You won't see him for a while.

He'll no doubt reappear in a different guise. He didn't want to commit last week to Saints winning from fifth when he realised the mighty Rhinos stood in their path!

Not really, it's already come to pass. The theory was that Leeds only won in the 2nd week because they had an easy 1st week match and took momentum with them and 4th place couldn't regroup after a convincing defeat.

Last week's week two results can now be added to the previous four seasons.

On the face of it had St Helens possessed a reliable goal-kicker or even drop-goal kicker we probably wouldn't even be seeing such a thread this week. Such small margins change little.

It has to be assumed that over time clubs will form plans developed on past experiences - both good and bad. Both Tony Smith and Brian McDermott have acknowledged this recently - Smith after the defeat of Leeds in week one and McDermott prior to the regular season end where he said Leeds had made plans for the Play-Offs that were dependant on their eventual finishing position.

[uWhen Leeds finished 5th[/u
Occasions = 2
GF appearances = 2
GF wins = 2
Success % = 100%
Played/Won/Lost = P8 W8 L0
Win % = 100%

[uWhen Leeds finish 3rd and 4th[/u
Occasions = 2
GF appearances = 0
GF wins = 0
Success % = 0%
Played/Won/Lost = P5 W2 L3
Win % = 40%

What happened? I thought if you finished 3rd or 4th it was an easier ride than finishing 5th? By finishing 3rd, Leeds have ended up having to play 3 really tough play-off fixtures against more credible SL opposition with the tough 3rd game in a row proving to be one tough game too many and several Leeds players absolutely shattered and busted.

Compare and contrast to Leeds finishing 5th and the more leisurely ride it provided them in the first two weeks of the play-offs and easy peasy games against whipping boy SL rabble. No such leisurely ride has been provided as a consequence of finishing 3rd or 4th.

So, 3rd and 4th is better than finishing 5th?

Really?

Tonight's loss meant Leeds failed to reach the GF, but it somehow cements what they did in 2011 & 2012 as being a crafty utilisation of the advantages to be gained from tactically and deliberately finishing 5th when in reality you are a top 4 team.

Lesson to be learned?

5th by plenty!

Such a shame Leeds appear to have forgotten that lesson this season.

Come on Jeff, be real. Leeds best chance this year, as a few people suspected (and obviously now shown with hindsight) was to win in week one and get the week off. If they'd finished 5th they'd still have played every week, they'd have still have had the humdinger last week with saints (away from instead) and they'd have still been battered tonight.

Just wasn't to be this year but tremendous effort nonethless. Nice to see wigan put paid to this finish 4th and a week off = doomed bollox as well.

A 5th placed Leeds against a beaten up 3rd or 4th placed Saints last week would have been an easy ride for Leeds after the cakewalk the week before at home to Hull KR. They'd have gone into tonight's game fresh as opposed to being busted and we'd all be planning another Rhinos trip to Old Trafford next week.

5th by plenty

I love it how Mr Eve underlines things. It's cute.

You know that's not true.

[u% of wins by finishing position under this crazy Top 8 play-off system[/u
1st = 64%
2nd = 60%
3rd = 33% <------------ how can this be so low?------------


4th = 30% <------------ how can this be so low?------------


5th = 79%
6th = 50%
7th = 17%
8th = 29%

5th by plenty.

Sinfield engineered a 4th place finish because he knew that would allow leeds to get within one game of old trafford but go down fighting nonethless. This would then allow the current golden boot winner a valuable couple of weeks off (without losing too much match sharpness) in preperation for when the [ireal[/i season kicks off with england.

Welcome back Bill.
Where have you been all week?