If we win on Saturday the SL order would be IMHO

Saints
Leeds
Bulls

if we lose

Saints
Leeds/Bulls ( joint 2nd. )

Winning 3 back-to-back Grand Finals would be a fantastic, unprecedented achievement that would put Leeds up there as one of the best teams in the SL era.

I fancy them to do it, too.

I'd agree with that.

Coudl this be a beautifully timed thread resulting in an epic fail from Leeds?

In 2004 the Rhinos only lost 2 league games and drew a further 2, so we in fact only dropped 6 league points

IN the SL era, Wigan have finished top as many times as Leeds. MOTWYW.

Saints in the past 2 years have been 80's mins away from 3 consecutive trebles, that is fantastic. Leeds don't compare to Saints in the past 5 seasons. Cos they win the playoffs it clouds out judgement of great.

In terms of the 2 major titles - 'Champions' & 'Challenge Cup Winners', Saints are far and away the most successful club of the Super League era Year Champions Challenge Cup
1996 Saints Saints
1997 Bradford Saints
1998 Wigan Sheffield
1999 Saints Leeds
2000 Saints Bradford
2001 Bradford Saints
2002 Saints Wigan
2003 Bradford Bradford
2004 Leeds Saints
2005 Bradford Hull
2006 Saints Saints
2007 Leeds Saints
2008 Leeds Saints
2009 ? Warrington

TOTAL 27 Trophies
Saints 12
Bradford 6
Leeds 4
Wigan 2
Sheffield 1
Hull 1
Warrington 1

How?

2004 Leeds were dominant but they didn't win every trophy - we knocked them out of the cup

In 1997 Bradford only lost 2 matches in the league all year they could & maybe should have won them all - this is the best league record but they lost the cup final.

In 2006 Saints won the challenge cup as well as the league shield and the GF all while losing only 4 games by a total of just 10 points it is the best single season Super League record (for traditional fans) and they even won the WCC in their next match.

Regardless of Saturday this Leeds squad has to be up there with the very best, to get to 3 GF in a row is a special effort for any team.

Before the CC semi final this year they have singlehandedly stopped an outstanding St Helens squad from dominating the last 4 seasons.

Plus won Man of Steel, Coach of the Year, BBC Team of the Year, Nobel Peace Prize, Grand National, Eurovision Song Contest, Boat Race, X Factor, ....... well maybe I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea.

2006 Saints team was the best team in the history of SL.

This current Leeds team isn't the same team as won the last 2 years, Ellis isn't there for starters, and I'm sure there's been other changes, if I could be bothered to look it up.

in the last 6 seasons this core squad of players, leeds will have won 3 grand finals (with the possibility of 4), appeared in 5 grand finals, won the league by a record margin, won the league with a record points total, won 2 league leaders shields and 2 world club challenges

Saints meanwhile have won 1 grand final (with the possibility of 2), appeared in 4, 4 league leaders shields, and 4 challenge cups and 1 WCC

2 good teams, lucky supporters, pity the fans of the other pointless clubs.

how many Challenge Cup games did you lose that year?

Well it can be a maximum of 1....

exactly, Leeds and Saints have needed each other over the past few years, the rest havent really got close, and it would be almost boringly dominant,

Saying that, i think this GF is more important to Saints than Leeds, 4 grand final wins in 6 compared to 1 says domination,

3 grand final wins to 2 looks a lot closer