This is playoff rugby league!!!

The season is over, now it is all about winning the grand final, and to do that you have to beat the best.
We are unlucky to face Leeds in week one, however, recent history tells us that if you want to win the grand final, you are going to have to beat Leeds in either week 3 or at old trafford!!!!

These nerves and worries and fears, are what the playoffs are all about.
Everyone has spent the entire year complaining about how little the regular season means, and now that we get to the stage where it means something, we are remembering, that with that comes the nerves and the emotions!!!!

When we lost to Leeds at home in the semi the other year, it was heartbreaking but that was still one of the best games I ever saw because it was such a rollercoaster of emotions which is what sport is supposed to be all about.

We need to stop panicking about Leeds (and Saints actually). They're a great side and deserve our respect, but we're a good side and deserve theirs too. We can beat them in big games, and have already proved it.

your right. At full strengh we can beat anyone. Problem is Myler out means we ain't at full strength.

as a Rhinos fans I'm expecting

Wire v LEEDS
HUDDERSFIELD v Wigan
HULL FC v Hull KR
ST HELENS v Catalans

Wigan v HULL FC
WIRE v St Helens

LEEDS v Wire
HUDDERSFIELD v Hull FC

strange...?
I was expecting quite the opposite!

I wouldn't write off Wigan just yet. So they decided they can't be bothered playing the 2nd half as they would rather finish 4th and face Huddersfield than us, I still think they will be a threat in the playoffs.

And before anyone says Hudds haven't lost to Wigan yet this season, blah blah blah, it makes no difference. Huddersfield's playoff credentials are not great, losing 7 of 9 playoff games.

Stressing about all the different scenarios is pointless. The bottom line is getting to, and winning the grand final is very hard, you have to beat the best to win it, theres no easy route or lucky draw.

So you play who you play and see how it plays out.

As a leeds fan I don't really relish the prospect of facing warrington potentially twice in 3 weeks. BUt then we shouldn't fear anyone, just like warrington shouldn't.

My personal thought is that if warrington and leeds do end up facing off in week 3 as well as week 1 then it'll be one win a piece and whoever wins in week 3 instead of week 1 will go to OT.

I'm inclined to agree, and we've seen that before with Wigan and Leeds in 2010 and us and Saints last year. I obviously want us to win next week, but this "hunch" is definitely what I'll be using as consolation if we don't, and what will give me a fortnight of worry if we do!

Nope - that'd be losing a GF to Widnes ......

'kin 'ell
Did you ever watch 3-2-1 Yed?
Just as easy to fathom.

Either way, the least amount of times we have to play Leeds (the only team I fear), I'm happy.

Wire for the GF

If I was a Wigan speccie I'd be concerned. They were abject prior to the CC final, they won that by virtue of a dreadfully poor Hull performance, and with a strong line-up yesterday appeared to capitulate.

Leeds, with monotonous predictability, are easing into form and they might fancy their chances, based on having done us in the GF last year and their own pedigree, but don't bank on it. Everyone else will be desperate to avoid us, home or away.

There were plenty of signs V Saints that we're coming back to our imperious best and no-one, including our perceived bogey teams of Leeds or Hull, would have lived with us in that opening 30 minutes. Let the rest of them battle for the comfort of a psychological advantage, scramble for a chink of light and say their prayers - it's ours for the taking.

A rush, and a push and the land that we stand on is ours, my friends.