course we are, might as well milk it while we can we've got Leeds next week

In an ideal world we'll get Hull at home then a choice of who we play to get to the final. I really dont want Wire in the final if we get there as I think there pack is superior to ours, as is the bench. However if Wire end up playing Saints I have a feeling Saints still have the indian sign over Wire and id back us to win it providing Wire get knocked out.

I agree with about Saints still having the indian sign over Wire. Hull at home is wishful thinking it will be Leeds but you will win that one. Who will take final any one of the four for me hope its Wire but as said before Saints still have the indian sign over us. At least you have won some thing this year as last year with us it will help you kick on.

I actualy think we might win it this year. were as good and better than the teams around us . fingers crossed hey

sorry madog dont agree with you there for me the team that finishes top should be the champions they are the best team over the season, its only sky and the comedy duo that down grade the league leaders sheild, for me a team that finishes in 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,then could end up as champions somehow does not seem right.

I remember standing at OT in '98....Nervous as hell, and wondering why we had to go through all this!
We'd 'won' the league already, but had to prove it again in a one-off match against Leeds - Who had already beaten us twice that season (IIRC?).
Didnt enjoy the game one bit and when the final whistle went, and we'd won, it was sheer relief more than anything else.
Had we lost that night, myself (and thousands more) would have felt cheated out of a title that we'd already won.
I completely understand why we've gone to a playoff system (and Yawnion has followed suit), but i'm just not sure that its just reward for a seasons effort?
There can be no doubt that (so far) we have been consistantly better performing than every other team in the league.
And yet, theoretically, even the Crusaders could ultimately be crowned 'Champs'.

I'm not confident that we'll go all the way this year.
Saints and Leeds should still justifiably be favourites in a playoff format.
We dont seem to do so well in the high-pressure one-off games - whereas both of those sides know exactly what to do.
Given the season we've just watched......Does that make them better than us?
The league table suggests not - But as OP's have mentioned, nobody will remember that.
Personally, i'd like to see the Prem playoffs back again and the title awarded to the team that finishes top (whoever it is). Perhaps the reward for winning the Prem Final, could be the spot in the WCC? Just to make it more interesting.
Aint gonna happen though, and a whole lot of fans have been brainwashed by the powers that be into believing that the playoffs are a fair and just way to sort out league champs.
Which it isnt IMHO.

You would assume they'd lose to Wire but playing a week before they possibly play in the Cup Final could be timely.

Bang on Leyland bang on mate,if you finish top you should be Champs.

That's how I felt in 2000 after we lost to Saints.

Totally agree that unless we win at Old Trafford we can't call ourselves Champions because they are the rules but........

This shouldn't be the case. The team that can finish top after playing week after week from February through to September in all kinds of conditions should 100% definately be the Champions. I understand what people are saying regarding mid table clubs having no incentive but why should be have a structure that is rewarding mid table clubs? Why do we actually have a league?
Why don't we split all 14 teams into 4 different groups then the group winners play in a semi final and final?? Might as well, and it saves us playing all 27 league games for nothing. Under the current top 8 format the league winners aren't even guarenteed a semi final slot! MASSIVE JOKE!

The ONLY time i've ever left a Wigan game early.
Add to it getting lost in Manchester trying to find the car, whilst avoiding p*sstaking Saints fans (i really wasnt in the mood).
Wandering up and down streets we didnt know, and then the heavens opened!
All soaked to the skin by the time we found it, a couple of hours later.
Thoroughly miserable night all round........

That's how I still feel 10 years on. Denied what would have been an awesome way to be crowned champions by smashing Saints 42-4 on their own patch to secure top spot. One reverse drubbing and a GF later...

1st priority: Win the GF
2nd priority: Win the CC
3rd priority: win the league

We are two victories from claiming the 3rd priority. Only clubs winning the CC or GF can claim to have had a better season. I think its quite ironic that the hardest one to win is the league yet its 3rd priority!

The thing is, the way teams play because of the play-offs and grand final changes when teams want to and need to peak in the season. What we Leeds have done for the last three seasons is deliberately waited to play our best rugby come the last 3 or 4 fixtures of the regular season, i.e v Cas last year. Bluey has publicly admitted we use the run in to the play-offs as the time to hit peak form. I think the reason why we haven't done as-well in the league and challenge cup from past years is because we hold back our best form for the play-offs. People may argue you have peaked to early and have played your best rugby already this season, who knows. But I think there is ALOT more to come from Leeds this year as we really know when to turn it on when it matters. I am in no way saying I don't think Wigan can't beat us or win the Superleague btw, far from it. You should also be congratulated for being the most consistent and best team so far, but we'll see come play-off time.