Quote: Ferocious Aardvark "What an odd post! What do you mean "but" it was because we finished above the other Championship teams? It wasn't a "but"! It was exactly what we had to do FFS!!
And nobody "let us in". It is ridiculous to say that. We got to the playoffs ready to play, Leigh didn't. Had they also been ready, who is to say it would have been any different? But regardless, that is and was the "sharp end" of the season and Leigh bottled it, we were far better at the playoffs than they were.
What I find most interesting about the playoffs is that Wakefield's meltdown did give us a one-off realistic chance, but it also skewed the playoff league. What would be interesting this year, if we managed to finish top, is to see whether we could get the automatic promotion 3rd place. That should be at least a bit more realistic in a sense this year if the 4 SL clubs are fairly evenly matched, and start taking points off each other. That 3rd place could be at least more than academic.
I still wouldn't put a penny on it, mind, but at least it isn't totally impossible, whereas winning the MPG will be.'"
Not sure how you can say the MPG game is impossible. Anything can happen, red cards, injuries refereeing decisions etc. For me i think it's more difficult to finish 3rd as we would have to win all our championship games and sneak a victory over an SL side and hope that SL side implodes. I think it's important to get a the MPG at home. But tell that to James "Im not bothered where we play" Lowes. If were were more consistent in those middle 8 games, we should have got Wakey at home and i would have fancied us to win that.
I think Lowes's attitude of these games don't matter are having an effect on the players. (same reason it was no coincidence that Lowes and Smith both moaned about Easter, and both Wire and Bulls lost Monday) Yes these games won't decide if we get promoted, but it will make the games that DO matter easier.
I've already talked about us getting to the MPG last year on another thread. We weren't that good in the play-offs. We took some right tonkings and Jimmys inspirational selections such as Walker and Mendieka at Hull KR and the french hooking legend JPB in the MPG cost us.