4th still up for grabs

[TT Tiger]

I know it's a long shot but to me it seams like saints are our best shot at finishing in the top 4. If they carry on on the same way that they did before the cup final break I can't see them picking up a win. And with shenny and webbo hopefully back next week we are in with a shout of turnning them over then we are on level terms and who knows after that...

[Sharlotiger]

We need Leeds to not have any cup hangovers and do the job tonight or next week will be irelevent.

[chesterfieldtiger]

Saints to win easy tonight. Season over!!!!!

[TT Tiger]

Saints to win easy tonight. Season over!!!!!

Even with Leeds hunting the treble?

[derbystiger]

Saints to win easy tonight. Season over!!!!!

Leeds to win easy tonight. Season very much alive!!!!

[Dazzyb]

Most definitely. I didn't expect we would win last night, although I do believe we are capable of beating Huddersfield but we we're never going to trouble an established top 4 team with a make shift back line. Now for saints .. I can quiet easily see them going through the play offs without a win . Well here's hoping :-#

[onetiger]

leeds to win by 10-14 points

[Stoke Bloke]

Spread firms have Leeds 5-8 and I think thats fairly accurate pre kick off. However as we all know it depends on which Leeds or Saints team turn up. Could well be a 20 point either way job.

As for us 5th is where we we will finish which it seems is enough for some.

Stokie

[Squaddie86]

If Leeds win then our fate remains (nearly) in our hands.
Saints win and it's season over.

Saints have us away, followed by Wigan and Wires at home - Wigan might win one of those, but I'd expect them to beat Warrington.
We have Saints at home, followed by Leeds and Wigan away - at least 1 of which I'd expect us to lose, and probably both.


To have a shot we need to beat Saints - then go on to beat the top 2, away from home.

We did that once already this year(well, one was away from home). So, y'know, not completely outside the realms of possibility.

Realistically though I've got my eye on the Ice Hockey season now.

[Dirk Diggler]

Spread firms have Leeds 5-8 and I think thats fairly accurate pre kick off. However as we all know it depends on which Leeds or Saints team turn up. Could well be a 20 point either way job.

As for us 5th is where we we will finish which it seems is enough for some.

Stokie

I would assume by the last line of your post Stokie that 5th would not be acceptable for you. If I'm honest, I would echo those sentiments too and be unhappy that our club would not be in the mix come the end of season play offs.

Looking at the bigger picture, I would have to say that if we were to finish 5th, all things considered it wouldn't be the end of the world. My reasoning for this is simple, it wasn't so long ago that we were going into the season not only discussing whether or not we could make the top 8 but also when it came to playing the top sides in the league, by what losing margin would be deemed as a good effort from the team. Under the guidance of DP and his coaching team (which IMO is the best in SL) that whole mindset has been turned on it's head and now we, the fans go into every game with an air of confidence that if the team performs then we can beat any team in the league.

Take a look at the most successful teams in recent SL history, Leeds, Wigan and Saints. They all have settled squads in terms of player turnover, something which we have not had the luxury of having in a long time. Not only this but add to that the experience of consistently playing in the pressure cooker environment of sudden death rugby and a pattern emerges. Games are won and lost in fractions of a second as Grant Millington explained so eloquently last night in the match analysis with John Wells. IMO, mental toughness in pressure situations is something that is gained through experience. To add weight to this, take a look at Huddersfield. One of the most consistent teams in SL in recent years in the regular season yet up to now they have been unable to break the monopoly of the bigger teams to be Grand Final winners.

In summary I would say that we are a work in progress on to bigger and greater things and have made giant strides both on and off the field. Realistically, we are still a club with much work to do to call ourselves a regular top 4 team.

After all that, we are still in with a shout at the top 4 this season mathematically. With the team spirit that DP has engrained into our boys we could still scrape our way into the playoffs and from there, who knows???

[da_jimbob_7]

Not been a massive believer that the RFL don't want us to do well but a couple of ref decisions last night and 3 already tonight are making me think there are certain orders to keep the top 4 as it is.
How can Jones try be sent up as a try?? No way could you see ball on the ground!
Garbutt high tackle then one not given on Golding!
And finally the penalty for offside on peacock, fair enough, but LMS wasn't penalised the play before for offside from Percival knock on!

[da_jimbob_7]

And that achurch try was sent up as a no try... Barmy!

[43s flyer]

All over now you would think?

[43s flyer]

Or is it?

[43s flyer]

It is now

[da_jimbob_7]

Slowly becoming more and more disillusioned with the game...
The rules need to be simpler and stuck to! Simple as that.

[Squaddie86]

4th gone then. 5th or 6th our likely finish.

I don't know about anyone else but I'm not actually happy about that - Cas could have, should have been in the hunt.

A bad performance here, a bad bounce or decision there, occasional injury woes, that's been the difference this year.

Cas punched above our weight two seasons on the trot. Next year I want to see a team that belongs in the heavyweight division - maybe even win a Trophy.

[GThornton]

What have we got left. Saints, Leeds and Wigan. So it's most probably all over for a top 4 spot. Our defence going into stealth mode during the Huddersfield game didn't help. Oh well, it's still actually been a good season even tho we've probably just fallen short.

[chesterfieldtiger]

Saints to win easy tonight. Season over!!!!!

Wish I'd got that wrong :-(

[duke street 10]

Think that is 4th place gone now. Its important that the squad doesn't "down tools" though,need to carry some confidence into the off season regardless of the results. Maybe give a couple of the lads on the outer fringe of the squad a run out as im sure that Wigan & Leeds will be playing some youngsters as well when we play them.