Agree. That's what we all sign up for from game one. It's the structure the SL clubs themselves vote for. It's sport. Fans can't complain if it doesn't follow their script.

On the NRL, they have more teams, so making the playoffs (and the top 4 for a "better" run), is tougher (rather than 8 out of 12 in SL).

The NRL has a higher depth of quality throughout the league - when you hear the aussie players talk about the difference, they often say that in the NRL, it's a high intensity week in week out, there are no easy games, but SL has a mix of stronger and weaker teams.

If we had that in SL, Smith couldn't rest/rotate players against a "weaker" team, you can't take the mentality of "it's fine as long as we finish top 4 or 8" into games.

So making the playoffs in the NRL is a big deal which is why I guess from then no one really begrudges the ultimate winner, league leaders or not, they've earned it.

NRL have the balance right between league and playoff importance, and it's seen as one whole competition, rather than us over here who kind of views SL as two distinct parts.

Fair enough. In truth there a very few players from our squad that I would be upset about losing. Namely

Ratchford
Hill
Currie
Atkins
Hiku
Clarke

Well i hope someone at the club realises that there can be no half measures with these games & that keeping our foot on the gas & scoring points is important . HKR are breathing down our necks & Widnes have a better scoring difference but with less play off points. Any slip up could be a disaster.

I was comfortable after the the first 2 wins (arguably our toughest 2 initially looking at the fixtures). However after Fax gave us that much resistance as a team who wouldn't expect to make the MPG, London and Fev both away are now looking like real potential banana skins.

In reality we'll probably win comfortably, and be way out of the woods before we play KR, but we can't go into those two games with the attitude and intensity we did with Fax.

Did you not listen to Tony, they are entitled to be flat for games like this. You can't seriously expect them to give 100% in every match?

1 Halifax finished 3rd not 4th
2 turned over London, Fev Hull kr Toulouse to make the top 4
3) This was a weak fax squad (Sharp Banned, Calhane injured, Heaton who as scored 6 in last 2 pulled out Friday. etc

If we had been full strength I think you would have lost. Fax V Catalans for the MPG

Notice how the issue is never preparation, skills, effort, structure, personnel. No that's all perfect it's always a "force majeure" reason.
The poor snowflakes were a bit flat, that's all. Let's hope they are not too flat for the remaining games.

See you do listen to Tony. They've trained well all season so it has nothing to do with prep. You can't however, train to work with championship standard referee's and flat performances. Thankfully though, it sounds like we have had a wake up call, good job really, we'd have had a rubbish season if we carried on with displays like that.

No one said they didn't


They also lost to London, Fev, HKR and Toulouse in their other games against them, and you then lost to HKR in the first game of the 8s, so what's your point?
Fax were probably the form Championship team coming into the 8's, and were perhaps unlucky with the fixtures, but I still don't get your point?


This I agree with - I was genuinely impressed with Fax's defense, and general play in attack, nice offloads etc.
But the MPG game? No chance. All 4 SL teams plus HKR too far ahead in quality. The MPG game will be another all SL encounter, with HKR safely promoted.

Why.. If we beat Catalans, fev London and keep Leigh close then should see us make it on PD.

This fax team conceded the least points in the champoionship and we always get written off just like you lot expected a 66-0 hammering of us on sat but instead were lucky to leave with 2 points.

A lot of 'ifs'.

Sure, we all thought that we'd put some points on you as we'd just stuck 50 odd on Catalans and thought (hoped) that we'd kick on after a season of misery and it's new territory for us so apologies if we got giddy with our predictions. Your 'mate' Norman Bates didn't disagree with our summation either, but, fair play to your defence and general play that has been acknowledged by many on here.

Whether we were "lucky" I'll leave that thought with you and wish you well for the rest of the comp

Indeed I didn't.



I think if we had our full team out on Saturday it would have been VERY close, but I can't say we would have won a nobody knows that. With a bit of luck we could potentially end up with 6 points and be pushing somebody, probably Catalans, close. Somebody did say earlier on this thread that theynpity who has Cats next and as ever it's us, at least that should allow us to shout fix at another e ref.

I'm not sure what is wrong at Wire and Cats as on appear they have really strong squads, guess it must be coaching!!!!

Onward and upward and we may be seeing you again next season, in the middle 8's if you don't change something.