With St Helens and Leeds Rhinos having competed in the past three Grand Finals, Leeds emerging victorious each time, a question must be posed: Can any team stop the two meeting on a fourth consecutive occasion at the conclusion of Super League XV?
The unavoidable answer is no. The already formidable Rhinos squad, the first to win the Super League trophy three times in a row, has been strengthened with two high-profile signings from the southern hemisphere. Back-row forward Greg Eastwood, the 22-year-old New Zealand international who was a member of the 2008 World Cup-winning side, has joined - and Rhinos coach Brian McClennan has made no secret of his excitement regarding the new recruit.
"I think he's an outstanding player. He's going to make all the teams sit up and take notice. He's got great line-breaking ability, he's got a good offload game and in defence he can whack people," McClennan said. Joining Eastwood is Australian centre Brett Delaney, the 23-year-old former Parramatta player, who has signed a three-year contract. Delaney, who will replace Wasps-bound Lee Smith, brings with him a considerable reputation - he played in last season's City versus Country match in Australia's National Rugby League.
Leeds' squad, once again ably led by the talismanic Kevin Sinfield, boasts the prolific Ryan Hall - still only 22 - who scored 29 Super League tries last season, leading to him being named international rookie of the year by the Rugby League International Federation. Hall's five tries in one game against Castleford Tigers was one of the performances of Super League XIV.
St Helens: The main challengers
What of Saints? They will be desperate to lift the Super League crown in what will be their final season playing at Knowsley Road before moving to a larger stadium. The acquisition of 23-year-old Sydney Roosters centre Iosia Soliola, who played for New Zealand during the Four Nations, is St Helens' marquee signing for the 2010 season.
In signing Soliola, Saints have strengthened a position considered their weakest. Their coach, Mick Potter, welcomed the recruitment of a specialist centre. "Sia will add size, speed and athleticism to our back-line and will be a great addition to our squad for next season," he said.
Even taking the Soliola purchase into consideration, St Helens' most important dealing was a re-signing, as they secured the future of exciting young talent Kyle Eastmond for another two years. Eastmond is a capable replacement for departing scrum-half Sean Long, who joins Hull, although the latter's larger-than-life personality will be missed in the dressing room when the season begins on January 29.
Although other sides have strengthened - notably Carnegie Challenge Cup winners Warrington, who have signed England scrum-half Richie Myler from Salford - it is hard to see any sides breaking the cycle of Saints and Rhinos dominance.
Ones to watch
St Helens starlet Eastmond will have to go some way to surpass his achievements during the 2009 season, a year he started as utility player at Saints and ended as England's number six. There is no doubt that Eastmond, who played in all England's Four Nations games, is capable of going better - particularly because he will benefit from playing in a fixed position next season. This will be scrum-half, replacing Saints' veteran No 7 Long.
Eastmond's ball-carrying skills and attacking instincts will be crucial next term as the Saints seek to avenge last year's Grand Final defeat - a game in which Eastmond scored all of his side's points. How much longer St Helens can hold onto the 20-year-old is unclear, however, with rumours rife that he may emulate the likes of Jason Robinson by switching codes.
Another young English prospect is Sam Tomkins, the Wigan half-back, whose form last season gained him a place in Super League's Dream Team. Incoming Wigan Warriors coach Michael Maguire, who has replaced the Crusaders-bound Brian Noble, has talked up the 20-year-old's ability. "He's got the potential to be a great of the game if he works hard enough," Maguire said.
Scrum-half Paul Deacon, who has joined Wigan from Bradford, will act as on-field mentor to Tomkins. The thought of Deacon smoothing off the rough edges of Tomkins' gifted rugby brain is a tantalising prospect for England fans. The agile half-back promises to be a fixture of future England squads, having scored three tries against Wales in a 2009 friendly.
Keep an eye out for... Following another last-place Super League finish, Crusaders again re-brand in the hope of attracting more support. Preferred choice St Helens is surprisingly rejected.
With Bradford's signing of Matt Orford from Manly proving a success, sides keen for more muscle clamour to buy the squad of We're Dead Tough, Honest.
After snow forces them to do the bulk of their pre-season training indoors, Harlequins fall out of love with rugby and enter basketball's National League.
On-pitch Twittering is spoiled by pesky six-tackle rule, most tweets ending at crucial points with "hang about, gotta move away".
Josh Williams is an assistant editor of ESPN.co.uk
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