Your assuming we lose? If we win it puts us in a very good position - doesn't have to be pretty, but I assume there's a plan in place given they've had a week off!

Leeds could beat London blindfold, but I'd expect Warrington to beat cas given they're resting everyone before the final. If they don't then it strengthens our chances of securing top 4

We can see a weakened Cas side losing to Warrington who have a bit of momentum in superleague. Hull KR gaining a point against has made life a bit harder for Wakefield.
If the Wheeler and Wellens show papers over the big cracks we are capable of a big score to help points difference.
This team needs an 18th man it starts from tonight.

Don't know why you are so eager to finish top.

Didn't you win like, 5 LLS on the bounce when you kept losing all those grand finals?

Saints would have just as good a chance from 2nd/3rd as they would from top.

I get that it's a trophy. But do you really want to add another situation where ''they got the booby prize but not the main one''? Because I'm not sure i can see saints winning it now no matter where they finish.

We won't win the big one without walsh, wilkin, lomax and hohaia. It's about getting what we can now and getting something in the cabinet.

We've had a very bare trophy cabinet for a few years now. The likelihood is that without the players we've got missing, we won't be able to contest the main title, so while the LLS shield is both something we have a half decent chance of getting as well as the first bit of silverware we've seen for a while.

It's quite simple, Timmy Ten Names. If we finish top, we would have to face Wire/Cas twice to get to a Grand Final instead of Wigan/Leeds twice. As unlikely as it may be, I'd rather take a slightly easier route (we'd still be underdogs I'd imagine) and let Leeds/Wigan beat each other up.

And no, we didn't win 5 LLS on the bounce.

We have been without silverwear for many years.

Ask the Leeds coach if he would rather have something or nothing.

It's like saying would you rather finish 8th or 9th. Both have little chance of winning the big one, but 8th is still better than 9th.

Also I'm a bit of a traditionalist and still enjoy getting more wins over a season than just in a 4 game competition at the end.

I know people buy the hype, but in reality the Grandfinal is still the same as the premiership was all those years ago.

A valid league competition generates money for clubs a playoff series generates little to no money for the teams. Clubs should be wary of putting out that only the GF matters message, because if no one turns up to watch the league games because they do not matter RL will die very very quickly as the money stops flowing in.

The only chance of us getting to a grand final and winning it is if we have a "level playing field" and all the top teams lose there full back and half backs. Beating Wakefield tonight might give us a 50/50 of the LLS, a booby prize is probably a bit better than nowt.

Why wouldn't anyone want to finish top? I'd put money on every coach in super league would want to finish top.

I have got to agree with you on this one.

I also heard a rumour about next years world club challenge could be between 3 clubs from Australia & 3 clubs from UK, possibly the two grand finalists and the team that finishes top. Have you heard anything about this?
That would definitely be an added incentive to finish top of the pile.

Given the closeness of the league, I'd imagine everyone wants top spot this year as second v third is going to be the toughest draw.

4th or less is better than 2nd and 3rd

Im a big Wigan fan i will be amazed if we come top.That week off before Kr did us no favors what so ever and if you come top you get a week off!Im pretty sure wayney wont want a week off.We need to be playing week in week out at the moment.

why is 2nd v third going to be a more difficult game than 1st v 4th

I enjoy finishing top. There is something to really celebrate about being the best team over the whole competition and it's stupid that Sky has been allowed to overshadow both the LLS and the CC in the way that it has but that's happened because we have a weak governing body.

However, unlike when we won our four on the trot, there is now prize money available for winning the LLS so that in itself is an incentive. Having some shiny stuff in the brand spanking new trohy cabinet is another, and finally, it's bound to be a boost to the confidence of the players if they pull it off, especially Saints without all their key play makers.

Absolute bull , yes its nice to finish top but it means little as all coaches will tell you , for some teams like yourself and Huddersfield it might mean more as you have not won the big ones of late but to the teams that have won at Old Trafford or Wembley in recent times it means nothing unless the league leaders go on to Grand Final victory .