flutter on who may score the most tries in 2020, look no further than Saints winger Regan Grace. Grace is a 20/1 shot with Betfred to score the most tries this season, with teammate Tommy Makinson and Warrington wingman Josh Charnley joint favourites at 11/1. Grace worked well with Saints centre Mark Percival in their warm-up game against London Broncos, so if they can work well together this season, I expect Grace is the best bet for the award.


I couldn't write this without putting a footnote in for rugby league legend Rob Burrow who it was revealed over the offseason is battling Motor Neurone Disease. Burrow was a wonderful player for the Leeds Rhinos and the reception he received off the Headingley crowd in Jamie Jones-Buchanan's testimonial brought the great man to tears. It was nothing less than Burrow deserved for what he has done, not only for Leeds but the Super League over the years, one of the greatest players to ever play in the Super League and a legend in my eyes.


Rob Burrow fund - https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/displayCharityCampaignPage.action?charityCampaignUrl=robburrow

Jordan Henderson

I wasn't going to dip into football in this blog, however I can't let the performances of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson go unnoticed. Henderson is currently playing the football of his life and if it wasn't for a wonderful fingertip save from David De Gea we would be talking about the Liverpool captain sealing the win against arch rivals Manchester United. However without that goal, Henderson would go on to receive the Sky Sports man of the match award which was truly deserved, it could have went to any Liverpool player on Sunday but Henderson was the recipient ahead of midfield partner Georginio Wijnaldum. This is going to be a review of Henderson's Liverpool career, the up's and downs and how he has got himself into the position of European Cup winning captain and you'd imagine soon to be Premier League winner.


The date is 9th June 2011 and Liverpool announce the signing of 20 year old Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson on a long term deal. A signing which was questioned as to whether or not it was the correct decision, possibly overshadowed by the overall business Liverpool did that summer signing such players as Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing, players who lets say, failed to hit the ground running at Anfield. Henderson had a slow start to his Liverpool career however did start the 2012 League Cup triumph over Cardiff City on penalties, being replaced by Craig Bellamy in the 58th minute after a quiet performance. Henderson then went on to play in the FA Cup final where Liverpool went down 2-1 to Chelsea, it overall went down as a disappointing season for Henderson however he was certainly not the weakest link in a poor Liverpool team.

Dalglish left and in came Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers who's long term idea was to move Henderson from a right sided midfielder in to more of a central minded midfielder. Rodgers did however try to put a deal in place for Fulham forward Clint Dempsey, using Henderson as a makeweight in a swap deal, something when looking back at the situation will go down as a bullet dodged. Whilst working under Rodgers, Henderson started to blossom into a 20 million pound central midfielder playing on the right side of a central diamond formation which saw captain Steven Gerrard move to a more defensive role, Henderson started to add more goals to his game under Rodgers but his strongest season under Rodgers was his first season as vice-captain in 2013/14, the season where Liverpool came within inches of a first league championship since 1990. Henderson starred in a midfield role alongside Gerrard and Brazilian Philippe Coutinho, giving service to the destructive front 3 of Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Golden Boot winner and PFA Player of the Year, Luis Suarez. This was the season where Henderson matured into a full international, gaining a call up for his first World Cup with England and gaining plaudits from many saying he had been one of the most important cogs in such a strong Liverpool team. However one of the low points in the season and a moment in which many see as a turning point in the title race, Henderson was sent off in the last minute of the clash with Manchester City and being awarded a 3 match ban which saw him miss the games against Norwich, Chelsea and Crystal Palace, a run of games in which Liverpool took only 4 points out of 9 and ultimately missed out on the title.


