Can you do that? Last season Leigh started with Hull KR, Salford & Wakefield, so the competition was over before they got the chance of playing a Championship team.

I bet they've requested changes!!

Well they're re-doing the pitch at Headingley so seems a reasonable request. Wigan often play away most of June due to the football lot wanting to do the pitch over the summer.

You're not requesting which club to play, just that you'd be away from home. As others have said, Wigan and I'm sure Hull have requested similar in the past.

so have Huddersfield

If it's away first then I hope it's not huddersfield as I think it will be important to get off to a good start otherwise things could get nervous the the pressur will rapidly build.

People need to really take this middle 8's seriously, rather than just blindly assuming we'll sail through. This is going to be difficult. None of the super league teams will be easy (obviously) they are all going to be close, tough games, plus we've lost to all of those teams during the season. Then the championship teams will be gunning for us. Leigh have given super league teams some real tussles (including us) over the last few years) and a trip to bradford and london will not be easy.

If 1 or 2 of the SL clashes don't go our way we could quickly find ourselves in the million pound game. Then in a one off game anything could happen.

This is serious.

The team need to be supported with the same intensity as if they were playing in the super 8's.

We need 4 wins. Not a cat in hells chance of a championship club beating Leeds

So we beat 3 championship teams, and 1 super league team. That means we lose to 3 super league teams. Can you see any other SL teams losing to championship teams? I can't, if that's the case, we are then in jeopardy of playing in the million pound game.

Can't see us losing to anyone tbh.

I think your math might be a bit off there. How can we lose to the 3 other SL teams yet beat one of the SL teams?

Also whilst I agree with your point that we have to take the threat seriously and the Championship teams will be gunning for us I don't get this version were us playing the Championship is a dodgy potential loss but it's a stroll for the other 3 SL clubs. We might be the biggest name involved but the Championship teams will still be targeting the SL clubs all the same especially in their home fixtures, in Leigh's case they might wel think having Hudds and Salford at home present the better chance of picking up the SL scalp they'll need.

HKR and Hudds can't afford to lose any of their home games with them having one less otherwise is shaky ground for them.

Stop panicking.

So it'll definitely be a Championship team away then first. Either London or 4th place team.

Bradford vs Leeds at Odsal first week to kick off the Middle 8's.....organisers will love to arrange that.

We're in a false position. If we'd had a training ground and a nigh on full strength squad for just a couple of the first 20 matches, we'd be comfortably in the top 8. Nobody will beat us

Your not in a false position everybody has had injuries and I don't buy the training ground been a major factor in were you are you haven't been good enough simple one thing I do agree with is that you'll sail through probably losing 1 at most

i meant they too normally ask to have a month playing away to have the pitch reseeded

The other Super League teams fixtures at the moment (still Championship games to be decided)

SALFORD - HKR, Hudds, Bradford, London (H)......Leeds, Leigh. Batley (A)

HKR - Hudds, Leigh, Batley (H)......Leeds, Salford, Bradford, London (A)

HUDDS - Leeds, Bradford, London (H).......HKR, Salford, Batley, Leigh (A)

Personally looking at that I think HKR have it trickiest. Only three home games and two of them are Hudds and Leigh which won't be easy, just one loss and it leaves them in a spot of bother needing a couple of away wins that don't look easy. Winning against them on Thursday looks very significant now. Also for the same reason Hudds really need to beat us at their place which is possible but isn't a gimme either, otherwise they need to travel well.....the advantage of the extra home game really is noticeable when you look at those fixtures.

Apologises, but apparently they will be away anyways as Hudds Town are playing at home that weekend.

As do Leigh.

Then your wonder why people don't like Leeds with comments like this.
In the words of k k I would love it if we beat um.

Of course we're in a false position. We've won 5 out of 6 including Hull and Wigan who were top at the time. We are the form side. The backs had not trained with the forwards until the Wakey away game. Apart from Stevie Ward (maybe McGuire and Moon), we are at full strength. Something we haven't been all season. It's a title winning side now at the wrong end of the table.

We should treat all these games as knock out cup matches in which we have a reasonable history.

A title winning side without a strong 6 (or 13).

Not requesting who we play, but the order in which they are played. Staring out by playing three SL teams on the bounce didn't do us any favours last time around. Our pitch was re-laid in June - and it looks very good too.

The above statement has a grain of truth in it; If (and its a big if) they could have won those narrow games that they had lost, then the team would be jockeying with Staints aiming to get into the top four.Now that would have been a false position.The key to a successful middle 8 campaign lies with not who we play home or away,but keeping a fit squad together.God help us if we lose Burrow, Hall, or Segeyaro to name but 3.