I have the feeling that they need a breather. These days with the cap you can't maintain what Wigan could with unlimited wage bills. We also have some players reaching veteran stage now and it would be good to see a few guys come through this year and not worry too much about results. It's such a shame for Watkins but hopefully he will make a full recovery.

The short history of SL shows that clubs can't maintain it continualy. Saints have had a good run at it but even they only have one win in the last 7-8 years and have had the odd "breather" season. We have been Grand Finalists 5 out of the last 6, won 4 and finished in the top 2 what? 6 times out of 7?

On paper we looked like we would be difficult to beat, but as everyone says you don't win anything on paper.
Wigan have a real desire at the moment and have consistancy. They are dominating the tackle area both with ball (all the Wigan players seemed to go down on knees and elbows against Saints and Saints had to resort to the hand on the ball trick to slow them down) and without it (even if you think their technique is similar to the one Leeds had penalised to extinction last year). Credit to them.

Top 4 these days looks to be the target. There is less advantage from top 2 IMO. Based on the transient form some teams above us have demonstrated (the only consistant thing about some teams is their lack of consistancy), top 4 is a reasonable target even with the slow start.

For me the biggest danger is that the focus for Leeds becomes reaching the top four as players regain fitness and the weather/pitches improve. Then, once (if!) this is achieved there us a feeling of 'job done' and the focus is lost a little for the playoffs.

I reckon if we get top 4 and are in form for the play offs we can beat anyone away from home, Wigan as us and Saints have shown in these 3 years of "dominance" will not be able to maintain this high level of quality throughout the year. When Eastwood, Donald, Peacock etc get back we'll hit form, I've got no doubt about that.

Spot on.

Why is it other posters can not realise this? Playing at the intensity some of these guys play at and have been playing at for a number of years now, you will only have a certain length of career, regardless of age. Just because they have winners rings behind them, does not mean they are going to continue that form going forward.

It is quite obvious some of these players have reached that stage, and we need to accept it, and more importantly so does the club. Hopefully there is still enough within them this season to see us through.

I think there is a lot of mental fatigue this year as well as age catching up, Sinny hinted as much after the Bulls game and so has Bluey when he talked about hunger. I could see this squad with a couple of fresh face coming through being menatlly fired up again next year. But we'll see. Maybe a crap first half of the year will be enough to get the fire burning again?