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More plop rugby
Brown stealing a wage
Gidley getting even worse, yet his fan club on here still blowing smoke up his Aris'
Evans still being rubbish
High kicks to opposition full backs
Poor discipline
Halves where no tries are scored
Dwindling attendances
Smith STILL here, deciding shirt numbers for 2018

Me still being a realist

more pain and anguish.

So with all teams having played 13 games we now have distinct subgroups emerging in the table.

Current top 4: Cas 20, Hull 19, Salford/Leeds 18
Challengers for the top 4: Wigan 15, Wakefield 14
Fighting to secure top 8: Saints/Catalans/Warrington 11, Hudds 8
Likely to be in bottom 4 and 'qualifiers': Leigh 6, Widnes 5

So the SL season for us probably boils down to trying to be in the top two of a mini league of four containing us, Saints, Catalans, Hudds. The win over Saints last week was really significant in this context - if they were on 13 and we were on 9 they'd feel a lot happier.

If we make it to the top 8, we'll probably find ourselves way off the pace of the top 4 and early on in the Super 8s we'll be out of contention. However, I'm basing that on averaging out our performance over the season as a whole. It has been two halves: 0 points from the first 6 games and 11 from the next 7. IF it turns out that the first 6 weeks were an aberration and the last 7 are more a guide to where we are, then the top 4 would still be on. If we pick up points at the same rate in the final 10 weeks before the split, we'd have 26 or 27 points which based on the last couple of years would have us a couple of points off the top 4 going in to the Super 8s.

I am sceptical at this point that we will do that but it is worth noting that the past 7 weeks have been a lot better. We have harder fixtures coming up now, so in practice for us to keep picking up points at the same rate, we'll have had to record wins over sides currently above us. Whilst this makes it less likely that we will...if we did, we'd have closed space on them all.

It's unlikely that we will make the top four but the run of harder games is paradoxically just what we need really since we can't rely on the top teams dropping points, we need to take them away.

I think a crucial aspect of the second half of the year will be squad depth and injuries. As a case in point look at Wigan, you would have to say that they were the favourites in February but they have been decimated by injuries and are now adrift of the top group. They will be hoping to merely stay in touch at the moment and hope they get their injured players back later in the season. In contrast we only have a couple of players with long term injuries (ATM) and we have decent squad depth. providing Wire can continue with their form we may have a chance of sneaking into the top four.

I can't see both Salford and Leeds hanging on in to the 4 Sally, one if not both will slip out by rnd 30.
This league is reading false after the disastrous period for Wire and now Pies. Saints are where they are and Cats will be looking for a new coach soon.
I believe a first choice Wakefield 17 to be stronger than that of both Salford and Leeds, and barring injury, could be the team that knocks on the door at number 4 and may doom either Wigan or Wire.

This league is reading false???? Best one since your pre season league prediction! Wigan will be top four.

Realistically after round 23 we need to be within 2 points of whichever team is in 4th place.
It would be difficult (not impossible) to make up more than 2 points during the super 8 rounds.
At the moment Salford and Leeds are both 7 points clear of us.
So to be within 2 points of them we need to make up 5 points on them in the next 10 rounds.
Leeds play Cas at magic weekend so I guess they have to play them again after that which could help.
To get anywhere near the grand final from where we are now would be amazing. The thing is I think the group of players are good enough, if we click and somehow win our next 3 games then it could start to look achievable. On the same token on recent form (apart from the last 60mins against saints and they are shocking) we could loose all 3 then SL is pretty much over for us.

Funnily enough that's what I think as a cas fan and that's including if your the opposition.
Judging by your performance on tv today there's not one wire player what could get in the cas first 17

Well, since they've already lost arguably their best player, for the season, we'll never know...