If it did happen I think The RFL would maybe need to rethink the playoff format.

Can you be certain, maybe you are playing at your best? This is this season, not last season.

I am pretty certain we are not playing our best atm.
Whether our best form will be good enough to win anything is another question.

We're certainly capable of a lot better. I actually saw a few positive signs in the Wire game although the number of negative posts on here makes me wonder whether I was hallucinating. The first half hour was disastrous, no question, but so was our start in last year's CC final. In both games I thought the team showed a bit of backbone thereafter. Nonetheless the team's playing badly at present and the rugby gods are having some fun at our expense. Like many, I worry about a lack of creativity and the scarcity of occasions that we breach the defensive line. However, once the play offs come around the emphasis may change and we may see the creativity of other teams inhibited as the desire to minimise errors increases. In short, I'm not writing our chances off. No team matches our play off experience.

Saints have similar play off experience to us for sure.

How much of the improvement was down to Warrington taking their foot off the gas knowing the game was over as a contest.

I don't think the core of the current Saints team has the experience ours does.

Your second point is moot; my perception was that Warrington were getting jittery until Briers dropped a goal. Are they really the type of team to take their foot off the gas? They usually do the opposite, running in a cricket score once they get into a situation where other teams might do just that.