A low benchmark though to be fair...

Being fantastically optimistic following the Swinton result I will ask how many points did the two teams get that were relegated last year? And is it a playoff for any of the relegation places?

Whitehaven finished with 20 points after bottom 8's last year and were 2nd bottom.

I don't know about you but I think it'll take close to a miracle for us to stay up.

Your looking for at least 16 wins from 27 games. Where is Steve McQueen and that motorbike.

No longer feeling fantastically optimistic. That's another 16 victories in remaining 27 matches.

16 wins? So what are the best chances of those?

So far I'd say we have a fair chance versus Swinton (H), Dewsbury (H) and (A), Toulouse (H), Odlham (H) and (A), Rochdale (A) and Sheffield (H) and (A). That's 9 games. We might nick one of the Fax games too if they decide to play like they did at Batley. I can't see us having much joy versus the other teams.

It's going to come down to the last few games of the season in the shield competition. I can see us having to win all those games.

Whitehaven finished on 17points Although i don't think any team is as weak as Workington and Whitehaven were last season. Very tight league. At the moment we are the same amount of points away from 6th places Oldham as Batley who occupy the last safe spot.

No - Workington finished bottom after Super 8's with 15 points. Whitehaven just above them on 17.

In the regular season, we need to win at least half our matches and that will keep us within touching distance of two or three other teams down near the bottom. That, given the turmoil around pre-season and the -12 penalty, would be a huge achievement in itself.

We then have the the remaining 7 matches to stay up - entirely achievable, hopefully with the team that has developed through the season, but perhaps with some additional recruits for the last few matches.

It will be difficult - but do-able.

I'd add Batley & London at home as "winnable" That said there are absolutely no gimmes. I won't be overly shocked if we beat London at home then lose to Oldham. We have to concentrate on ourselves as i don't know which team will be towards the bottom come the split. Keep ticking the wins off. Sunday will have lifted a huge amount of pressure off the lads shoulders.

A lot depends on getting those forwards recruits, making sure we have a decent dummy half if Moore gets jail time and avoiding injury to our halfbacks.

I predict we'll spawnily win a game either against London, Fev or Batley but end up losing to Oldham or Swinton.

We need to focus on beating Toulouse on Sunday for a start...