I'd rather see Cas win, even though it puts us down to 3rd, partly to see a new name on the list and also to deny the Skints any silverware, of course.

Only for the losers below them, do I sense a dummy spit here, patched up team winning the LLS is indeed embarrassing for most.

If we'd gone for the LLS and failed I'd be embarrassed, but we didn't and we still ended up 2nd.

I'm sure you went out o your way to lose games, Wane really sounded quite happy after some of your loses this year ...

It's a fitting end to this current shambolic system that a team I'd say are 5th best in the division have topped the league with a raft of injuries and a pretty low points total. The better sides are that un-interested in winning in the LLS that it's still been possible for Saints to do it whilst teams I'd class as the best (Leeds) and 3rd best (Wire) have ended up finishing 5th and 6th because they know full well it's enough to allow them a fair rack at the play offs.

Roll on the new dawn of 2016.

I might bookmark this thread. Just in case.

We haven't had a full or settled side at anytime throughout the year. When we did we won our first eight games until a horrendous injury jinx struck. On top of Lomax, Walsh & Wilkin we lost Hohaia & Amor for months. Given we have the best record against the top eight sides in the league too your argument holds little weight.

We've had no half backs, full back and loose forward for more than half a season if this wasn't the case the LLS would have been wrapped up in record time. Most clubs (fans) have missed the trick this year that the LLS has greater value in direct qualification to the World Club Format.

Its one of the easiest things to say when a club is out of reach that they are un interested in it, I'm sure Waney wants to win every game and this myth of strolling through the league to finish 5th to win Superleague is never planned, its just an achievement and not a regular winning formula.

This was your contradiction quote on another thread "Finishing outside the top four will really reduce our chance of getting to and winning at Old Trafford IMO." so which is it, 5th or 6th will give you a fair crack at the play offs or it will reduce your chances in the play offs to get to the grand final.

You qualify for a meaningless friendly to be played on the Friday or Saturday before the Champions play for the big prize on the Sunday. Well done.

As for injuries, every club has had them and continues to have them so not really a pat on the back there.

Wigan, Wire and Leeds may not have gone out to lose games but they have rested players in games they believed they would win and were bitten by it. That won't happen next year or in the next 4 weeks. Now we see how good you are.

1/ you could have wrapped it up whenever you wanted, apart from Cas no one else was really interested, Top 4 was enough if it meant having enough gas in the tank. Leeds wanted the CC, a would have loved a top 4 but strangely enough won't be as bothered about 6th as they should be.
No one sets put for 5th, 6th etc. but what they do is not go all out for 1st or 2nd etc if it risks their chances in the play offs.
2/when was it decided that the LLS winners get a place in the WCC? Over 2/3rds through the season? Another bit of master planning by the RFL!

Bit of pessimism on my part about our own chances I suppose but we both know full well Wire and Leeds will win their games and get through to the next round. We'd have more then likely done the same but I wouldn't be arrogant enough to say there's no advantage at all in finishing top four because there is (a bit).

Taking us out of the equation Leeds and Wire are the best two sides in the league and even Saints at full strength aren't in that class. A token gesture of receiving a shield for your efforts of being the best of a bad or uninterested bunch will mean nowt from next week.

We had this same discussion with Huddersfield fans 12 months back by the way and look how that turned out.

Really? Saints at full strength (but minus two props) whooped Warrington 38-8 in the first game of the season. We beat Leeds at home with Walsh injured and Wilkin, Walmsley and Amor banned. We also beat Wigan at Wigan having lost Walsh to injury halfway through the game.

Saints have beaten all teams this year.

I rate the LLS even if no one else does.
The team who finish top of the pile have achieved something IMO so well done to Saints.
As far as I'm concerned the problem with team's inconsistency is because no one rates the LLS.
The new structure IMO should be a top three play off, the top club going straight to O/T with a week off whist 2 & 3 play off for the other place in the GF.
That would concentrate minds on coming top of the League.

As for Saints they came top due to their early season unbeaten run up to Good Friday.
By GF we had two losses and so had Cas.
Since Easter Saints have been as inconsistent as the rest of us.
They have had good wins and some poor losses same as us.
The return game at DW between us they had Lomax out and lost Walsh during the game.
By Waney's reckoning we had 10 out, by mine 7. It still ended up three tries each and Saints won it on goal kicks.

Interesting how it pans out from here.