Entertainment and answers as Super League returns

The 14th season of the Engage Super League, which kicks off at Headingley tomorrow night, should be judged not just by the entertainment it will no doubt provide, but also by how far it addresses the weaknesses exposed by last autumn's World Cup.

The return of the domestic competition has engendered a desire within the game to be unfailingly positive, at the expense of striking an attitude of “Don't mention the war” worthy of Basil Fawlty.

But it will not be possible to watch the action without reflecting on inconvenient truths like the woeful shortage of quality English-qualified backs in the country's elite league.

The Rugby League claims it is tackling the situation and that the numbers of overseas players will come down. One of the justifications for doing away with promotion and relegation last year was that it would allow clubs to think long-term and cultivate their own young players rather than bringing in ready-made imports.

There is no sign of that yet. A club with the productive hinterland of Wigan could - and may at some stage - field a team in which the first nine names are overseas players. It is an absurd position for the game to be in.

The other glaring fault that the World Cup revealed was a lack of players who can see the bigger picture and make key decisions on the field. Super League is not short of outstanding ball-runners, even British ones, but generals who can think their way through a game are in short supply. That raises questions about the way they are coached, not just in Super League but before they get anywhere near that level.

Another key question this year is how the quality of the competition will be affected by expanding from 12 to 14 clubs. The fear is that it will be diluted and the very first game - between the Champions, Leeds, and the newly elevated Celtic Crusaders - is the first test of that theory.

The Crusaders represent a leap of faith in South Wales. There is no doubt that rugby league needs to spread its wings and provide an elite level to aspire to in new areas of the country. The question is whether the Crusaders are the way to do it.

They are likely to have a dozen overseas players involved at Headingley; a transitional phase, says their coach, John Dixon, but an uncomfortable one.

They are unfortunate in meeting Leeds in their first match, because it is hard to look beyond the Rhinos as the likely winners of Super League XIII.

True, they have lost Gareth Ellis to Australia, put they have a tremendous rhythm of continuity at Headingley and their next tranche of youngsters looks up to the task.

Their closest rivals last season, St Helens, are a slightly different case. They have lost six of last season's squad and added only one - Tony Puletua - so their numbers only add up if some of their young reserves make an early impact. It might be asking a lot for them, with pivotal players a year older, to match their recent levels of performance.

So where will the challenge come from? Wigan and the Catalan Dragons will do well if they match last season's efforts, but the time might be right for a Bradford resurgence.

If there is to be a dark horse this time, it could be Hull Kingston Rovers. They have been building steadily and might have the right blend now to make a serious bid for a top four place and a fighting chance, in the new eight-team play-offs, of a run to Old Trafford.

Warrington are strong on paper again, but have stumbled so often that they have to convince themselves that they can put it all together before they can even begin to convince anyone else.

Hull will surely have better luck with injuries, whilst the issue for Harlequins is whether an improving crop of local players can compensate for the loss of the experience of Henry Paul and Scott Hill.

If the World Cup did any club any good, it should be Wakefield. A number of their players - Scott Grix, Damien Blanch, Sean Gleeson, Oliver Wilkes - grew visibly during the tournament. Their coach, John Kear, now expects them to bring the confidence they gained into Super League and, if they do, the Wildcats could scratch around the fringes of the top eight.

It will be fascinating to watch the progress of some outstanding young British talent at their neighbours, Castleford. Joe Westerman, Michael Shenton and Richard Owen all have the makings of internationals and a club that finished rock bottom last season has done well to keep them.

Cas will not expect to run last this time. Celtics and their fellow successful licence applicants at Salford start as favourites for the wooden spoon - but not, of course, for relegation.

It is now up to them - and the rest of Super League - to use that breathing space to put the obvious things right; things like their grounds - four clubs are at various stages of planning new stadia - and their nurturing of local talent that might one day be able to aid the English cause.