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.

I've been to conflict in the Army and never had a speech delivered as passionately as that. Well done. Thought I'd add

Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.

I think there's to much caffeine in your blood stream, and a lack of real spice in your life.

Doesn't matter who plays whom, all we have to do is win three games in a row starting at home to Leeds next Saturday. Even if we lose to Leeds next week all we have to do from there is win three games in a row from the week after when we play one of the winners from the bottom four at home.

That's all it is, three wins in a row. Doesn't matter who it is, what the permutations are, what our recors is against them or how good they are, just win three in a row. We're good enough to do that so let's go and do it.

If we lose next week that "three in a row" could potentially start with Saints at home (depending on the Hudds V Wigan and Saints V HKR results), followed by Leeds away. Our record in those two fixtures makes the prospect of winning them both in successive weeks look unlikely. Next week matters! Even if we win though, the prospect of having to play Leeds again two weeks later is hardly mouth watering.

Bring back the top six format sharpish. I'd feel a lot happier now with a week off next week then a trip to Huddersfield the week after for a shot at a short cut to Old Trafford, knowing we would have a home game V the best of the rest to fall back on if we lost it. This top eight format does my head in!

Couldn't have summed it up better. It's what makes the play offs special and makes us all a bit skitzo this time of year.

This is why I love the grand final and playoffs. You have so much riding on these games. Everything is on the line. Every knock on, penalty, mis placed pass is crucial. You go skitz during the games. You wait all season for these games. This is what it's all about.

Yep, once the play offs come around the wait for the next match is agonising. Somehow even the challenge cup doesn't inspire the same level of intensity or anticipation. Love or hate this format it does have strange way of messing with your mind. I mean whoever wins on Saturday is going to be thinking great a home semi but do we really want a week off? I think over the years it hasn't proved to be very advantageous. There is also the possibility of winning when it doesn't matter and losing when it does or worse still losing to one of your biggest rivals twice in 3 weeks on the big stage!

I doff my cap, good Sir.

Trafford, here we come.