Smile all way to the bank – if Kings win
If you think rank outsiders the Southern Kings have any chance of winning the Pro14 then get your cash on quickly because they have been priced at generous odds of 500/1.
The Port Elizabeth team, who could win only one of 21 games last season, are the longest shots to go all the way to the final in Glasgow on May 25.
They were the competition’s worst performing team, and the omens are not looking that bright for the new campaign.
The Kings start their campaign on September 1 against fellow outsiders Zebra, who have been priced at 200/1.
This season the Kings have been plagued by protracted sponsorship talks, which has delayed the contractive of new players.
Kings coach Deon Davids will once again have his back to the wall as he bids to transform his team from whipping boys into a competitive unit.
Twenty-five of the current 29 squad members played for the Kings when they struggled to keep their heads above water last season.
Fijian Meli Rokoua has been named in the Kings squad and, although little is known of him, he did receive rave reviews after a stint in Portugal.
The new players who have joined the squad that did duty last year are locks J C Astle and Schalk Oelofse, and scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius.
Astle and Oelofse were signed from French Pro D2 side Montde-Marsan, while Pretorius previously played for the Dragons in Wales and the Cheetahs.
British bookmakers Ladbrokes are expecting more of the same this season after they installed defending Pro14 champions Leinster as the favourites to win it again.
They predict an all-Ireland final, with Munster as favourites to join last season's European and domestic winners.
Glasgow are joint-third favourites, with Scarlets on 5/1, and a familiar split is apparent throughout the league.
Connacht and the Cheetahs – on 33/1 and 40/1 respectively – sit above a predictable bottom four of the Dragons, Benetton, Zebre and Southern Kings. The odds: Leinster 6/4 Munster 4/1 Glasgow 5/1 Scarlets 5/1 Cardiff Blues 20/1 Edinburgh 20/1 Ospreys 20/1 Ulster 20/1 Connacht 33/1 Cheetahs 40/1 Dragons 200/1 Benetton 200/1 Zebre 200/1 Southern Kings 500/1