At the end of the 2014/15 season, Steven Gerrard was to leave Liverpool after spending his whole career at the club and move to LA Galaxy, a move which saw Henderson promoted to the Liverpool captaincy, a move which was universally agreed by Liverpool fans saying that it was the correct decision and the right direction they wanted leadership to go in. The first season under the leadership of Henderson saw another change in the dugout, Rodgers was sacked after a 1-1 draw away to rivals Everton and in came the former Borussia Dortmund boss, Jurgen Klopp. Klopp decided that Henderson was to be his captain and to carry on leading the side in a season which saw Liverpool get to 2 finals, the League Cup final against Manchester City which they lost on penalties and the Europa League final against Sevilla losing 3-1 in Bern. Henderson was not without his critics for a few years, some fans asking for him to be replaced as captain by either the experienced James Milner or the defensive colossus in Dutchman, Virgil Van Dijk, this something that clearly has not been in the mind of Klopp. Henderson's next final as captain was to be the European Cup final in 2018 in Kiev, a season where Liverpool had performed impeccably going into the final, forwards Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and 'Bobby' Firmino all scoring big goals in the knockout stages to get to Kiev and became the most feared front 3 in Europe. However Kiev was to end in heartbreak, a disastrous game from German goalkeeper Loris Karius handing winners Real Madrid 2 goals in a 3-1 win for the Spanish outfit in a game where Mo Salah was injured by Sergio Ramos who somehow escaped a red card for the challenge.

Going in to the 2018/19 season, this was to be a huge season for Henderson, if he was to struggle, Klopp may have seen the positives in changing the captaincy to the afore mentioned Van Dijk. However what was to come was to be the best full season of Jordan Henderson's career. Liverpool were to have an impeccable season, finishing on 97 points in the Premier League, finishing 2nd behind eventual champions Manchester City after a tussle where neither team gave an inch, both winning every game from mid-March to the end of the season. It was on the European front where Henderson was to finally get his hands on more silverware after a 7 year wait and the first piece of silverware as Liverpool captain. After wins over Bayern Munich and Porto, Liverpool somehow came back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 on aggregate against Spanish champions Barcelona, Henderson outstanding in the return leg at Anfield, you could see how much it meant to the captain at the end of the game with emotion pouring out onto the Anfield turf. English outfit Tottenham stood in the way of Henderson and Liverpool winning a 6th European Cup, Liverpool overcame the challenge of Spurs, beating them 2-0 in Madrid with goals from Salah and cult hero Divock Origi. Henderson in tears at full time after another captains performance where you could see he had put everything into the performance, embracing manager Klopp and struggling to stand up, running on empty and capping off his best season in a red shirt since the 2013/14 campaign.


If the 18/19 campaign was impressive then this season's performances have been nothing short of superb from the Liverpool captain. Tremendous performances against reigning champions Manchester City, away to title rivals Leicester City and the World Club Championship final against Flamengo have stood out and made people aware of exactly what Jordan Henderson is capable of. Flamengo manager Jorge Jesus was quoted as saying he believes Henderson is the world's best midfielder, a statement which would have been laughed at 24 months ago however at this moment, with the captaincy element involved, I feel Jordan would be a fair enough contender for that title. Henderson has formed a formidable partnership in Liverpool's midfield 3 with Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum which looks like Klopp's preferred trio when going into games and has been solid in the big games, it was also the midfield of choice in Madrid. Liverpool have been without Fabinho for around a month now and Henderson has stepped in to the void and has done his job tremendously, at this moment arguably the best footballer in the league and a good outside bet for Player of the Year. Henderson has also become the first captain of a British team to lift the international club treble, lifting the European Cup, Super Cup and World Club Championship in the last 12 months, a feat many would not have seen coming when Liverpool lost 6-1 to Stoke City in the last game before Henderson became Liverpool captain.


Liverpool sit 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand on their rivals and if they were to go on to win the league, there aren't many people who would deny that there is no man in this current squad that deserves that trophy as much as Jordan Henderson, what a player he has become and the reception he received off the Kop when leaving the field after defeating Manchester United was massively deserved. I just hope that the roar is even louder if his name is hopefully read out before lifting the Premier League trophy.

NFL Divisional Week Preview

This weekend see's the penultimate weekend of competitive action in the NFL as 4 teams aim to reach Super Bowl 54 in Miami.


