I'm not sure we could pull off the Magic Weekend, nothing against the quality of our team but Catalans are immense this year. I would target Leeds at home, we have performed relatively well against them at our place in recent years so it has to be realistic. Also, I can't remember us doing a double over Leeds, how nice would that feel?

From where we were last season to where we are now, is most beyond comparison.
We manages 3 wins in the regular season, compared to 5 already this time around.
At the moment, our league position doesn't matter, its more a case of maintaining form and if we do this
everything else will take care of itself.
This season is proving to be THE most unpredictable season in the SL era, with Leeds and Huddersfield floundering at
the bottom of the table and the likes of Hull FC, Widnes and Catalan pushing for top 4.
The weekly rounds have become increasingly difficult to predict and this makes for a great 2nd half to the season.

Although in some ways 9th is almost as bad as 12th (barring the extra home game), there is nothing we can do about the
current league structure but, as others have said, finishing 9th (or better) would be an astonishing turn around and if we could maintain our current form, who know's where we may finish.

I'm certainly looking forward to the rest of the season, instead of the usual situation of wanting it to be over quickly.

Lot stronger and playing a lot faster game than last year .We may do the top 8 but think we would be far too good for teams in the division below

Agree with all that, it's been pretty barmy so far.

As for us, we just need to focus on keeping the standards that have been set. Not lose our heads when defeat comes and don't get on the teams back when it does. It's a cliche but just take each game as it comes, don't get too far ahead of ourselves and we'll see where we are.

We've got to take points off those teams around us when we can and if we can pinch some off those at the top, bonus. If we can make the top 8 and I think we can, absolutely brilliant. If we don't, we're in playing at a totally different level to what we were last year, so we go into that part of the season wit great confidence. Hopefully this all means, that planning for next year will be far easier for the likes of Chester, Kear etc.

Let the other teams worry about us. We should fear nobody, not even Warrington or Catalans, imo the best 2 teams in the league. Steady progress and continuing playing the way we are and the wins will take care of themselves. Top 8 and a great run in the cup will do for me.

Whoa! Easy there tiger - let's not get ahead of ourselves, we've strung together 4 quality performances but far to early to be writing off the Championship clubs just yet, we've still got a mountain of hard work in front of us. Pride comes before a fall and all that.

MY belief is we can knock either Widnes or Castleford out of the top 8 as it sits now

We won't knock Cas out. They are struggling with injuries and still maintaining their position. When their team comes back together they'll move up, at Widnes expense and maybe Wigan and Sts

Yes, it's worth remembering that Chester and KR went 7 and 0 in the middle 8's last season.
I'll have some of that, although it will be an interesting series of games if Leeds and Huddersfield are still down there.

You have to expect that they will come good, either with the players that they have or, with the addition of a few "star" names at the end of the regular season.
It's going to be really intriguing to see the end of season unfold and whilst I still despise the concept of the new structure, it will add some interest.

I look forward to whining about Shudds and Leeds recruiting a brand new team for the M8's and therefore cheating to stay up...

I can't say I despise the structure, I dislike it and think it's a bit of a convoluted system, but mainly cos we're gonna be in it again, but if we weren't involved I think it's very exciting.

I quite like it tbh. Saved last season from being a total borefest and the Middle 8 fixtures were some of the most enjoyable (not difficult admittedly)

Now this season, we are striving for the top 8, but failure means that we go into the lottery of the middles for survival. It's high stakes - and the FT championship clubs are no walkover, Bradford came very close to promotion last year.

Doesn't work like that IMHO.

I'm not sure what you mean.
What I'm saying is I thin k Cas will improve on their current position, whereas other clubs like Widnes will slip away.

A good insight into how far we have come will be against Hull on Sunday next. They are a much improved team and IMO it will give us something to work from. The last four results, however . have been amazing. It's taken me all week to come down from the Wigan thrashing and I can't wait for Friday.