Hull potentially but not sure on catalans

While I agree with the above sentiments , of equal concern to me is the entertainment factor, or rather the lack of it . What is been served up at times is dross and been asked to pay £20 a time to watch it is a little beyond the pale .

I fully expect to see the Rhinos go the same way as the Carnegie Union team with decreasing amounts of cash available for fees and wages and I suspect its been happening for a couple of seasons already based on the assumption that you used to be able to turn up at half of the SL grounds and still win with your players legs tied together like a three-legged race - this season (and last) has brought the chickens home to roost but as long as a profit is still turned over I don't see any need to do anything different.

Wire maybe with their Dad's Army....but wigan!?!?

Come on stop kidding yourself

Sam 22
Joel 24
Mossop 22
O'Loughlin 28
Hock 27
Richards 29
Charnley 20
Leuleui 26
Farrell 21
Hanson 25
Prescott 25
Tuson 21

Thats the spine of our team with an average age of just over 24!! All have at LEAST 5-6 top level years left in them, with some of the best youngsters in the country also waiting in the wings.

Unfortunately for the rest of the league, this is only the start of Wigan once again being a force in the game again and we'll only get better before we get worse.

We'll be at the top for possibly twice as long as your dominance from 2004-09 IMO.

Of course Leeds will make the 8 and to suggest otherwise is a kneejerk of the highest order.

Leeds will finish 5th at best... 6th at worst.

I still think they'll finish 5th.

And that's based on the fact that despite Leeds being sh[iy[/ite, they've still been good enough to beat most of the SL whipping boy rabble, as their 10 wins out of 13 this season testify.

You'll make the 8 but only just (can see you dropping out the 8 with some difficult fixtures in the next few weeks but I think you'll get back in there with your run in)

I'd call your remaining fixtures as follows;

Wigan a Loss
Catalan a Loss
Hull h Loss
Salford a Loss
Castleford h Narrow Win
Harlequins a Win
Wakefield h Win
Huddersfield a Loss

That will leave you with exactly a 50% record (13-1-13) which is usually about 7/8th place. It will be tight but I think you will make it. Problem is you'll probably end up going to Saints or Catalans week one in the p/offs which unless you get rid of your plonker of a coach, I cant see you winning!

Not a chance - Wolves, Wigan, Giants, Dragons and Saints will be the top 5 then it is between us Hull and Cas for the next 3 places.

We would have finished 5th or 6th last season had it not been for some outstanding performances from McGuire last year who was at the top of his game. It is too soon to expect DM to regain his speed and form this season.

The same applies to JP. So two positions are being taken by players who are under par. We also do not have a forward with the aggressive go forward that Eastwood gave us towards the end of last season.

Add to this the fact that several players who were past it last year are now another year older and slower etc. Therefore to expect a better than 5th place finish is unrealistic.

I still believe that if we can get our best players fit and in form for the playoffs then despite all that has happened we could cause some upsets from wherever we finish.

Reet good thread is this

I predict this.

Wigan
Warrington
Giants
Stains
Catalans
Leeds
Hull
Cas

And calm down boys we are just leading people into a false sense of security, We will win it from sixth, To be honest i would prefer us to finish 8th and win it from there but sixth will do,

I reckon we should just about scrape it into 7th/8th, and will simply be making up the numbers this, and possibly next season.

As for the CC? Gawd knows. There is enough talent in the squad to reach Wembley, just not sure there's a creditable PLan A.

We do have enough talent in the squad for the challenge cup, but we have had al year and it hasnt gone well. its the cup so anything can happen, IMO Leeds only chance (slim one) of silverwere is the CC

If, and it's looking like a big if, we beat Hull and get into the CC semi, then Brian has a chance to crew up the 'win two, lose two' sequence.

I think that the play-offs should be easily achievable, not because we're any good, but because there are at least 6 teams worse than us. I think we'll finish 5th or 6th. Doubt we'll make much progress in the play-offs, and the CC is a bit of a lottery, but we'd likely have to beat a top 4 team, not something we've excelled in this season

Still think we will finish 5th/6th?

5th is increasingly appearing to be a distant and unlikely prospect.

6th is easily achievable though. Leeds only have to finish ahead of SL rabble like Hull and Castleford.

The game against Hull will decide if Leeds finish above Hull - if they lose 7th is the best they can hope for

I don't agree with that because Hull define inconsistency, week in... week out.

The CC game will have a bigger bearing on who finishes above who in SL. I would suggest that the winner of the QF in two weeks time are more likely to finish below the loser of that CC game.

We have a hard run of fixtures including Leeds/Wigan/Cats/Wire so a defeat to us would not mean we would finish above you.

Leeds have 2 likely wins - Harlequins and Wakey, given they only have 3 days prep for Hull who have had a whole week I struggle to see them winning that, with Brough back at Huddersfield they will lose their. That leaves Salford A and Cas at H to decide where they finish

3 defeats in 11 games doesn't smack of inconsistancy to me, two of them losses to hudds and saints who both spanked leeds over the pitch

normally i would be confident of a win next week if it was any other team, but we alway seem to under-peform at leeds in the league even when we have been playing well

No!

In a word you could be correct

I personally think Leeds will finish 6th or 7th.

This isnt a bad return considering you had key players out at the start of the season, married to the fact you also have a pretty ordinary coach.

The more worrying things for Leeds fans would be if there was no light at the end of the tunnel
I think there is, as its not as if you are in your current predicament with a top class coach. Leeds therefore know that the task of replacing your coaching staff with more capable staff from down under would be sufficient to see you return to challenging for the top 4

Simply choosing the wrong coach can have a massive negative impact on a teams performances. Wigan and Wire being prime examples of how merely changing from a mediocre coaching setup to ones of quality, has within the space of a few years turned underachievers into champion sides.
I will personally be intrigued to see how Wigan do when Mcguire leaves, especially if they fail to recruit a top class Australasian coach.

If Leeds have any ambition they will be prioratising an Australian coach with NRL experience. Going British is IMO sadly an acceptance of failure.

Ow no they won't,

don't forget there's a warm welcome waiting for you in the super league cellar, was that front row almost 100 years old combined .

Well said. Hull are a prime example. Interesting that the hetheringtons have overseen the appointment of incapable British coaches. I doubt gary will stick with his for the next 3 seasons like his missus though