The bookies favourites are the Kansas City Chiefs, lead by their 3rd year quarterback out of Texas Tech, Patrick Mahomes II, who lost out at this stage last season, losing in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl champs, New England Patriots. Chiefs fans out there will be hoping that the experience of losing at this stage last season will spur on the team to their first Super Bowl victory since 1970 where they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 in New Orleans. The Chiefs must have been cursing themselves in last weeks Divisional Round where after just a quarter they trailed 24-0 to the Deshaun Watson lead Houston Texans, a quarterback they passed on in the 2017 NFL draft where they chose the afore mentioned Mahomes II, trading up to the 10th overall pick, a decision which looking back on it has not raised any eyebrows, however the irony must have been in the back of the mind of GM Brett Veach and HC Andy Reid. Mahomes then showed his class, tossing for 4 touchdowns in the 2nd quarter and hauling the Chiefs back into the picture, after a huge battle on offence, the tie ended up being a high scoring affair, the Chiefs coming out on top 51-31. Mahomes has not hit the glittering headlines of his exceptional first year as starter in 2018 where he tossed for 50 regular season touchdowns, however has still had an above average season, picking out his main targets of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill more often that not, which means that he is still the quarterback to fear in this offseason, maybe they will become the new force in the NFL, however competing year in, year out with the Baltimore Ravens, with their quarterback Lamar Jackson seems an enticing prospect for any neutral. As a fan of the sport, battles between Mahomes and Jackson is definitely something to look forward to, and with Mahomes only being 24 and Jackson being 23, fingers crossed there are plenty of battles to come. It does look as if the Chiefs are the team to beat but you never know what's round the corner in Playoff Football.


The team looking to take down the chiefs are this years surprise package, Tennessee Titans, who's main man and biggest threat seems to be the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner, running back, Derrick Henry. The Titans mid-season trade for quarterback Ryan Tannehill after his release from the Miami Dolphins, displacing former first round draft choice Marcus Mariota, seems to be a shrewd decision as he has fitted in to the system that the Titans play like a glove. The number 6 seed came into the playoffs with the dreaded task of going to Foxbrough to play reigning Super Bowl champs and the seemingly invicible, New England Patriots, who have been lead since 2001 by the greatest quarterback to ever lace up in the NFL, Tom Brady, or as he is now referred 'The GOAT'. However this is something that the Titans did not fear, taking down the Patriots 20-13, shocking everybody associated with the NFL. The Titans then had to go to number one seed Baltimore Ravens as mentioned above with the sure favourite for the MVP award Jackson, a task which teams haven't exactly looked forward to this season. But in line with the common theme of this Titans team, it certainly did not faze them, Henry running for 195 yards off 30 carries. This has now given the Chiefs something to think about going in to this weekends fixture which looks as if it is going to be an absolute cracker.


MY PREDICTION - I do believe the Chiefs will just have enough to beat the Titans, however it will be a tight affair, I think Mahomes will show his class, the crowd at Arrowhead will drag the team through it and as much as I feel the Chiefs have a vulnerable defence towards the running game of Henry, Tannehill's lack of experience in the playoffs may show, expect a touchdown from the secondary defence of Kansas City. If I had to give a score prediction, I would say Kansas City by 6, with a Hail Mary attempt from Tannehill being intercepted late on.


Now in the NFC Championship game, a real comeback story vs somebody who has been a constant threat to any side for since I can remember, both teams having the same record in the NFL this season at 13-3.


