Whilst some will love to play on the lowest ever finish in X amount of years I think we've shown more about us this year than in the 2011 & 2012 campaigns clearly even if we finished one place higher then and arguably for a period better than 2013.

As I said the other week, if Saints had beaten us in Round 5 of the cup and went on to Wembley instead, we'd have a comfortable cushion at the top of the league and they'd be down in 6th IMO.

They'll be the usual talk of the club not caring about the league yet we go into the last round of games with the leanest defence still (12 fewer than Wigan) so to label any side who concede the fewest points over the campaign as not being bothered will be ridiculous, the key to defence is attitude and effort.

You might be right.....and I have been very impressed with the committed defence this season (good to watch and enough to win the CC where it reached its zenith)...

BUT there just aint enough in attack to get the team all the way to a winning GF this time IMO (even with the return of Burrow and McGuire).

Lowest since Sky demanded its latest purchase perform the role of submissive buttplug and fill that gaping hole in their summer schedules during the soccer off-season.

That'll be 1996 when Leeds finished 10th out of 12 ahead of Paris St Germain and Workington courtesy of 6 wins (including the double over the aforementioned two plus against Sheffield and Castleford) and 16 losses.

Finishing 6th in 2014 is another testament to Leeds utter contempt for regular season league placings under the current ludicrous structure as they fully understand the rewards of deliberate, tossing-it-off mediocrity. The sight of McDermott last night during his post-match Sky interview feigning disappointment at his teams failure to finish much higher on the ladder was to be expected. What else can he say?

The game owes Leeds and McDermott a huge debt of gratitude as their utter contempt for the regular season has been mirrored by other SL clubs in recent times which has played a crucial role in effecting structural change in order to render the regular season as meaningful once again. I'm not convinced that every minute will count next season but some minutes counting is better than the current 'none'.

Wake me up for the Semi Final after Leeds have disposed of whipping boy SL rabble at home in week 1 (French Surrender Monkeys or Widnes) followed by whipped/bruised/injury-decimated SL rabble (St Helens probably) in week 2.

Finishing 5th or 6th by plenty! (Won't be able to say that next season, thankfully)

Can we have another 'Leeds easy route to the grand final' thread from yours truly? The last time you did that we won! Could do with a pick me up.

Or talk about how the team who finish 4th are at such a disadvantage in the playoffs, that was a popular theory until Wigan won from there last year.

Well actually, due to huddersfield finishing top that wasn't the case last year, and Mr Eve pointed this out after we beat wigan and finished 3rd.

The point about defence is a valid one - Leeds have shown more commitment in that area than in the past.

The problem is you have to score more than your opponents to win and this is where Leeds are now beginning to struggle. An ageing captain who is a pale shadow of the player he was - no wonder he has given up international rugby. A half back partner who sadly has lost that edge of pace he had who can see the gap he just can't get through it. If the attack doesn't start to function Leeds will struggle in the play offs to score enough to win games against the better sides - Leeds haven't beat a top six side in SL since May!!.

Thought I'd leave that to you this time around.

It might make a pleasant change from your tiresome reverse woof offerings.

The club threw everything ito the CC this year and it showed as soon as the CC campaign began

Leigh must have been bloody brilliant in the QF then.

No they haven't in SL competition but they have beaten both Cas and Wire in knockout rugby in recent weeks. The playoff games are more often played in that pattern than regular season games.

The points thing, well yes we don't score loads that is clear. But again the pattern of those knockout games doesn't equate to needing to score plenty of points. We scored 4 tries to 3 in 2008 GF, likewise in 2012. The GF's of 2004 (2 tries after being a points machine for the year), 2009 (3 tries). Cut to the games in the CC this year when all on the line, 4 tries vs both Cas and Wire and 5 vs Saints......we won all games by at least a 2 score advantage.

2011 Warrington were a similar points machine to the 2004 Leeds side......we went there and matched them 4 tries apiece. We went to Wigan in the 2012 playoffs and won by only scoring 13 points and 1 try.

Look at all the games we've played vs Saints/Wigan/Wire/Cas/Hudds this year then the points have gone....

Vs Saints 54-39
Vs Wigan 48-51
Vs Wire 48-52
Vs Cas 69-48
Vs Hudds 34-36

Total = 253-226

Better indicator than the fact we didn't wallop the "whipping boys" by the same big scorelines as some of the other did to bump up our Points For column. We don't have loads of points in us, but we do have enough to possibly beat our challengers in the playoffs.

Correct, and finishing 6th could well be an easier route than from 5th this season given who is finishing top.