Must admit I thought that too. That said as opening fixtures go I'd rather take ours as a pair than Leigh's for us. Could work for them though but might have knocked us for six

If the semi had been after the Leigh game it would have been a bonus for Leigh but after I can't see it much of a factor Hull KR know what's at stake.

Possibly but on the other side of the coin, if we get them last game Of the season, they may already be safe and don' have as much to play for.

Apparently that honour will go to us.

I don't think it can be dismissed that easily - a week after Hull KR's biggest and toughest game of the season that will have been taking up a lot of their mental capacity of late facing a team having had a week off. That's before factoring in the fact KR might win the semi and possibly put in an "after the lord mayor's show" performance. It, of course, might have no bearing - but I don't see how it can be dismissed out of hand.

Irrelevant now from our POV, but I'll bet that behind the scenes at Rovers they'll be annoyed they've been given Leigh first up given the timing of the semi. Of course no easy games at this time of year.

I appreciate the age old problem of getting a side up for a league game around the date of an 'important' cup fixture, but let's not forget these are not [iordinary[/i league games -for SL clubs their lives in the higher division are on the line, and [ithat[/i is the reality.

To be honest, I can't imagine any 'best' time to play HKR. Depending on who they have available, they are a fine side and home, away or near a cup semi-final, they'll be a very difficult team to beat.

Sunday August 9 – Bradford Bulls v Sheffield Eagles – 3.00pm

Saturday August 15 – Wakefield Trinity Wildcats v Bradford Bulls – 3.00pm

Sunday August 23 – Bradford Bulls v Salford Red Devils – 3.00pm

Sunday September 6 – Bradford Bulls v Widnes Vikings – 3.00pm

Sunday August 13 – Hull Kingston Rovers v Bradford Bulls – 3.00pm

Sunday August 20 – Leigh Centurions v Bradford Bulls – 3.00pm

Sunday August 27 – Halifax v Bradford Bulls – 3.00pm

Amazingly, Leigh/Bradford won't be on SKY.

That's a really strange choice

How far ahead have they decided the televised games? Presumably the later games could be switched?

Could have done with the Halifax and Salford fixtures being t'other way round

Looking at that, it isn't a bad setup from our viewpoint.

Of course, we simply have no alternative to take advantage of a home opener against Championship opposition and beat Sheffield, if we slip up there, that will likely ruin our whole playoffs.

Then I think we really must win one of the two aways at Wakey or Salford. If we did manage to beat Wakey then that would send us to Salford with some confidence. We can't afford to lose them both.

Home to Widnes is very interesting. I would much rather that than away on their synthetic pitch. Tough, but not as tough as away to Hull KR the week after, and as I don't see us winning that, it makes Widnes a key game to target.

Then a tasty fixture away to Leigh. We all know how, er, competitive the fixtures with them so far have been. If we are full strength then you have to fancy us this time, but that should be a cracker, and depending on how their results have gone, could be a real key game for both.

And whichever way it goes, unless we have had a disaster, it is certain that we will have to beat Halifax at home in our last game. There is no realistically possible combination where we could still make the playoff game yet lose the Halifax game, so it means our last fixture is likely to be a do-or-die one. If Halifax are out of the playoffs by then, it might be easier, but personally I would prefer them to still be in with a shout, as what an occasion and a crowd and a game that would be.

On paper, the Super 8s do look like a bloody good idea, looking at this, I have to say. Still massively weighted against the Championship clubs, but given the financial chasm, I'm not sure what else could be done to at least give the Championship clubs a realistic chance. You can say that with both Wakefield and Salford in varying states of total disarray this season is the season you would want to be in the playoffs.

All fixtures subject to change; presumably Sky games too.

I predict a restructuring to give the teams at the top of SL something to play for.

Agreed. I think if we lose to Sheffield it's game over. It will shatter the confidence, the fans will be on the coaches back big time and i don't think we'd recover. But i expect a comfortable win in all honesty.

The Wakefield game is crucial. If Wakey lose to Salford and then to us, again, i don't think they would recover. But if they beat Salford (which i fancy them to do TBF) and then beat us, they will have huge momentum. Big big game that one.

I think we need to win at least 2 of the first 4. If not i think we would really be struggling. Hull KR is a free swing for me. Then the last two i think we have to win. All the games are crucial, but the ones against teams who are most likely to be around us are crucial.

Has something else been chosen in it's place? A bit daft if that is the case, as especially in the case of the last 2 weeks they have no idea if they will be relevant or not.