I've said all year that if Leeds finish 5th i don't think they'll win the GF this time. They are capable of it as we saw last year but i think the other teams will be looking at Leeds as the team to beat in the playoffs no matter where they come in the table and i got the sense last year that we kind of snuck into the playoffs quietly with no one really expecting Leeds or any team to be able to do it from 5th - 8th.



Warrington will eventually get it right in the playoffs one year, possibly this one, and Wigan i think will be very strong once the the playoffs start having not participated in this year's CC Final and with Tommy Leuluai returning for them. Even though we've had a lot of success against Saints in the GF, Leeds' record Away @ St.Helens is quite poor and a trip to France is obviously tricky.



I would still prefer 4th right now as i've said going to the DW to play Wigan won't frighten this squad and Wigan have lost their opening playoff game there in both of the last 2 years. Worst case scenerio we lose then we come back and have another crack in 2 weeks hopefully, i'd rather have 2 attempts to beat Wigan than just one. A 5th place finish and match against a Wakey team who have won 6 in a row and pushed us close at Headingley and beat us at Belle Vue has banana skin written all over it imo.

I still don't think 4th is harder than 5th. Mainly for this reason: In the 2nd round of fixtures, if all goes with league order, 4th will play 5th. In that case, 4th get to play at home. Advantage.



Plus, 4th have already had a chance to skip that game altogether if they can upset the league leaders away. Which is tough, but could happen.



I still think people are confusing the fact that Huddersfield were utter, utter bobbins by the end of last season when Leeds were finally hitting top form with a more structural issue with the play-offs.

I shouldn't worry about that. No chance we can overhaul Saints points difference and I very much doubt Bradford, now they've finished running on adrenaline, can get a result at Catalan.

I wouldn't fancy playing Wakie right now.



A team that has gelled, is performing and digging out results.



Has 'disaster' witten all over it. They would enter the play-offs with nothing to lose, makes them a poentially dangerous opponent. If they played us at HQ and knocked us out, that would be like a GF victory for them.

Be very carefull!



In 2007 somebody asked me if we would beat st's in the grand final by 30 points, I replied if they do I would run round our local sports field naked...... we won by 27...phew.

Good point!! Wakey fans are relishing going to your place and beating you. We nearly did it earlier in the season - albeit both defences were dire - and beat you well at BV in July. On the top of that, we have won six in a row (hopefully 7 by the time we play you) and grinding out results - Saints & KR by a drop, and Widnes yesterday. Don't make the mistake of thinking you just need to turn up.



PS Will Danny Mc still be out?

Wakie will be exremely confident of coming to HQ with nothing to lose but IF we can regroup and stay focussed we should be too good for them ina tough game.

The problem i see is the away games at any of the top 4 we could beat catalan and imo we should have done so prior to the CC but its still 50/50 the other 3 are firing and have full suads full of confidence which would make it a tougher ask and more unlikely than last year imo.

Dude, you know most of the people on here are fans and not players right? So actually they pretty much do only need to turn up. There's other stuff they can do, like shout a bit, buy some poor quality food and drink and so on, but that's all optional really.

The Wilsons pies are optional?



Really?



Why didn't anybody tell me this?

Thought it'd be a laugh didn't we?

On Friday we came in through the St Michaels Lane gates (usually enter HQ through the Kirkstall Lane gates).



We walked past the Wilsons van-thing and the queue was about 30+ long - is it usually that busy? Saying that, they did smell extremely inviting.

It is mate. I usually take my seat with a pint and send the lad.