Yeah - prefer Wakey - they will bring more support than Wigan or Saints. Watching Saints last night though and I don't think there is too much to fear.

Being a Cas supporter, I will be pessimistic whoever we play.
Wakefield - how they would love to get to the GF ahead of us.
Saints - the only team to win at the Jungle this year.
Hull FC - we really struggle against their size.
Wigan - often pull it out in big games.

In reality, I see the semi final and Grand Final as 50-50 games. I reckon anyone who finishes in the top 4 has 25% chance of winning the GF.

What I didn't know was that the team finishing top chooses when to play the semi. Cas have elected to play on the Thursday night to give an extra day's rest IF we win the semi.

I think you will find that cas in 86 had to go to Wigan in the quarters...a Wigan side full of international players,a Wigan side that probably was one of the best Wigan team in the last 30 years.
Easy run in, eh ?

We (Tigers) get massive criticism for playing "we are the Champions" for finishing top of the pile, a first in our 91 years history and yet last night it's OK for Rhino's to play "Jerusalem" to a stand.



Rugby League - the only sport in the UK that shuns good news stories.

Oh come off it you know it was a stupid thing to say. We all signed up for the same deal did we not, you can't move the goal posts to suit yourselves. It's a fabulous effort I can only dream but it's by far the lesser as it stands.

Had cas finished second but then went on to win the GF would you or your best mate DP be arguing the same way errr no.

The GF winners end up as SL winners end of, didn't matter what anyone thinks.

Best way for Cas and Powell to make the point is to crack on and win the GF. That will shut the elitists on here up once and for all. I think you're more than capable.

Spot on. I remember after the 2015 season ended Lee Radford said that the points should be set back to zero at the start of the 8's (when Hull started in 7th place)......didn't see him say the same thing last year or this when they've entered the 8's in 1st and 3rd place respectively.

Yup it's annoying.

It's like the bottom four, some teams were just a game off being top eight. Do we give them extra points for artistic impression? No they have to slog it out with teams who have clearly been far worse than them all season. Never seen Powell or Radford complain about that.

Look at the Grand Final Trophy as "Sky's" cup. I'd love to win it as it's perceived as the pinnacle of the our sport but that is all it is - another hoop to jump through designed to thrill the TV audiences by our paymasters.

who are you trying to kid. None of this nonsense would be coming out if you'd have won a GF from outside 1st place.

Maybe they should get rid of the NRL GF, the Super Bowl and other American playoff series, the playoffs in league football, only allow Chanpions actually play in the Champions League and not 4th placed team, only allow teams that finish top of the group qualify to the knockout stages of World Cups and Euros.

In RU only once in the last 5 years has the team finishing 1st been crowned champions after the playoffs. They manage it just fine without all this whinging and apparent damage it does to the sport.

If Cas don't win the Grand final they can take comfort in being remarkably consistent throughout the season and having been rewarded for it.

If one of the usual suspects wins it could you argue their players have taken things easy at some parts of the season?, not a problem with me but after the euphoria of winning the whole thing could fans ask "why didn't we play like that more often"?

You would feel short changed.

Deary me that's poor - maybe Cas should notify the RFL that they don't rate the GF and don't want to be involved next year. Give those who do a chance

It a flaw with a play off system that's true - personally I'm not a fan.

My argument though is that's what we all signed up for which like it or not makes the LLS no more than a footnote.

Nobody wants to see the smug smile knocked off the faces of Wigan, Leeds and Saints fans and I don't really care who does it - but trying to shift the goal posts fools nobody IMHO.