Some Batley fans who were staying in our Hotel at the weekend think that we are certain to be in the Middle Eights.
Leigh and ourselves have to win just half of our remaining games and we are there.
They think Bradford will be there too having an easy run in.
Batley they think have the hardest run of games but are are hopeful, but not too confident.
I do not want to be too confident either, but I can see the logic. Let us hope they are right.

Famous last words, but I predict ..........

Batley 29 Oldham(w) Sheffield (w) Bradford (l) Dewsbury (w) Haven (w) Fev (l) London (l) Swinton (w)

Bradford 34 Dewsbury (w) Worky (w) Oldham (w) Batley (w) Halifax (w) Leigh (l) Haven (w) Oldham (w) Fev (w)

Fev 30 Swinton (w) Leigh (l) Haven (w) Sheffield (w) Worky (w) Batley (w) Halifax (w) Bradford (l)

Halifax 28 Sheffield (w) Haven (w) Dewsbury (w) Bradford (l) Swinton (w) Leigh (l) Fev (l) London (w)

Leigh 42 Haven (w) Fev (w) Worky (w) London (d) Bradford (w) Halifax (w) Sheffield (w) Dewsbury (w)

London 37 Worky (w) Swinton (w) Oldham (w) Leigh (d) Dewsbury (w) Sheffield (w) Batley (w) Halifax (l)

That's pretty much how they thought it my pan out. Fax's having to play the top three and a run of away games would go against them. Batley and Fev to fight it out for fourth place.

Fev's thumping loss against Halfax may have dented their confidence?

Is there a preferential position to finish. Did I hear last year first spot wasn't necessarily the best??

Don't know, I'm sure I heard Brian Carney say at the weekend that 2nd place would get you 4 home times in the 8's

First and second get 4 home 3 away as do the 5 6 SL position teams 7 8 SL and 3 4 championship teams get the 3 hone 4 away.
I can't off the top of my head quite remember how the fixtures actually worked out but if I recall from last year 2nd did seem to have in theory the slightly easier games against the lower placed SL teams

Current standings for the middle 8's.Actual fixtures (order of play) are only revealed after the regular season.

The format of the super 8s as far as i am aware has not changed from last year, so who plays who depends on where you finish in the regular season. The better performers get rewarded eg SL 5/6 and Championship 1/2 are rewarded, and who plays who as in league position will be the same as last year I would assume. The only thing that changes is which teams are in those league positions

Here...

IF it is the same as last year the fixtures will be as follow
Team that finishes top in Championship will play 4 home games against SL teams that finished 10/12 and will play Champ teams that finished 2nd and 3rd. Away they play SL teams that finish 9/11 and 4th placed champ team
The second placed champ team hopefully us, will play at home SL team that finished 9/11 Champ team that finished 3/4 Away its Sl10/6 and champ 1

so finishing second you get the highest finishing SL team at home where if you finish 1st you play the highest finishing SL team away

or as per the table above

So we know who will play who in regards to end of regular season standings, we just dont know who will be in those places.

... or what order the games are played in.

Atomic where did you find that "as it stands" table?
I'd be reasonably happy with them fixtures, would try to go to Salford and Leeds.

I think the break between regular season and 8s happens at he Challenge Cup semi weekend so that's a two week period to sort fixtures out, which also means million pound game probably gets announced quite late as until the team that hosts it is known the fixture can't be organised.

Million pound game is only decided after completion of the middle 8s and 4/5 places decided then it's a home game for 4th place, it's not difficult.
As for what games will be played when, then pretty sure the rfl will already have the plan, I can tell you one weekend definite Leeds will be at home and Salford irrelevant of which comp they are in