You have said yourself how little weekly rounds matter, hardly worth using the energy once you're 12+ points down

I must add that Saints won at Wigan without Walsh (he went off injured in the first half)
Not saying they will win the grand final, but to say Wigan or Warrington will win 'by default' is utterly foolish

So, they lost 12 games yet still finished top? Can you elaborate on this odd statement?

If cas had beaten catalans they would have won the LLS on points difference and saints wouldn't be in the position they are to make the grand final. So it does matter for points difference. A situation out of saints control went their way so it never came into play. Some of your fans were bleating about that before the cats v cas game, that bending over in games already lost might cost you the LLS.

The way Cas have played last couple of weeks they would probably have lost week one anyway and Saints would have club call regardless.

Ifs and buts anyway.as others have said its nice to see the top team get a proper easy run to final for once, how it should be.

Finishing top has always given the top team a "real advantage". It is just Saints (so far) are capitalising on it.

Don't blame the playoff system for teams just not having any bottle.

Why did you only choose to answer 1/3 of my post?

It would be interesting to see what sort of crowd turns up for the GF if Catalans make it.

Less than 50k.probably around low 40's.

Do you really think it's that cut and dried.
With how the play offs have gone so far, anything could happen.

We've had blow outs, when they weren't expected and close games when they were not expected.
Wigan have come unstuck against big mobile forwards and both Catalan and Saints have superb packs.
Ok, Saints are badly missing a decent pair of half backs but, IF Catalan could win next week, they could cause another major upset
and all of this from 8th spot !

I don't think Catalans can win the Final, I think they'd be overawed by the occasion, but they can definitely win at Saints. They've proven before they can win there, Saints will have to play well to beat them.

If Saints do get to the final they stand just as much chance as Wigan or Warrington. It all depends who handles the occasion the best and plays the right kind of rugby. You need to play it relatively tight but can't just revert to 1 out rugby, you've still got to move the ball and, more than anything, you need to kick well.
All 3 of Wigan, Warrington and Saints can do that.

My money is on Warrington, I just thought I saw a determination in them in their last few games, the same kind of determination I saw at Leeds in 07/08.

You're probably right, although none of the top clubs have been consistent over the past number of weeks and although Wigan may be ok against Warrington, they have struggled in the forwards at various times this season.
The lack of consistency from all of the contenders makes both semi finals difficult to call.
Although Warrington have looked hungry, victory at Wigan will be a tough ask.

The bookise have it as a Wigan Evens) - Saints (11/4) final, with Wire 7/2 and Catalan 8/1, but there is a good chance of an upset in both semi's

Well this is one Saints fan who was glad we won the LLS and did not give it up after Walsh's injury, but we are relying on sport being a funny old game if we win the GF.

What is difficult to predict is have we found the right combinations and a new system, or was the Cas game a one off.

You can argue it both ways, we were touch and go in the games leading up to the Cas game. Good defensively, but shocking in attack. Then the attack came good for the Cas game.

or

Cas were way off the pace allowing us to attack with free reign. Even beating Catalan if we do will not prove this as people will say they are to tired to win.

So we won't know where we stand until the GF. It could be that Brown has come up with a style of play to cope without creative players, but I don't know at this point.

As an optimist I would hope the answer is yes and it just took some weeks to pull it all together. As a realist it's more likely that finishing top has given us the key to progress with less of a challenge.