The San Francisco 49ers after having 2nd pick in the 2019 draft find themselves in the Championship game, something I really did not predict happening before the start of the season, this must have even come as a surprise to the most optimistic of 49ers fans. However with the 2nd pick of the draft, they drafted, for me, the best player in the draft in LE Nick Bosa, which is a name which makes you sit up and listen after brother Joey's performances since being drafted by the Chargers a few years prior. Their quarterback is the former understudy to Tom Brady in New England, Jimmy Garoppolo, who seemed as if he was on the way to a career which was not going to reach the potential it seemed it had a few years ago in New England. When he was traded to San Francisco to the surprise of many it seemed as if they had found their new franchise quarterback, however just 3 games into his career in Santa Clara, the quarterback suffered a torn ACL in an injury that saw him miss the rest of the season, this then poised the obvious question of 'Will we see Jimmy G back firing like we expect him to'? To his credit, Garoppolo has bounced back and has been worth his plaudits this year, leading the 49ers to a 13-3 regular season record, helped by a mid-season signing of Emmanuel Sanders who has looked like the receiver he was in Seattle when Russell Wilson was throwing to the likes of him and Tyler Lockett who is still looking like a huge weapon in the Seahawks offence and TE George Kittle who has turned into an absolute machine in the last 2 seasons for San Francisco, looking like he could be a future Hall of Famer. The 49ers have also drawn plaudits for their rushing offence, with the 2nd best record of this regular season behind just Baltimore, who have arguably 1 of the most well known rushing threats in the NFL in Jackson, showing quite how impressive they have been this season. They have been the team to beat all season in the NFC this season having only lost their first game in week 10 to the Seattle Seahawks, this being their 9th game of the season, this is something that people will be looking at when preparing for the 49ers this season, they will not be an easy game for anyone.


Their opponents this weekend and the visitors to the Levi's Stadium are the Green Bay Packers who are lead by future first ballot Hall of Famer, Aaron Rodgers who has been one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, certainly in the bracket of the Tom Brady's, Joe Montana's, the top top tier of players. He has made every team who passed on him in the 2005 draft definitely rethink their decision to pass on him, proving to everybody that he should have been the number 1 pick in that draft over QB Alex Smith who has not had a bad career, but certainly has not hit the heights that Rodgers has hit in his career. Rodgers was a Super Bowl champion in 2011 defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 45 by 31 points to 25 and he will be hoping that he can upset the odds and take the Packers back to the promised land as they have not been in the National Championship since then and its a question of should Rodgers have won more possessing the class that he has done? Well he may just add to his total if WR Davante Adams is on his game, Rodgers main target has been tremendous this season and has grown into the role of number one target since the loss of Randall Cobb to Dallas and Jordy Nelson to Oakland. Some of the route's that Adams ran in the Divisional Round victory vs Seattle were nothing less than superb, obviously helped out at times by tremendous throwing by Rodgers, one throw sticking out which created the first score in the game, a beautifully floated throw by Rodgers but Adams making the defensive back look silly by checking his run and being wide open when going into the corner, it looked as wonderful as it sounds. Another player who has really impressed me this season for Green Bay has been running back Aaron Jones, who has ran in for 19 touchdowns this season, impressive for anybody but in an offence which is usually pass orientated, Jones must be impressing HC Matt LeFleur in practice to be able to get the ball out of the hands of Rodgers. As a neutral going in to this round of fixtures, if I had to pick a team I would like to see lift the Vince Lombardi trophy on the 2nd February, it would definitely be the Cheeseheads but it will be a tricky task for even a quarterback of Rodgers class to overcome stiff opposition, however I was impressed by the Packers against the Russell Wilson lead Seahawks.


MY PREDICTION - I feel this is a tighter call than the AFC Championship as we have 2 Super Bowl winning quarterbacks on show (albeit Garoppolo as a backup) however working under Brady and coach Belicheck must give him the knowhow of how to handle the pressure in these situations. This is something I believe will give them the edge in this game, unfortunately for Rodgers, I do think this is the end of the road for the Packers this season, and I also do think this is the last chance for Rodgers to lift his 2nd Super Bowl, I'm going for San Francisco to win by double digits and I feel their running game will kill the Packers, I feel like the offensive line of the Packers looked weak at times against Seattle and I feel like people like Nick Bosa will put enough pressure on Rodgers and he is not the scrambler he once was, leading to opportunities for sacks and to push the Packers further back on offence and gaining better field position for San Francisco.