Good post, completley differant to been happy of making the 8 and the "pressure" been off, like a lot of posters seemed happy with (although quite a few back tracking now) think the op was correct with his opening statement

I know it's said and I've seen the results of Hull relaxing once "the pressure's off" all too often. That's the point I'm making. We [ishouldn't[/i go in with the attitude that the pressure is off because it shouldn't be until the season's over.

Who's having a go at Radford? I've been frustrated at our play-off performances since 2006 and at our knack of underestimating certain teams during the normal season because we wrongfully assume the pressure isn't as high when we play them. Haven't you?

As far as I'm aware nobody from the club has suggested that their ambition has been lowered. Or that there won't be [iinternal[/i pressure for wins/results/final place. Whether we deliver or not is another thing but far too much is being made of a commonly-used sporting phrase to suggest that we simply aren't bothered any more.

.... if we'd lost against Rovers, the pressure would really have been ramped up for the Wigan game, but we didn't, so the pressure ............

Regardless of the phrase used we've all too often over the years looked like we're simply not bothered anymore....

That's what I'm worried about going into the Super8. But yes, I may be worrying needlessly. Just hope if they do feel the pressure's off we see expansive rugby like Wilf hopes and not the capitulation we've seen in the past.

Totally agree with that Wilf, it is what I was trying to get at. Well put.

is ramped down?

Only on the FC Forum would fans argue for this long about semantics! The pressure is reduced as now the threat of relegation has gone...but now there's a new pressure, to perform against the better teams, finish on a high and leave fans excited for next year.

I'm looking forward to the next 8 games without the negatively which has lingered at the KC like one of Hudgell's farts.

Roll on thursday!

...so the pressure is now on to make the top four.

The pressure most certainly isn't "off".

The only time you tend to hear it in sport is when there's nothing to play for. That's when the pressure is actually off. You can't get relegated, but you can't win or qualify for anything either. That's a "pressure off" situation.

Reaching the top eight and still having a shot at the top four most certainly isn't a "pressure off" situation. People using the phrase are either lacking in ambition for the club this season or are acutely misusing it.

Is the pressure really off? The answer is no. The pressure is on to win every game possible to reach the top four, where we are four points off and at a disadvantage to some of the clubs around us. The pressure is on every game.

There is less fear of losing as before as there are less consequences for the club as a whole. But that was true of the entire licensing era. Look what that resulted in.

Spot on from Wilf. We now have the opportunity to experiment whether that be trying a more expansive style of rugby, fielding a few more youngsters, or both. In that sense the pressure is off because we don't have to fear the repercussions any more now that we are in the 8 and know we are in Super League next season.

Of course it all depends on what the clubs goals are I suppose. If our target this year was the 8 then it's job done. But with us being four points off Top 4 perhaps we have our sights aimed higher. That may very well dictate whether we plan to experiment a bit or not.

We'll find out what the club is thinking over the coming weeks.