As others have said in knockout rugby anyone can win a one off game. If I had to pick a biggest threat then for me it's wire. Good team good coach have been there now and know what it's all about. Again as others have said our players have been there got the tee shirt know what is needed and it appears with the Wigan game we are coming into playoff form.
Anyone could win it and we might not even make the final. I personally would have prefered to play hudds rather than wire

If other teams don't play with the patience to break down Wigan's defence like we did last week then they could spoil one or two teams chances.

Saints could do some damage (but that has nothing to do with them being in the magical 5th spot). They've won away at Wigan & Wire in the last 2 playoff when finishing 3rd.

Both Hull teams are struggling with injuries and would be my guess at the two elimated this week. Leaving one of the top 4 losers a fairly simple task when Catalan visit in week 2 and probably pull their own pants down and bend over.

It is quite amusing. The same people who say the hubcap should go to the Champions because the playoffs is a lottery.
If it is, then I want Gary Hetherington to give me this Saturday's lottery numbers as 6 in 9 suggests a lot of bloody luck.

People are and will have a go at us "taking it easy again" but to be fair we've finished third, 5 & 4 points behind Hudds & Wire.....two teams who when we played away we had a bucket load of first teamers missing. We also had another WCC to get up for and we managed to win away at teams placed 4th, 5th, 7th & 8th. We also don't resort to wrapping up and resting key players (this year or previous), in fact it's one of the complaints on here that we risk key players by asking them to return to quickly and with big minutes.

Also did anyone catch the letter by the female Wigan fan in League Weekly this week, she took defeat very badly. Here's a small part of what Jackie from Newton-le-Willows had to say.....

"On the concourse on Thursday, hard supporting Wigan fans were saying if Leeds cheat to win again with the help of refs they will not be going next year because there is no point.
We can take Wigan losing if they're not good enough and the opposing team wins legitimately but not when the forward passes and knock ons are let go for one side but not the other.
I'm not just complaining for Wigan fans as I've seen the same happen against other teams and I'm wondering how long they'll get away with this.
In the words of Brian Clough to Leeds United "You can throw all those medals in the bin because you never won one of them".
This now rings true for Leeds Rhinos. They are not Champions, they're manipulators and cheats picking their games to win and having the great assistance of the referees."

Poor lass.

Very interesting seems like Leeds have won it again then and we may all as well give up.

I can assure you the Giants fans don't give two tosses about Leeds and all we are concentrating on is wigan tomorrow night.

One game at a time as the saying goes.

Why are you on the Leeds board then

I'm on the London Broncos board too it's called browsing, don't give two tosses about them either!!

Leeds board far more entertaining and unbiased though :-0)

Why would they even publish that?

My lack of desire to read the ramblings of assorted fekkwitts from various club's terraces is one of the reasons I haven't bought that dull rag for a few years.

Indeed.

There's plenty of ramblings of assorted fekkwitts from various clubs which are available to read for free on these forums instead.

Oh yes you do other wise you wouldn't ALL be on here

Warrington are our biggest threat. I don't think we would have beaten Huddersfield in the play offs, but do believe we would beat them in the final it's self.

Out of all the teams Warrington in my opinion are the only team who would beat Leeds in the final it's self, but feel more confident playing them in the eliminator a.

As it has panned out now, in my opinion Huddersfield will beat Wigan, and therefore Leeds will play Warrington twice. I have a concern for this week, as I can not recall Leeds throughout this long period ever playing to a sufficient intensity in an afternoon match. Who ever planned a play off match for an afternoon wants shooting. They all should be evening, and that is where Leeds crank it up.

Therefore I think Leeds might get beat this week, but beat Catalans, then the repeat against Warrington. Probably playing Huddersfield in the final.

One word for Huddersfield, is if it pans out like that, for the first time, other than Leeds club and supporters, the whole of rugby league will be behind one team, and I guess that wouldn't just extend to supporters. However, I still expect in a final Leeds would raise their game to a level others, other than Warrington, can't match.

I still think winning at Warrington on Saturday will be no forgone conclusion - they are a good side and Leeds have to play at the same level they did against Wigan, something they have done since the 2012 play offs.

Write Huddersfield off at your peril - Anderson is no Brown and they will be a different proposition this time round. Brown is Saints biggest barrier to success in the play offs IMO.

Warringtons flare is their greatest attribute but at the same time their biggest weakness. I'm not looking any further than Saturday afternoon. Could be a classic.

Saints are the big unknown this year IMO. Like you say, they could cause some havoc; equally Hull KR, who've beaten them 3 times this year, could cause them problems.

Exactly

Could also be a blowout and either way won't matter a great deal under this current flawed format.

Personally, as I said on the other page, I think the fact it is afternoon will probably mean a drab affair, rather than classic.

Agreed on the choice of kick-off time..... nuts. I guess SKY figured you can't put a game that actually matters into that slot.

If Wigan overcome Huddersfield tonight then aren't Warrington and Leeds also knowingly playing for (or to avoid) the poisoned chalice that is Club-Call?

Would be interesting. If Wigan turn it on and thrash Huddersfield, looking awesome, and Warrington slaughter us, with us picking up injuries or bans to say Sinny and a couple of others like JP, would TS still simply select based on final league ranking?

Sooner this rediculous playoff format is binned the better.

I concur Mr Daniel sir.

I've had a sneaky feeling for saints for the last month or so. They may have been abit scattered this season but they still have plenty of quality within their team, and their route to old trafford is very do-able. Hull kr at home, then most likely wigan and huddersfield away in either order. Huddersfield don't have the experience, and wigan's recent form is very poor.

Leeds situation is tricky IMO. I'm not sure i can see leeds beating warrington twice in 3 weeks. We've done well against warrington this season but they'll almost certainly step it up a few gears. We most likely will play them twice and if we win the first one we'll get a home game to get to old trafford, which would make us favourites. The last time we had that situation wigan turned us over.

If we lose the first game it will certainly take us down a peg after the last week of ''leeds gearing up for the playoffs as usual'' but then we'll get a home game against catalan or hull and if we win we'd go back to warrington and i'd fancy us in that situation.

I still fear wigan. I've got a bad feeling they'll limp through to the final. Beat huddersfield tonight, then they have a home game to the final. They'd be a tough nut to crack in the final if we played them.

Yeah. But you never know how the club will work out. If say, someone like catalans would make it through, no disrespect, but you'd happily pick them. Just like we did in 2009.

They've ground out more victories this year. They look dangerous, despite being ''scratchy'' they're second and only 2 silly defeats to widnes prevented them from top spot.

They are ready to step it up and have the benefit of last years experience.

Hudds can't face Saints can they if they lose? Hudds (IF they lose) would be the highest ranked of the 2 losers from week 1 and would therefore face the lowest ranked winner from the 5-8 games.

See 2010
1st placed Wigan lost and had to play 7th HKR
3rd place Wire lost and had to play 5th Hudds.

So IF Hudds lose tonight then the match between Wire & Leeds will see the loser most likely face Saints (providing they beat HKR)

Yeah it's impossible to have a good game at 3pm. What a crazy time.

Its only a poisoned chalice if you let it be one. Leeds & Saints got on with task with little fuss. Wire had Tony Smith whinging (no surprise) about not getting involved and Wigan had IL do his whole "Wigan vs Wire GF for the good of the game" speech.

Whoever get its should just turn up & say "we're picking them because they're the lowest ranked team, end of".