Now the top 8 is officially settled and we're less than two weeks away from the play-offs, I thought it would be interesting to see how this year's table looks if you only include fixtures between the qualifying teams. Here it is, thoughts?

Saints - garbage defence against teams who can actually score
Warrington/Wigan/Leeds - cruise control
Huddersfield - up and down, mostly down. Just making up the play-off numbers.
Cas - see: Saints
Widnes & Catalan - shocking, probably the worst teams to ever make the top 8 (and that includes Crusaders). Proves it should be a top 6 format.

Means nowt and the play offs will sort the best clubs from those that have taken advantage of others teams 'take it easy attitude' to finish in the top 4.

Only three teams can win it IMO (Wigan, Leeds or Wire).

Leeds from 6th? which seems their final placing.

We will be top of this irrelevant table next week, 3rd in the real table, and ready to play Saints at langtree the week after.

Yep. I said before the season they'd win the double this year, not saying they will now but they have the squad to do it. 6th is probably a blessing for them anyway, they've been awful a lot of the season get they get rewarded with a fairly easy tie at home to either Widnes or Catalan.

Without question. They're a win against Catalans or Widnes away from being in the same position as the other teams in the top four.

They're the team to beat IMO which sums up this crazy format we play under perfectly when you consider they're 6th!!

After reading through the Leeds forum this morning the first bit of sense comes on the Wigan forum, who would have thought that?!

Leeds' next fixture is dead rubber, McDermott should rest almost everybody. A win against Widnes/Catalan and we will be very well set for an assault against the top 4 with a fully fit squad. We will arguably be in a better position than our 2 GF wins from 5th.

they are certainly in the better position on paper (Leeds) but I think they looked really jaded in the second half against us last week so I doubt a weeks' rest for most of the first teamers will do them much good now, either physically or mentally. they are of course the team who perennially prove their doubters wrong however so all is yet to be seen I suppose.

can't see them even making the GF though myself.

That was more than likely the Challenge Cup hangover finally kicking in. They've had two tough games following the final (and played the majority of one of those a man down) so it was a good time to play them. It was a close, tight game up until Flower went over an could easily have gone either way if they had quickly scored again after Sutcliffe's try/Charnley's gift (delete as applicable).

which makes a further mockery of the present system and it doesn't help that teams are playing at different times and on different days. Not saying they will, but anyone could try to manipulate the results to their advantage.

for instance...would you fancy playing a pretty fresh Leeds away, or a beat up Wigan/wire/cas/hudds away? I predict both Widnes and Catalan lose this weekend, with neither fancying a trip to Leeds

If we beat Warrington and Huddersfield beat Saints who would you want to win between Catalan and Castleford? If Catalan win Saints win the hub cap and we finish 2nd with a home tie against Huddersfield. If Castleford win Saints are deprived of the hub cap and we finish 3rd with an away tie against Saints.

He's over-exaggerating a little, but you know full well you're out in the first week of the playoffs.