Pretty much. If they're smart they'll pick us - assuming we beat Catalans.

Imagine if they pick us and lose? They would get laughed at for the biggest cock up in years, is anybody at Wire gonna wanna take that risk? They will pick the lowest ranked team, theyve not been to the OT showpiece yet and will be desperate to get there. They will worry about the final if they win the semi.

I dont agree! If they are smart they will pick the lowest ranked team and let Wigan and Saints knock lumps out of each other a week before the GF. If they do that I fancy a wire v Wigan final.

I would rather lose to Warrington in the Semi-Final rather than at Old Trafford, don't think I could take that

I would rather take on wire at their place than at Old Trafford.

I think we're going to scrape a win against Catalan and take Sam Tomkins, Finch and Pat off in the final few minutes with injuries. Then Warrington will want to pick us. All 3 miraculously recover for the game at HJ, Warrington take us lightly because we have been poor recently and then...

BOOM! We beat them 58-0!

i might grasp the concept of this system in about 10 years time unless they change it again.
saints have taken over as number 2 ?

if hudds win..wire wont hesitate to pick them
if leeds win....they might just pick us

either way..if we beat cats, week 3 will take an almighty effort..and if we survive that..can we raise it again at OT ?
im not confident.

Carlsberg don't do rugby league games but if they did........

I think Wire would pick Hudds first and the winner of your game 2nd, i know i would. I'd let Leeds go to Widnes, i think they'd knock more lumps out of each other than a Saints v Wigan game.

Interesting.

Who do you think Smith will go for though, just trot out the line about picking the lowest ranked team left?

The fact Smith has sort of washed his hands of it suggests to me that it's already been agreed with the board that they will just pick the lowest placed team in the club call. Could be wrong though!

Smith isn't getting involved, he doesn't like it, he said he'll leave it to the board and let them pick what's commercially right for the club. He'll play whoever they pick.

Commercially i don't know what they'll think best, only Wigan is a guaranteed sell out but they might take a hit on not having a sell out v Hudds or Leeds and look to the cash an OT appearance would bring in, who knows?

If we pick you though i'd fancy our chances, when both teams are at peak with no injuries it's a game in which a touch of bad luck or a 50/50 call goes against you that is the difference, very evenly matched BUT we have a FULL team to choose from all injured players back and a week off to prepare against your 5 actually really more like 4 days to prepare, last 20 minutes of that game would see you really struggle to keep up.

It's exciting no matter which way you look at it.

I think they will definitely pick the lowest ranked side left in the competition. They will be scared to death of picking us and losing!

Club call is in my view a disaster and our play off system is vastly inferior to the NRL system which does actually give a better advantage to the top two sides.

Week One

1 v 8
2 v 7
3 v 6
4 v 5

Two highest ranked winners straight to qualifying semi

two lowest ranked losers automatically eliminated

Week Two

Two highest ranked winners get home ties

highest ranked winner v lowest ranked loser

2nd highest ranked winner v lowest ranked loser

Losers eliminated

Week 3

Highest ranked winner week 1 v lowest ranked winner week 3

lowest ranked winner week 1 v highest ranked winner week 3

week 4 Grand Final

Seems a lot fairer system no club call and the top ranked side always gets to plat the lowest ranked team thus giving proper reward for their finishing position in the regular season.

It does make more sense than having teams playing each other twice. Crowds are poor for the playoffs and repeating fixtures does not do a lot to improve matters. Then if you get teams that do not have away followings thrown into the play off mix it does the game a disservice

Does anyone know which day the games will be played on? Are Warrington confirmed for playing Friday?