Don't really care about Mickey 8's, odds were always super slim we were going down and we likely won't be anywhere near now we have found some form again.

As long as we smash your lot that will be the cherry on the cake. Then you can all go find another unfortunate teams board and annoy them with your little man syndrome and sense of insecurity.

Do you get a trophy for finishing top of the middle 8s?

Nope, so just like Wigan this year and the last 2 we'll end the season trophyless

So after today's games the Championship looks like this

3 - Batley - 29 pts
4 - Bradford - 28 pts
5 - Featherstone - 28 pts
6 - Halifax - 27 pts

Final week

Featherstone vs Bradford
Swinton vs Batley
Halifax vs London

The winner of the Fev/Bradford gets in and you'd fancy Batley to get over Swinton. If they do slip up then Halifax can overtake them with a win as they have a much better points difference.

Hudds lost today and will finish bottom unless they can somehow win away to Warrington next week, even then because of points difference unlikely to get 4 home games. Equation simple for Leeds, win on Thursday and we have 4 home games regardless of what happens later in the weekend with the other fixtures.

9 - Salford - 14 pts
10 - HKR - 14 pts
11 - Leeds - 14 pts
12 - Hudds - 12 pts

Salford vs Hull
HKR vs Leeds
Warrington vs Huddersfield

I actually feel a bit bad about saying this but I want Featherstone to win next week because I think of the Championship teams in the Middle 8's if Bradford were one they would be the most up for beating us.

Send everyone who doesn't play Thursday to Featherstone.

Quick permutations regarding Leeds

9th - we'll finish 9th if we beat HKR and Salford lose to Hull

10th - we'll finish 10th if we beat HKR and Salford win against Hull

11th - we'll finish 11th if we lose to HKR and Hudds lose to Wire

12th - we'll finish 12th if we lose to HKR and Hudds beat Wire

What if Mitch Achurch doesn't play Thursday?

Maybe McGuire and Stevie Ward need a warm up game for fitness.

I think you can win the 'middle 8's'....good luck in your quest, it will be an amazing achievement if you manage to do it.

Middle 8's is the only competition that is open to SL teams that Leeds haven't won yet...

Jesus.....and I thought the poor effort from Leeds players during the regular season would take some effort in beating.

Is ther any need to Blaspheme ? You naughty Rhino....

As a Fev fan, I don't think that's quite how it works. Other than Baldwinson, who to all intents and purposes has been a Fev player all season, we seem to have just used DR to fill in for injuries or very weak spots. In all honesty, there isn't always a huge difference between starting-calibre players in a decent Championship team and players 20-25 from a SL squad, especially when the Championship players have the advantage of knowing the system. I'm not sure we would have used Mullally the last couple of weeks if Roche hadn't been injured, for instance, and if Achurch (who actually did ok for us when used without standing out) isn't in the Leeds 17 on Thursday I doubt Sharp would drop one of our established back rowers to fit him in.

I did think we might ask if both Golding and Handley were available as both our starting wings are injured, but Sharp has apparently said he will field an unchanged team on Sunday so it might just be Golding (along with Baldwinson and Mullally).

Briscoe, Walters & Baldwinson loaned for rest of season to Featherstone. In theory, you could have 7 Rhinos players in this week (3 above & Golding, Handley, Mullally & maybe Lilley).

Going to be quite interesting if Featherstone make the Middle 8's.

Whatever the result tonight we are definitely going to be playing away in the first week of the Middle 8's as we requested it because of relaying the Headingley pitch.

They've changed the dual-reg rules for this season haven't they, based on how many DR games a player has already played this season? Can't remember the specifics though.

8 games - play for both.
3-8 games - play for one - Mullally, Handley, Golding.
1-3 games - parent club only - Lilley, Achurch.

I haven't included the three loanees in the above.

As it stands it would be

Home vs Salford, HKR, Leigh, Batley

Away vs Hudds, London, Bradford

Away travels look a bit dodgy to be fair.

Our fixtures -

Home: Hull KR, Salford, Leigh, Batley.
Away: London, Bradford/ Featherstone, Huddersfield.

They'll stay this way as long as Salford lose to Hull FC, Huddersfield lose to Warrington, Batley win vs Swinton

If we drop down to 10th then potentially

Home - HKR, Hudds, London, Bradford

Away - Leigh, Salford, Batley

Wouldn't actually be bothered if Salford leapfrog us this weekend to be honest

Im pretty happy with that, the only one I would swap is London for Leigh
Batley is a nightmare ground that none will want to go to, and we should take big enough crowds to Bradford Fev and Hudds to equal the home crowd and not let the refs just give every 50 50 to the home team because they aren't on sky

I would expect Leeds to win every game -the only tricky one is Huddersfield.

If they can't then all those saying this team will be back at the top next season are probably being a tad optimistic

On that list, I'd say 10th looks better than 9th.

You get Huddersfield at home and three very winnable away games.

Come on salford.