I have always been impressed with TS’s honesty and calm acceptance of an under par performance by his sides post match, (even though I do take the mick out of him at times) and I don’t think that he, or even any coaches are selling the idea to their teams, but when you look at some of the results over the weeks, is the Leeds playoff successes of the last couple of terms put a feeling of “this one doesn’t really matter” into the minds of some players in terms of some of the games of the weekly rounds. Even if it isn’t I know some fans are starting to think so. Keep the playoffs, but make it much harder for sides outside the top three from getting to the final, and call the winners what you want apart from CHAMPIONS! Cock of the walk, kings of the hill, but put more recognition back into finishing the weekly rounds on top of the tree. Give back the title of Champions to them, whoever they may be.

I can't shake the feeling that last year was the last chance the current squad of winning the GF. We went into the play-offs with a fresh squad, by virtue of squad rotation, few injuries and on the back of a superb win at Saints and fell just short. This year perhaps honourable defeat in the latter stages of the play-offs and a good CC run is the best we can hope for.

There will undoubtedly be better days and once Trent and Ben H are back in harness to take the load of Westwood (who is carrying that pack at the moment) we will at least be able to get some momentum but we may just be beginning to see the first cracks appearing.

As for the play-offs I'd tend to agree that the Leeds scenario is a case of RL placebo - they probably now have the mindset that they will, not can, win the playoffs from anywhere. Whether anyone else, including us, can emulate that I'm not so sure.

Similar to Morriseyisawire I thought what with at least getting to the GF last year it was our only chance but hey! I was a little disappointed last night as we showed no composure just to gain ground and turn the screw for pressure. After going 14-0 down I couldn't see us getting anything to be honest. I'm not a fan of having M Monnas & Mickey H on the field at the same time as M Monnas is not getting a break. Hopefully once Benny H & Trent return we should be able to settle down and start afresh. No trophies handed out in March.
I would like another shot at Saints at home in the Challenge Cup so we can right the wrongs from last night just like Catalan last year.

If we lose to Salford, and you compare the points taken over the first 7 games we've played this season and compare them with those same games from last (Cas home, Wgan away, Cats home, Hull away, Hull KR away, Saints home, Salford Away) it's identical. I'm not panicking yet, just as I wasn't panicking or worrying about a lack of new signings when we drew with Wigan, beat Hull or beat Catalans.

We were poor. Saints played well. We got done. It may be indicative of a wilder problem but at this stage, there is simply no evidence to back that up.

It's a sorry state of affairs for the competition when you can come away from losing to Saints thinking "I'm not really that fussed".

Sure it's frustrating putting up with their fans etc, and a loss to a rival is still very much a loss, but, in the grand scheme of things it all just felt a bit 'meh' as they say.

I can't shake the 'as long as we're there or therabouts come september' mindset, which is awful I know. There's also a niggling worry concerning some of our older players. Hope we can get as many back to full fitness come July/Aug and start firing at the right time!

Obviously only started watching us in the past 4 years then.

You will finish in the top two, at the very worst, top 3. A couple of bad performances at the beginning of the season is not a crisis.

I couldn't agree more with some of the sentiments posted in this thread. As I said last week, it's a sad state of affairs when a loss, especially to a close rival, can be shrugged off as not mattering. I suspect that whatever the result on Good Friday in the Wigan/Saints game one set of supporters or the other will be saying much the same thing. The current format is in desperate need of a overhaul before this apathy starts to translate into ticket sales, in particular season ticket sales. I'm of the opinion tht the RFL will react way too late on this one though. Hope I'm wrong...

From the reaction of the Saints fans and the zeal of the players I would say, beating Warrington is their season goal, a sort of Wembley final for them. I doubt if they'll shout so loud against Wakefield next week. It was a tough and enthralling game, but not significant in the overall scheme of things, we have too many good players not to pick up some silverware for the fith year in a row. Saints on the other hand, always the bridesmaids.

I'm more worried that this attitude will start to permeate into the players let alone the fans.

Don't forget being able to win it from anywhere has only been proven by Leeds.

As for the playoff conundrum, if heatherington can get the WCC sorted, I think this will solve the problem with top teams neglecting the league.

All Chairmen will want to make the WCC in the new format, so top 2 will once again become the golden standard, as anything outside the top 2 and you are leaving your place in the WCC down to the random chance of the playoff system.

We we weren't at our best, but I think a bucket load of credit has to go to St Helens as they showed great tenacity and enthusuasm in defence and took their chances very well. It is turning out to be their biggest game of the season nowadays. No trophy for 5 years is turning local games against us and Wigan into huge affairs.

My thoughts exactly regarding their biggest game. They celebrated Fridays victory more than we did at Wembley.

They'll be lying.

lol, not even close to a Wigan game.