We're a championship club. If you want big names we'll need to BE in SL, not be down here, dreaming of it - these players cost money and even if it's possible that me might have it, we're certainly not allowed to pay it in this division. Even if we were, it's also very difficult to persuade top players to drop in the nether regions.

Unfortunately, it's looking more and more as though the more pessimistic assessments about the possibility of promotion under this system are going to be the most accurate. It's pointless blaming Jimmy Lowes, heaven knows, I've had my own doubts about some of the tactics, particularly rotation and the overuse of Adam O'B, but the truth is Wayne Bennett couldn't win promotion under these rules.

Biggest chance might be if one of the bottom four SL cubs has panicked, gone overboard buying players and it leads to financial problems. At the end of the day, it's how we got relegated and the new system seems designed to encourage clubs to overspend.

Whilst I think Saturday's performance was unacceptable, I think we need to accept that this Wakefield side is a completely different one to the team getting a pasting every week.

Brian Smith is also a big factor - we should know that already!

I don't expect us to turn any of the SL teams over tbh, but I expect a good go at them and a bit more desire.

Like others have pointed out, the difference in Salary Caps is a difficult obstacle to overcome, however I feel the intensity the teams have experienced throughout the season is the biggest issue.

It's very rare (or damn near impossible) for a team to 'turn it on' as they please. Without a decent season against quality opposition behind us, of course it will be difficult to compete.

Lowes has to take some responsibility but in my opinion we are fighting a losing battle from the start.

To be fair I think there's only three or four clubs in SL capable of attracting a player of Keith Galloway's calibre anyway. Think his style will suit Leeds perfectly.

We lack aggression and size in the pack for me. IMO, Clough, Sidlow and Lauaki would be good enough for SL, and then I think we need 2 more that are [ibetter[/i than those 3. Unfortunately, I think we've no chance of signing anyone better than what we already have if we're still in the Championship next season.

I see the t and a is stating Gaskell unlikely to play this week. Wonder how likely Jake is to sit out aswell bearing in mind we have a free week next week. Will they both be given this week off to ensure fit in two weeks?

Guess it depends on the state of the injuries, to be fair. Don't know at what point it actually becomes 'muck or nettles', but the two home games seem to be 'defining' matches if not totally decisive.

TBH don't think we have option of picking and choosing our games to rest players in. We have to put strongest available team out each week, even if some of players aren't 100%, unless we have a very capable deputy. Neilson sounded doubtful in t&a too. Even with all three of Gaskell mullaney and neilson in squad salfords a big ask. With Gaskell missing it may still be doable but take out other two and It becomes very unlikely. And on paper Salford are easiest SL team we have left to face. Strongest team for me and just hope for a bit of luck re existing injuries and picking up new ones.

How on earth do you come to that decision?
Salford keep this squad fit for the whole season and they make the top 8 imo. Look at some of the names they have in that squad now that they are all fit, if anything that is the [istrongest[/i squad in the qualifiers not the weakest.

Evalds, Sau, BJB, Chase, Dobson, Taylor, Paterson and Tasi are all top quality players. Let's not also forget that they are now being coached (more or less) by none other than Tim Sheens. Something tells me he might have just a [itiny bit[/i more coaching skill than Jimmy does.

Salford are a team filled with stars. If they 'click' on Sunday then there is only one winner and it won't be us. My major hope is that we show a bit of fire and compete a bit better than we did at Belle Vue, that would constitute an acceptable performance for me.

Bad phrasing. Meant in terms of their form over the full season which lead to them finishing 2nd to bottom. Like Wakefield they've managed to significantly improve for the playoffs, whereas we've done opposite. On current form Salford would have made top eight comfortably but they haven't shown that form until last few weeks which ties in with sheens arrival and Harris 'illness'.
Point I was trying to make is we need to go into every remaining game with mentality we can win it and give 100%.

The position though is that pretty much the Salford game doesn't matter, because we all know we aren't going to win it, and points difference isn't a factor.

It's panning out just as anticipated, especially by the bookies, and assuming we have no chance of beating any of the SL clubs, then the target is 5th, which basically requires a home win v. Fax as a "given", then we have to beat Leigh, and that gets us into the playoff game, against a SL team. Where whatever you think, the bookies will have us at around 5/1 outsiders and barring miraculous events, I just do not think this team has it in them to win, because we have proved that our pack is simply not able to even remotely hold a SL pack - even Wakefield's - and that whupped pack is your answer. You can't win when your pack is reversing down the field with its pants down being spanked and bullied off the park.

I would dearly love to be wrong about that pack, but recent weeks have been pointing to this as the main factor, and the Wakefield debacle proved it for me. If they can actually at least compete and fight with a SL pack, then the question would have to be why they completely capitulated against Wakey, when we had our only realistic chance of a SL scalp.

And don't forget we have our powder-puff pack to thank for Gaskell being injured, as the only reason he was desperately defending by our posts was the pack's open-door policy.

But Ferguson did ok, got into the Opta "team of the week". Pitts was laid low by injury. Matt Ryan is brand new, and I wasn't that impressed. Olbison didn't play as well as usual, but not through lack of effort. And because we had Siejka on the bench, we were missing a 2nd row man.

It was the 4 props who underperformed horribly to my mind. And we don't have a lot to change around there.

At least we have a couple of back row men who could slot in if changes are needed. Mellor should be fit again I would think. And he was coming along very well before his injury. No questions over his enthusiasm. Just match experience I suppose.

Well, if we don't get promotion, i suppose we can take a man in the Opta team of the week as a close second best.

Listen, if a team defends for 79 out of 80 minutes then some of the tackling stats are going to be high. Wakefield thrashed us, yet the stats won't show big defensive numbers for any of them, not because they couldn't defend, but because we couldn't find their end of the pitch, and because they selfishly kept all the ball.

I have been mulling over the Wakefield debacle for reasons ever since the game, and I have concluded the biggest issue likely was a fear and a total lack of self-belief. They feared they would be mullered by the Wakey pack, and gave them too much respect. Lack of effort? that is contentious territory. But yes, extremely clearly there was a lack of effort. They were not playing as hard and as aggressively as they could, or anywhere near. They needed to start by getting right into Wakefield's faces and hitting them hard, quickly and in numbers. They did none of those things, instead just stood back and watched.

if we come out strong and hard against Salford, getting right into their faces and hitting them hard, quickly and in numbers then I won't be bothered if we lose, because we will have made them know they were in a game, and we will have done our best.

That at Wakefield was nowhere near our best. Or if it was, then we may as well pack the sport in right now.

Think some line speed in defence would be a start this week, after that, some defence would be good this week

The line speed of the defence was woeful to say the least, it was a throw back to last season when we getting hammered every week

Jimmy on radio yorkshire says Lee Gaskell out this week

Of course he is. After that impact on his ribs it'll take another week before he can breathe without pain...