This is spot on and exactly why I am worried.

Leeds under Mcdermott are impossible to predict. Excellent one week, sub par the next, terrible the next, average the next etc etc etc

spot on. this is why i find our esteemed coach such an enigma.
two supurb grand final wins, some magnificent displays in big games yet his use, or non use of replacements, baffling team selections and some dreadful displays sum up his tenure up to press

Leeds' Play-Off record V St Helens:

18-Oct-98 ….. FE ….. Home ….. Won 44 - 16

17-Sep-99 ….. QPO ….. Away ….. Lost 38 - 14

22-Sep-01 ….. EPO ….. Away ….. Lost 38 - 30

30-Sep-05 ….. QSF ….. Away ….. Won 16 - 19

28-Sep-07 ….. QSF ….. Away ….. Lost 10 - 8
13-Oct-07 ….. GF ….. Neutral ….. Won 6 - 33

19-Sep-08 ….. QSF ….. Away ….. Lost 38 - 10
04-Oct-08 ….. GF ….. Neutral ….. Won 16 - 24

10-Oct-09 ….. GF ….. Neutral ….. Won 18 - 10

08-Oct-11 ….. GF ….. Neutral ….. Won 16 - 32

FE - Final Eliminator (Loser Out)

QPO - Qualifying Play-Off (Both Survive)

QSF - Qualifying Semi-Final (Both Survive)

EPO - Elimination Play-Off (Loser Out)

GF - Grand Final

__________

The two coaches going head to head in the Play-Offs - McDermott 1 - 0 Brown

Tough one to call. 1 win each & 42 all on the scoreboard.

Leeds looked a bit tired after the Wire game, but they had done it tough at Wigan the week before & a few are still short of game time.

Saints came up with a big show against HKR & probably won't be as fluent or given as much time by Leeds.

I have a gut feeling Saints may nick it unless Leeds are running hot.

Can't believe someone has suggested Brian McDermott should be sacked.

1250 tickets sold by Saints already. So the pre-match chanting should be good and providing we don't give you another 16 point leg up, I'm expecting the lead to go back and forth a bit on Friday night.

I would not have given us great odds of getting past this round of the playoff's, but it will be refreshing not to meet Leeds in a final for a change.

Assuming we play to our recent form, then I'll take Saints by 8. But if we drop off, then it's Leeds all the way.

As a Saints fan this is the game I wanted in week 2. I thought after you lot beat Wigan and finished 3rd it wouldn't happen but thanks the reliability of Huddersfield's unreliability my wish has come true. This is a game Saints will be up for (more than we would be against Wire or Wigan) and the atmosphere at Headingley will be fantastic.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Friday!

Correct 100 percent

Hardaker
Jones-Bishop
Watkins
Moon
Hall
Sutcliffe
Burrow
Singleton
Sinfield
Peacock
Jones-Buchanan
Delaney
Ablett

McGuire
Leuluai
Bailey
Achurch

-Allows our two most energetic players (Sutcliffe & Singleton) to start

-Gives us Good bench options

-Doesn't put McGuire in the firing line early on

When a forward is allowed to post four (or even three) tries against you the previous week, that tells you that defence of your line is not what it should be.
It needs sorting very quickly or we're out.

Should be a great game and i for one will be chuffed if McGuire doesnt start as he always seems to be "that guy" against us.
Hopefully tickets are flying out down your end and we can have the biggest playoff attendance for a while for one of the best games!

would bring in Achurch for either Bailey or Kirke who both offered nothing last week going forward

1. Hardaker
2. Jones-Bishop
3. Watkins
4. Moon
5. Hall
13. Sinfield
6. McGuire
23. Singleton
7. Burrow
10. Peacock
11. Jones-Buchanan
15. Delaney
12. Ablett

8. Leuluai
16. Bailey
19. Achurch
26. Sutcliffe

Interesting reading. Everytime I think to myself there's no way we can pull it off again I get a huge sense of deja vous. Not an easy challenge by any means but Saints at home is game we are more than capable of winning regardless of what happened last week. Is it merely coincidence that the only play off we've lost under big mac is the only one we didn't have to win?

this

I'm not so sure. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Saints ambush Leeds and we exit the play-offs with a whimper. Then again I wouldn't be surprised if we turn in a good performance and sneak it. Looking forward to it either way.