It's worked both ways in the past, under this current system and when we've finished in the top four.

2009 we had the week off after beating Hull KR, then defeated Catalans at home to reach OT;

2010 we won at Wigan then lost at home to them two weeks later.

No way of knowing whether having the extra game is better IMO...

I agree that TS doesn't like the concept (putting it mildly) and wouldn't be associated with making the choice on TV - but there's no way he wouldn't have a behind the scenes input in that scenario.

I think if the club went down the road of picking Leeds over Hudds that would be insanity of the highest order.

I just dont see leeds beating warrington twice in 3 weeks, and i don't see much possibility in leeds and warrington not repeating in week 3.

If leeds win in week one and wigan win leeds get club call. Warrington and hudds bounce back and win in week 2, warrington are the lowest ranked team, leeds pick them. If leeds win in week one but hudds win, wigan and warrington win in week 2, and hudds club call the lowest ranked team which is wigan, leaving leeds and warrington. If leeds lose in week one and hudds win, wigan and leeds win in week 2, hudds club call lowest ranked team, leaving leeds and warrington. If leeds lose in week one and hudds lose, warrington get club call, hudds and leeds win in week 2, warrington club call leeds as the lowest ranked team.

The only way i dont see leeds and warrington facing off twice is if one of them goes out in week 2 after losing in week 1. Let's say that doesn't happen but it's one of hudds or wigan who lose in week 2. If it's wigan, it means hudds won in week 1 giving them club call meaning they pick the lowest ranked team which will be the team that beats wigan....leaving leeds and warrington. If however, hudds lost in week 1 and lost in week 2, warrington would have club call, they'd pick whoever knocked out hudds leacing leeds with another trip to wigan.

The scenarios of leeds not playing warrington twice are few and unlikely.

Providing the loser of our week 1 game wins in week 2 it's pretty much 95% certain they'll play in week 3 to get to the grand final.

I think it'll be one win a piece so it depends who loses in week one and wins in week 3.

I wouldn't expect TS to provide the gimmick with so much as a picogram of credibility... not now, not ever. The insanity is believing that he might. He'll select the lowest ranked loser whoever it might be. Cripes, I'd bet on GH entering into a partnership which also benefits the other partner ahead of TS wasting any decision-making energy on the club call gimmick.

I agree.Could you imagine the reaction were he to be the first coach to pick a higher ranked team rather than face Leeds to get to the final? Admiting that they fear Leeds? Not in a million years, and certainly not Smith who has already shown his contempt of the gimmick.

Yep, I agree. It's a forgone conclusion that we will play warrington twice and to me is the biggest fault in this play off system.

I also feel that somehow we would be more likely to win at Warrington then at home in the final illiminater.

Why would picking Huddersfield mean that they fear Leeds, given that they would have beaten us two weeks previous? I think it would just show their confidence in facing a team who they seem to have the measure of.

I think they'd have to give picking Huddersfield serious consideration given their recent record against them.

Anyway, it probably won't happen because I think Hudds will turn Wigan over - just thought in that scenario it might actually for once give this daft concept a bit of uncertainty to the outcome.

Not that remote. A Leeds loss, a Wigan win and Saints to obviously beat Hull KR is all it would take...

Far more remote than it would have been had Leeds finished 4th instead of being handed 3rd on a plate by a team and a coach who have gone way overboard in the [i"taking-the-regular-season-"[/i stakes over the past couple of months. I don't expect Wigan to win next week anyway, and I think there's a good chance they'll lose at home to St Helens the week after. And if that should happen, it'll be richly deserved IMHO.

What do you reckon to leeds chances of winning the grand final if they win next week?

Will probably mean beating warrington twice in 3 weeks to get there.

I think it's a relatively meaningless game next week in terms of the result. If anything, I marginally favour Leeds having to play every week under this play-off system in order to maintain momentum and match fitness. Some of the players could do with the extra game under their belt as well.

Home or away against Warrington in 3 weeks time is neither here nor there IMO. Leeds have nothing to fear from a team who has yet to figure out a way of winning the SL title and who have shown a propensity to leave their testicles in the dressing room when the pressure is on and the going gets tough. Paul Wood being the honourable exception as he's at least likely to turn up with one more than the rest.

If Wigan do crash and burn in successive weeks it won't mean 4th is the "doomed position", they did the same from 2nd in 2011 when they also won the CC.

They weren't at their best last night but most other teams would've conceded more I reckon so their defence in the final 20m is what gives them some hope. Teams won't put big scores past that Wigan defence, it's a question of whether or not the teams they do play (starting with Hudds) have the patience and calmness to break them down and not panic that it could still be a 1 score game with 20 to go and try OTT risks. Other teams may well panic/stray from plans if they're in the same position Leeds found themselves in at halftime.....6-4 down in a game they'd clearly been better in.

Regarding the threads title, I don't a 'burden of expectation' will be too much. Yes lots of people expect Leeds to win but also wouldn't be surprised if they can't keep pulling it off.
In 2012 the major talking point was 'can Leeds repeat and show it wasn't a fluke?'
This year it seems to be 'how well with Hudds perform?'

And the great thing about this Leeds team is, i don't believe the last 2 successes were solely built on a "we'll show them" attitude (despite the speech).....but simply because of desire of tasting victory at Old Trafford again. You can have two types of people, ones who experience a GF win and settle quite content with that moment.....or ones who experienced it and will do anything to taste it again and again. Thankfully we have the latter attitude.

What i meant was to virtually concede that they fear Leeds most as they are the lowest ranked side and as you say would have beaten us two weeks earlier so why not pick us? Would be giving Leeds a huge psychological boost should both teams make the final.

Tony Smith will probably be too busy whinging and b*tch*ng about the state of SL to spend time thinking about who his team will actually face.

He was always a cocky arrogant sh*t in that way.