The odds are very much against HKR / Wigan slipping up & we are highly likely to end up third. Our opponents are much less certain. All teams will be tough. Obviously having a week's rest would be better but it may be that our last game (or two) might end up pretty unimportant.

All the games are going to be tough, no-one is going to want to play us either. We’re very tough to beat even at our worst.

I think we have been favs for the third spot rather than top two since the KR game at home.

From a personal POV please not Salford, although a tougher prospect Leigh at home and giving them a good hiding seems to be a decent fit.

i think the top 2 are already in place ,friday will determine what order,anything can happen in the eliminators and semis .wigan ,wire,kr, saints with some returning players,should make it a great end of season finale

It’s the first game that worries me, it’s going to be a decent side at home (where our form isn’t great). Of all the options I still would prefer Salford or Catalans. Don’t want Saints or Leigh. We get through that and I’m happy with either side away in the semi….pressure wouldn’t be on us. Cemented in third does give us ample opportunity to rest any players with niggles though.

I have a niggling feeling it could end up Wigan v Sts at OT after the latter have been awful most of the year! Amazing if that happens but also a bit laughable too. Up to others to ensure it doesn't happen of course!

If that final manifested itself then I’m switching to watching Union.

The way the RFL are mismanaging our game, Rugby League Clubs in the UK will voluntarily move to playing Union in 10 years time.

2nd place has gone now. We are 3rd. We can look back at those home games we should have won ...

Knowing us we would beat Saints and Wigan and choke the final.

Quite relaxed in finishing 3rd.

It will be better for us if Hull KR beat Wigan this weekend and then IF we win our play-off home game we would then play Wigan at the Pie Dome in the Semi Final.

Hull KR should win their game, so IF we can beat the Pies, then either us or KR will be the new winners of trophy.

Let’s just not lose another game. Job done.

The saving grace in finishing third is that whoever finishes 6th will have already stated their knock-out rounds essentially. Each of those 5 trying to get the three remaining places will have to by near their best for the next three weeks, whereas we have a bit of breathing space.

Saints at home is a tough one, you’re not resting anyone for that. But Huddersfield could see some rotation, Williams in particular. Then get him and Dufty back on the field together for London hopefully. The only other players who haven’t had a break then would be Tai, Powell and Walker. I think each of them would get some managed time in the Huddersfield and London games.

Third is a great result, given where we were. But we need to arrive ready for the play offs, rather than chase what is an unlikely second place

It's a good point. As third place now seems pretty much nailed on, it could help to take the pressure off us over the next few weeks, and allow us to really concentrate on arriving at the play-offs in the best shape possible. Injuries and suspensions are always the great unknown, but right now, we are in a position where we can perhaps rest some players if necessary, without it impacting the big picture. If we head into the play-offs with a relatively fit and fresh squad, and with Dufty back, there is still plenty of scope for optimism.

3rd is much better than where most of us thought we'd be this season, so well done to Sam and his team.

If we can't get up for the playoffs then it matters not who we play as we will get found out. Either way, I don't care who we play, we just have to win, simples.

It is quite a strange situation. We are almost treading water for almost a month whilst those around us will be battling like hell. I think we'd have been happy at the start of the season to finish third but can't help being disappointed as we could have done better.

We lost 4 league points either side of the Wembley game.

The Wigan pre-Wembley game was a 4 pointer really, that we handed on a plate to them with the team we selected.

Viewed with the benefit of hindsight though.

I don’t fear anyone at any venue.
I think every defeat bar the fatigue vs KR, we just beat ourselves, with poor discipline, and/or playing an injured player.

Agreed but it also showed our younger players could compete en masse. Games like that and playing so determinedly when a man down in 2 occasions may yet prove to be the most important games of the season.

In addition, the nature of our narrow defeat was seen at the time as a boost, a moral victory and a 'just you watch out when we bring all the big guns back' scenario. Peet had missed a trick he'd made a mistake.

The rest is history.....

Yes indeed this is true. I still think we can improve the centres (attacking) and improve on Drinkwater for 2025 when hopefully we can nail our home form also.

More than just our league position I am more pleased with how we seem a "team" again.

Getting the basics of passing & retaining /respecting possession would go a long way towards winning the games that matter. We have some very good passages of play then the mistakes creep in & let us down.

As we all know it’s about hitting the peak at the right time, when it comes to play off rugby. Finishing third, just keeps that momentum moving forward, I think that’s probably best for this Wire team. Wire shouldn’t have anything to fear whoever they face in the playoffs. The teams who battling it out for 4th and below places are patchy in form, not got the consistency and flow heading into knock out rugby. Only Kr, Wigan and Wire are building up their own game in terms of form. The Gf will be one of those three teams.

There's a team 9 miles or so to the north West with a friendly bunch of fans that I would never rule out of at least getting to the final. I would hope to avoid them even in a 3rd v 6th game at the hj.

I don't really agree that finishing 3rd keeps the momentum rolling forward for us. IMO we have been patchy for weeks now. Our last top performance was Wigan away. We have stuttered since then and i wouldn't be surprised if we lose to Saints. Although they were turgid against Hudds, so i hope i'm wrong. I'm sure we will beat Hudds & London but they're not really great opposition to have going into the playoffs. I'm thinking our earlier perceived 'easy run in' is not that ideal now. Especially as we cannot finish below 3rd and unlikely to reach 1/2 spot. The glass half empty in me says we will lose to Saints, have underwhelming wins at Hudds & London and then we are undercooked for the playoffs.