Me too. It's the only way in the playoffs. Go 100%. I hope we have enough fit bodies next week, and I hope we play well enough to either beat Wigan or really put the wind up them. If we batter them then we may not have to worry one way or another. There is the assumption that Wigan would pick us if we were still in it, but there are other possibilities. the loser of the Saints/Warrington game could come unstuck against whoever they play from the winners of the knockout games. Both those teams look vulnerable at the moment.

Agreed Wigan of late haven't been great saying that they have to be favorites but I'm sure they would have preferred Hull.

Neither team that entered last year's play-offs in third and fourth survived week 2 after almost appearing to accept defeat in week 1. Leeds I trust will have learnt from their (Huddersfield and Hull KR that is) experience last season and play to win and earn a week off and a home tie in the ESF or whatever it's termed as under this system.

It's all on the day and it's wide open for me, any two from the top five.

I'd love to be proved wrong, but I don't think we're in with a cat in hell's chance this year. Even if we were on form we'd struggle without Peacock and a fit Ali. As it is our 'form' consisted of two wins against very very poor teams in the run up to Wembley.

I hate to say it but I think a genuine indicator of our form - or lack of it - this year are the loss at Wembley and the loss at home to Wigan before the semi. I'd love it if we came back and won the comp in the most difficult way, but as I said, I just don't think we have the form or the troops to do it.

I do agree that we have to go all out against wigan though. If we are to have any chance we have to start trying to play as hard as possible right now.

I don't have the figures to hand, but I suspect if you looked at results and match reports for teams playing the week after losing in the CC final they would not be great reading. Even after winning I suspect there are not many great results the week later. Last year I think Warrington and Huddersfield both lost the two games following the cup final and can you remember the score of the game Hull played the week after losing in 2008?

Head says Saints.

Not without any half backs.

Much is riding on the fitness of Eastmond and Lomax (Pryce won't come back).

Nice to see Soliola get some minutes under his belt though - shame he can't play 6

Lose at Wigan, scrape a win at home then Lose to Wigan/Wire the week after.

Why did you not take my offer? I'm skint this week and could have done with the brass, it's all your fault I cant go out this week now.

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Spot on, well done. Great to have hindsight.



Nice to see I was spot on with the other teams though, i'll also give myself a little pat on the back for that.

Quote ="Gotcha"Spot on, well done. Great to have hindsight. Nice to see I was spot on with the other teams though, i'll also give myself a little pat on the back for that. '" How did I have hindsight? are you going to pay up so I can go out? My paypal adress is gotchawaswrong@everything.com

Quote ="Gotcha"Spot on, well done. Great to have hindsight. Nice to see I was spot on with the other teams though, i'll also give myself a little pat on the back for that. '" How did I have hindsight? are you going to pay up so I can go out? My paypal adress is gotchawaswrong@everything.com

How was it hindsight when he was disagreeing with you at the time?

He was proven right and you were proven wrong.

Leeds have been blighted by injury all year and at no time have hit a patch of consistent good form. Getting to Wembley was a pretty good achievement in and of itself. The performance against Warrington was pretty embarassing although the scoreline was a bit flattering to the Wire they were far superior on the day. After that performance it was a good result against Hull irrespective of the sending off.

Can we go on to win the Grand Final this year? Well it's sport and anything is possible. However we look fairly shot at the moment with a mounting injury list so the chances are pretty slim. I would guess that a Saints Wigan final is on the cards and I would fancy Saints to win it. Warrington although very well coached don't have the quality of either Saints of Wigan.

As for Leeds? I think this has just been 'one of those seasons' where the Sporting Gods have frowned upon us. Do we have problems? Yes. I think we have a coaching team that is not up to the job generally - I think Brian McDermott will make a real positive difference - and we have a team the core of which should be hitting their absolute prime over the next couple of seasons (Burrow, Bailey, Diskin, McGuire, Sinfield and JJB) but who are quite firing at the moment, plus we are too reliant on JP who optimistically probably only has two or there seasons left in him at the very top level (assuming he can make a full recovery from a really major operation - a big assumption).

For me Burrow,Diskin and JJB have all hit there peak and will not improve over the next couple of seasons. Burrows main thret was his acceleration which has gone now and he has never had a great kicking game. Diskin will never hit the heights of 2004 in my opinion and JJB is far too inconsistant.
Bailey can stil improve as most props dont hit there peak till there 28+
Sinny is probably at the top of his game right now and may sustain it for a yr or 2 but wont improve although his form over the last few weeks dont back this up. The same probably applies to Mcguire he has a few years left at his current ability but wont improve unlike other HB's in SL such as Myler,Tomkins and Eastmond as he will start to lose his pace but hopefully this may be slightly compensated by an improved kicking game.

The frightening thing for me looking at the last two games is the complete lack of any structure with the ball in hand.

There were times on Saturday against twelve men where Leeds had large groups of players loitering around behind the play the ball rather than looking to stretch an under-manned Hull FC defence across the width of the park.

Reminded me a lot of the 2006 Leeds team where the gameplan appeared to be waiting for someone (usually McGuire or Burrow) to come up with a miracle break for the other to finish.

Is it the way McLennan wants the side to play (turning the ball back inside, attacking the ruck area) or a lack of on-field organisation and leadership from the supposed pivots in the side?

At least there's one person that agrees with me then, I thought I was going a little bit senile.

Is that a line from the album version of "Blowin' in the Wind"?

I don't think many teams will be keen to play us in the play-offs, but I think 4 in a row was always a big ask and we've given ourselves a lot to do. I'm not ruling us out, but if forced to pick a winner, it isn't Leeds this time.

Wigan probably deserve to be favourites, but I have just a sneaky feeling Wire could win it if they can carry their form from the CC. I will stick my neck out and go for Warrington.

Agree with all of that. Wire Wigan final, Wire to take it IMO.

Who tipped Leeds to lose then?