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.

That is why I don't want to play Leeds

That was always Noble's stated strategy - and we saw how that worked out. Yeah, we always played better at the end of the season, but left ourselves too much to do.

My point exactly.

As I said on another thread, it will be interesting to see how Wigan perform in the playoffs. We know how Leeds and Stains will perform- they will crank it up a gear.

If Wigan can do the same then we will blow everyone away.

Two questions for me:

1. Can we up our game?
2. Are we mentally strong enough?


Certainly hope the answer is yes.

Just checked out our league form since we lost to you at the DW. We have won 12, lost 3 and drawn 1. We may not have played brilliantly but that must be close to being the "form" team in the comp. Can only see you guys having a better record. Anyway as far as us finishing 4th goes... It will be massively tough. 1 only have 1 relatively easy game before the end of the season. We play you guys on Friday which is hard anyway, never mind with the CC semi the week after. Then the Friday after the semi we play Cas away who will be tough to beat as it is due to them always raising againt us. Catalan at home is the week after and assuming we make the final maybe that will be playing on our mind. Then the week after the Final is Hull away which in essence may as well be a playoff game if we both need to win to make 4th.

If we win our next 6 games I will be conifdent that we are peaking again at the right time. IMO though stuff the cup. It's very difficult to win both with the finals being so close. Wembley would be a good trip out but for me it's the SL every time. I would love to have 4 in a row and the weeks rest before the Hull game would be worth more than anything.

If we get 4th though and you finish top can you imagine the atmosphere at the DW for that 1st game? The prospect is making me exited already. We may not bring many on a Friday in the regular season but we always take 2k-3k over in the playoffs. Not sure how it works but if it's a Saturday game I reckon we'd take more.

Leeds and Hull will be going full pelt from now until 3 September to get 4th spot. Meanwhile, we should have top spot wrapped up by the end of the Huddersfield game. That gives us 4 weeks to rotate our squad, give everyone a rest and take the field on 12 September with a fully fit squad against a side who have had to run through brick walls for the right to come to the DW and face us!

We should be able to batter any side, given those conditions.

I agree with that but still think if it pours it down it'll be a big leveller. Also in close games the refs can have a huge influence, watched the Wire game from the HJ again last night and in the first half our attack was killed by persistent and pretty blatant ball stealing yet Silverwood gave them all as knock ons, we could quite easily have lost that game had Solomona not been prevented from grounding the ball (or had he not dropped it if you're a Wire fan) but we had very little possession in the first half and should never have been in that situation. Had the conditions under foot not been as good due to rain, Amos may not have scored his first try and they'd have won. Our defence was phenomenal that day but in the playoffs the difference between winning and losing can be one mistake, one bad decision or an injury to a key player... Its that close

My sentiments exactly. There is really no difference between the top 4 so far. Yes your lot might have wrapped up the League Leaders Shield but on any given day any of the top 4 can beat any of the other 3.

Time will tell.

I think under the top 6 playoff system we would win it due to the advantage given to the team finishing top but with the top 8 I just can't see any advantage.

To me, the 27 game league season now is just one big pre season tournament before the actual comp begins in Week 1 of the playoffs. I think that's what happens with a top 8 format.

I can only see regular season crowds dropping off ala NRL, if the league games don't become more meaningful.

But at least 3/4 of all games would be meaningless if we simply had a system where the 1st placed team won the league.

As I've said previously, in the Premier League there is the title, CL and Europa League to aim for plus the motivation to avoid relegation. SL has none of these extra incentives bar the title itself.

The top 8 is correct in my opinion, its just the format of the playoffs I have a problem with.