It depends most importantly on attitude when reaching the Playoffs, had Leeds won 1 more regular season game (which we should of done considering we lost twice to Quins) Hudds would of finished 5th, does anyone reckon Hudds could of beaten Hull at home followed by winning at Headingley and HJ and reach the GF then beat the Saints, apart from the Hull game i doubt it very much.

The history of this now 'all desirable 5th' since 8 team Playoffs. Wakefield finished 5th in 2009 and crumbled poorly against an 8th place Catalan who only just snuck into the Playoffs that year. Hudds finished 5th in 2010, would of lost to Crusaders if one of the Crusaders players didn't get himself sin-binned near the end of the game, did manage to go to Warrington that year and win (but i think that has more to do with my point about backing up from a CC win which Wire had just won), they then lost in the final eliminators to Saints, but so did 4th place Leeds to Wigan so no real difference.

In 3 seasons that we've had the 8 team playoffs, the CC winners have won 1 out of 5 games, Wigan at home against Catalan. Warrington didn't make the playoffs in 2009 after losing 6 of their last 8 league games, if anything the CC is throwing the big curveball into how the Playoffs pan out, had Wigan lost in the earlier rounds of the Cup last year i reckon they would of won the GF instead or at least reached Old Trafford.
Leeds responded to CC Finals defeats firstly in 2010 by going to Wigan from 4th place and winning before losing out to a great Wigan defensive performance in the return game, we won in 2011 from 5th after losing the Cup again. Huddersfield however after losing the 2009 CC, and finishing higher in 3rd limped out with loses to Saints 15-2 and 8th place Catalan 16-6, scoring just 8 points in the 2 games. The difference? Attitude and confidence. The most impressive thing about Leeds' run last year was that they did it weeks after losing out on the one trophy that's alluded them yet again, i'm not sure any other team in SL could of recovered from that scenerio.

I want Leeds to finish 4th, hell i'd love for them to get up to 3rd but that looks to be a tough ask. So we'd have to go to Wigan away most likely if we get 4th, so what? We won there in 2010, we won at Halliwell Jones in 2011. It would be an extremely hard game to win but i doubt these Leeds players would be intimated by that prospect unlike some other clubs who'll finish in the top 8. Leeds win there and we are an 80 mins home game from reaching another GF, bring that on i say.

Leeds win from 5th might actually turn out to be the best thing for the Playoffs and the sport and not the embarrassment some have tried to make it out to be. If the teams finishing 5th-8th look back to 2011 and realise it can actually be done then we could have 8 teams all fighting for the prize instead of 3 or 4 teams with the others just happy to make up the numbers and an end to some of the big scores we've seen in the last few years in the Playoffs. No one thought it could be done from them positions 12 months ago (although i'm sure those people who feel the need to always look correct will claim that they knew it could happen all along).

The remaining fixtures to see who plays who and comparision for the top spots? If you see, Saints still have to play Warrington, Wigan, Catalans, Huddersfield. Leeds still have to play Catalans, Huddersfield, Bradford. Warrington still have to play Catalans, Wigan, Saints, Huddersfield, Bradford. Catalans still have to play Leeds, Warrington, Hull FC x2, Saints, Bradford. Looking at it this way you can see who they still have to play in the top half of the table, and who they can drop points to.

I agree wholeheartedly and it's something I've said on here a few times.

The playoffs were a damp squib last year and Leeds display at Warrington saved them. Too many teams are in the playoffs to make up the numbers. If they follow our example the whole intensity of the playoffs should lift, but I won't hold my breath.

Leeds winning from 5th should give all clubs in the playoffs the inspiration but how many will follow our lead?

The real point is that there is only one team that can win it from 5th, and that's Leeds. There are only 4 teams capable of winning the GF (Wigan, Warrington, St Helens and Leeds) and only one of them could finish outside the top four in the next few years. The fans of Catalans, Huddersfield and Hull FC will all think they can win the GF, but in reality they can't. All other teams are also rans who won't make any impact whatsoever on the playoffs.

If Catalan finish 2nd which is very possible looking at the fixtures then they have a great chance of getting to Old Trafford. 2 home times in the playoffs should they win there first game with a break in the middle meaning that they dont have to fly back to england until a possible GF. they have the players and the coach but the constant flying back and forth is not good preparation so a solid month without travelling would be good for them.

I think they'll be lucky to finish top 4 from their fixtures tbh, starting with a loss tonight.

I think we can catch Catalans.

that game was one the best sporting moments of 2011, brilliant game i accidentally deleted it from the Sky box.

Why can't they? Everyone, including you, would have said the same thing about Leeds this time last year and everyone was saying the same thing about Leeds just three weeks ago.

There is no earthly reason why Catalan can't go on a run and win it. I am not suggesting they will, but to say they "can't" is too far IMO.

I take your point that its a pretty strong view, but ultimately they will not be able to win 3 games against top sides in consecutive weeks. Maybe I should have added IMO, as I suppose that's what it is.

I notice you only single out Catalans by the way, so I assume you agree about Huddersfield and Hull FC?

No I don't agree they "can't". I would suggest they "won't" might be better wording, IMO, of course.

The likes of Hull and Huddersfield may or may not be good enough to make it all the way to the GF but it would be nice to at least see them go down with a fight. Hull's last 2 playoff campaigns have ended in very weak showings against Leeds last year and at home against their big rivals KR in 2010. Huddersfield's record over the last 3 years is 2-5 and should of been 0-6 if not for the Crusaders sin-binning i mentioned before. Catalan to be fair gave it the best shot of any of the none Leeds/Saints/Wigan clubs in 2009 when they went away to Wakey, Hudds and then Leeds and if Greg Bird had stayed out there who knows. It will be tremendously tough for a club who hasn't yet won a GF to do it from so far back yet not impossible if they go in with a 'we can do this' attitude.

I've even now read on the Saints board several posters saying how they hope to get 3rd place instead of 4th as they want to avoid Wigan in the playoffs and again this is the problem, if you go around fearing teams and hoping someone else might beat them so you don't have to face them then that's the wrong attitude. The best way to get rid of a team is to go do it yourself and not wishing someone else does the job for you. Will it be harder? Yes but what's wrong with facing the harder challenges in life? The sweeter it will taste if you do succeed i reckon.

Reading some comments since the Cup Semi draw was made it seems as if some Leeds fan would of preferred us to of been knock out in the Quarters because we might get ''embarrassed or humiliated'' and won't be attending because of this......sorry didn't realise that the possiblity of 17 guys getting several tries scored past them could make you blush. Thankfully for the sport, the players of the teams of Leeds and Saints haven't shared this same mindset over the years as a section of their fans.

Watch out for Huddersfield in the playoffs.

Brown is working to a new calendar - they've had their slump through June and July, so by the time it gets to September it'll feel like a whole new season.

You can see why Saints thought he was the answer to their perpetual chokery.

I agree, Leeds have turned up in big semi's and finals (including last years CC) and either won or gone down with a real fight in the last 10 year to give me hope for Saturday.

The very first thing a guy said to me on the way out of the Keepmoat last season was "What will Wigan do to us?". I found that pretty embarrassing to be honest and didn't hesitate to tell him to just bloody enjoy himself and let the players worry about the final.

That's probably not far wrong.

There's always the possibility though, they don't emerge from their slumber and hit form, which i wouldn't bet against either.