I think you said we would finish in top 2 probably top.

Fair enough, Gazza. What was frustrating me earlier in the season were some of the "woe is me" threads of suggesting we'd finish about 6th or 7th and not have a chance of making it to Old Trafford. I don't think many would bet against us making two finals now, would they?

Failing to finish first does not necessarily eliminate having to make the Club Call decision. The teams who finish second or third can still have to make it, depending on the results of the first play-off round. There is no guaranteed escape from the silliness of Club Call, other than finishing fourth or below. Another reason why first place is no bad thing should be end up there.

I understand where Dropkick is coming from. I would perform self-surgery to remove one of my kidneys if it guaranteed us a Grand Final win. Just one win is all I want. One would be sufficient to last me 20 years. Recalling the elimination semi in 2011 still forces me to curl up in the foetal position and shake, as I think it was the best shot we ever had at winning it. Strangely, last year’s defeat at OT didn’t hurt quite as much, but still ruined the next four weeks of my life. I didn’t think we had a realistic chance of winning it this year, so had almost given up, but as we approach the business end of the season, we look like our old legs might just have one last realistic shot at it.



Failing to win it this year will probably close the door for a few years at least. We have to win at OT this year. We have to do it. Given our recent cup successes, winning the Grand Final is worth so much more to the club than any further Challenge Cup could possibly be.



Even at 16:10 last Sunday afternoon, the Huddersfield quarter-final meant very little to me. I wanted to win it, but it may as well have been a home league game against London for all I cared. As such, I wouldn’t have been remotely bothered if we’d lost it, as the two weeks’ rest in August would have done us good in pursuing the main prize. However, come the final hooter after another great cup display, I was very pleased that we won and now feel that we are too close to winning the cup again to not go all-out for it.



All this talk is, frankly, a bit silly. We all know there is no rule in life or rugby league that says you can’t win both trophies. Frivolously sacrificing one does not mean you will win the other. You cannot horse- trade in kidneys or Challenge Cup semi-final defeats in order to guarantee a Grand Final win. So since we’re already in the semis, we may as well try and win the cup and take it from there.



The same goes for top spot. There is nothing negative that can come from finishing there, so why some people seem to think we shouldn’t bother aiming for it - or even try to throw it away should we somehow find ourselves there with a couple of games left - is beyond me.

you know, on that point, last years finish, confused teh bejesus out of me, normally, say in recent years we get all hyped up on expectation that this will be our year,a dn go out in the play offs, i go hoem bitterly disapointed, throw my shirt on the stairs, mutter like , then wake up the following day, then go about my life, watching the rest of the play offs, muttering that "we could fooking beat this shower of e" then the GF then off into internationals and the beer festival.



Last year, was weird...



Last year i woke up on sunday morning, and the rugby season was over, completely over, no other games to watch, it was weirdly abrupt, it was lke waking up that Sunday morning and being told Princess Di had been killed....it was hard to process

I wouldn't have thought so and there is still a very decent chance of us finishing in the top 2 anyway, no need to lower your expectations just yet.

When we lost, i struggled coming on the forum, i struggled talking about rugby, i didn't talk about it and wasn't that excited about the start of this season.

It temporarily ruined rugby for me.

Whilst it hurt like hell, I soon got over being beaten at Old Trafford.



It was the G/F eliminator against Leeds in 2011 that hurt more than any other game EVER. I was numb & couldn't really talk about the game for about 5 months. I have never watched the match back on Sky + & never will.

That was the same for me. After the final whistle me Dad and brother didn't talk to me for about half an hour, I was not in a good place. Fortunately there were no Leeds fans on the tram back to Manc because I might have been stupid and kicked off (not proud of it but it's honestly how I felt).



Now obviously I'm biased but Wembley is a much better event than the GF. Because it's in the day time it feels more pleasant and part of an all day event, it being in London means it feels like Rugby League's come to London, not just the two clubs. Every time we've been to Wembley I've ended up chatting with fans from various clubs on the tube and in the pub where the GF was much more adversarial between the fans. The GF has non of that atmosphere - it's certainly not Manchester because the Magic Weekend was brilliant. I don't think Old Traff helps because it's really not a nice stadium compared to Wembley or the Ethiad - it feels like a prison.



TBH if we don't win it this year we need to admit that there are some players who're mentally not up to it. I have my doubts about Briers truth be told, hopefully being at the final last year will calm him if we make it this time, but he looked like the event went to him. If we were to make it and lose again I think it'd be time for a clear out and start restructuring with a young side (which we're going to have to do anyway next year to some extent).



I've been waiting to get that off my chest since October...

I agree with pretty much every word you said in this post, but this line in particular matches my feelings exactly.



I don't need to see Warrington win trophies every year. I grew up with little interest in rugby but the knowledge that Wigan were the only team that ever won. I then got into the game and watched us win nothing at all for 15 years. I don't expect much.



I do however have a desperate need to see us clinch it once. By "it" I refer to the genuine title of "Champions". Not some blag "Challenge Cup Champions" that loads seem to latch on to when an emotionally exhausted Lee Briers got his words in a twist during an interview in 2009, and not some blag "Well we finished top so we're the real champions anyway - imagine telling Alex Ferguson that Man United have to win a play off blah blah blah" consolidation straw that loads tried to clutch at in 2011. Just genuine bona fide no argument whatsoever Super League Champions. That means winning the Grand Final.



We've been so tantalisingly close and recent failure has hurt ten times more than 15 years of nothing ever did. If we had won last October I'd be a different man where rugby is concerned. Completely relaxed and enjoying it come what may. We didn't though, and as you say, if we don't this year there's a very real chance we might not anytime soon. Our golden era for those of us not born in the mid-50's will see us declared in history as "Cup Kings", "Wembley Wizards" or some other title which is very nice but isn't the one I want. "Champions".



Just once. Please.

All this should make for a fascinating team selection tomorrow, to see how TS views the priorities.

Do you not feel that the current play off system does devalues the Grand Final though? Stupid stuff like the Club Call, getting another go if you lose the first game and having ove half the teams in the play offs does make it a Mickey Mouse system. I think I'd be more in agreement with you if it was a straight 4 or even 6 team play off, which culminated in the final at OT. As it is I really do find it hard to support the whole farce of the end of season, even though we're in with a shot. When leeds have won it twice from 5th it leaves me feeling like the CC has more validity than the SL system.



That said I don't disagree with you about wanting the win. I don't think Sky (and even some of the other clubs if we're being honest) take us seriously even now. We're still upstart Warrington, having a try but ultimately a 2nd rate club. The only way we're going to change that is by winning the league, not just threatening to.