I've been really down on us all season for obvious reasons however there is a part of me that thinks we can go to Warrington and win even if Leigh beat us this week. Obviously I'd rather play Salford at H but there were some green shoots in our win over Cas. Whilst they had nothing to play for it was good to see us much more expansive and whilst naturally clunky at times, the difference that Welsby, Percival and even Dodd made was marked. Clark got 20 mins or so and Walmsley took his oven gloves off and caught the ball this time.

Knowles is the big one, his line speed, aggression and metres made plus his linking with the spine does make us look a different side.

A packed out away end at Warrington with no injuries or bans this week would still give me hope.

However that said we do need to beat Leigh. Our away form has been poor and our record against the top 6 even more so. Do I think we are good enough to win the comp? No but there are still a lot of big game experienced players in this team so there's a chance we will make a good fist of it.

I do have a similar feeling re Saints. I can see Leigh winning tomorrow night and sending you to Wire, but you showed in the first 15 minutes in your last fixture against them that you can compete. It was a pretty decent start and I was thinking Saints may be back (the less said about the remaining 65 mins, the better ).

I think you're right to mention the big game aspect. I don't get the sense that Wire have too many players that you'd say raise their game in the big games. There were certainly a few who disappointed at Wembley, albeit that was just one game.

I think beating Wire, Wigan and Hull KR (for example) in consecutive weeks will be beyond Saints, but you'll obviously be a different proposition with some players back compared to where you have been for the last couple of months. I'd be a lot happier if our route to silverware doesn't involve playing Saints (unless it's in the final!).

SKY / RFL would have been loving blowing smoke up their own s this weekend on TV with Wigan v Salford (hoping Wigan lose so they can hype up Friday night for KR), but Salford likely to have stuck a spanner in the works there

however, they will still be saying how 1st - 7th are all still to play for with only Wigan guaranteed 1st or 2nd, KR 1st to 3rd, Wire 2nd or 3rd, and then Salford, Saints, Leigh and poss Catalan 4th - 6th, so they'll be hyping it up as best ever finish to a season. IN reality Wigan have been good enough to finish top (assuming we win), KR have had a good season, but then Wire through to Catalan have all be inconsistent, capable of winning on their day, but equally underperforming

I think most Wiganers still feel Saints are the biggest threat to us hopefully going on to win back to back due to their squad having big game experience, that KR, Wire, Salford and Leigh dont really have. As a Wiganer, i prefer us to play week in week out, as we've shown in the past that a week off doesnt always suit us, but we cant say that we are tired if we cant get past whoever we draw in the semi as we'll have had a relatively easy game tomorrow (assumption based on Salford team) and 2 weeks off to recover and train

I've said for weeks that there is no way I would rule out Saints. They just won't give anybody an easy play off game. If you play Salford at home, I feel you'll win and then likely come here and I can't lie, I would feel extremely nervous. There's no arrogance in saying we're in a better side but we know full well play off games are different and teams struggle to really open up and play their natural game and that brings Saints right in to it. It'll take a couple of off days and those play off nerves grabbing a couple of sides but I see no reason why Saints couldn't win it. The media seem to want to build a 2 horse race. That was between Warrington and HKR a few weeks ago and now it's between Wigan and HKR but I honestly think it's a really open race. Wigan are the favourites, no doubts about that but I think all of Wire, HKR and Saints could also win it. I don't see Salford, Leigh, Catalans etc having enough tbh.

There's no doubt in my mind we have a Wigan v Saints semi final coming up in a couple of weeks and the form of each team in the regular season will be redundant at that point.

I hate the lack of any tangible reward for finishing 1st or 2nd outside of home advantage. You can argue a week off does you more harm than good at times. When you finish in the top 2 you should get two chances to get to the final as we had with the old top 6 system. It would also extend the playoff series by a week.

And this has nothing to do with any Wigan bias - in 2018 Saints finished top - 6 points clear of Wigan and 15 points clear of Warrington. They lose one game against Warrington and are out which was farcical in my view.

You can lose the first game in the NRL but then you have to win another game to qualify for the semi final. Not a fan of that either - I firmly believe the old top 6 system we had in the mid 2000s was the best one.

The NRL has more teams, though, so top 8 doesn't seem unreasonable. I agree that top 6 should be enough for the size of SL. But I doubt they'd go back to that because of "make every game matter", unfortunately.

Where and when would this hyping up take place and to what real value?

Just listen to the commentary and how they will be saying its the greatest super league season ever because there is all to play for going into the final round of matches. Salford sending a virtual reserve side, means that the hype for KR and top spot is virtually gone (without counting our chickens)

in reality, apart from Wigan and KR, the rest have been hit and miss all season, even Wigan havent been great as we've been managing our efforts to peak for WCC, CC and now a tilt at the GF. Its now left sides in 3-7 with something to play for, so sky will be hyping it up the best they can

I prefer a top 5 play off system. It encourages clubs to be honest and rewards success.

If it does turn out to be Wigan v Saints, very likely IMO, in the semi at least for once it should be a good crowd on.
The I'm saving my money for the final excuse really does go out the window for the derby, should easily be 20k+

The top 5 system doesn't work IMO as it creates the likelihood of a repeat fixture in the same playoff series. Remember the pitiful crowd against Salford in 2019? Getting smashed by Saints the week before won't have helped but playing the same team we played a fortnight earlier won't attract many through the gates.

Agree with this.

The current system is the best we've had imo.

The others are too convoluted with second chances and repeat fixtures. Of course it sucks if you've been the best team all season then lose one play off game and you're out but ultimately you have to be better than that to win and I think that's reasonable.

Also, I will be terrified ahead of a potential Saints semi. Obviously I think we win like 80% of the time but if they have a full team they'll put up a fight. I'm still traumatised by losses against the Rhinos when they looked like they were cooked in the 2010s.