If the last 4 in the play offs are

Leeds
Saints
HKR
Hudds

Who do you reckon McLennan will choose to play.

I reckon he'll pick who we'd of been drawn against anyway.

I wonder if the ability to choose your opposition will work against any side as the opposition will be more fired up because they are seen as the weakest side.

That's why i think the best idea is to pick who you would of faced anyway!

You haven't told us who won the first round matches between the top four?

Leeds I assume was one (as your suggesting McClennan gets the pick) but who won the other game? They can't be selected in the 3rd round.

According to the RFL site the highest placed side gets to pick their round 3 (semi final) opponents. Assuming all goes according to final league positions, Leeds get to choose.

Don't make a fuss of it, and make it known early that we will play the lowest ranked team whoever they are. That way it can't be used as extra motivation.

Yes but they can't choose the other week one winner, so won't have a choice of three teams they will only have a choice of two. So like you suggest assuming all goes according to final league positions that choice will be between Hull KR and Huddersfield.

Also assuming Leeds despatched Huddersfield first up it's likely they'd go for them again (all things being equal), which is a problem of the new format if we end up with week three being a repeat of week one.

Let's hope Wigan, Wakefield, Castleford or Bradford can get in on the act to prevent that from happening.

There's always been an away win upset in the play off series to this point, the RFL will be praying for some more this season.

Think Wigan will win at Hudersfield and Leeds will send Wigan to Saints by picking Hull KR.

Cant see beyond Leeds, Saints, Wigan as KR and Hudds not good enough for me !

Wouldn't surprise me at all to see Saints beaten at home in the first week of the playoffs either.

Will cause some interesting debate on here if we win at Salford and then the first round of the playoffs which looks like it will be against the Giants (especially if Saints did lose in the first round of the playoffs and made the last 4)

Should St Helens now accidentally lose to Les Catalans to keep the charging Bulls out of the play offs?

And what if they did and news came from The Willows that we were getting beaten?

I think a lot depends on whether either of the two teams you have to pick from is a team you would rather not have to play. If it was two teams that you wouldn't be too bothered about playing, I'd draw it out of a hat and try get it televised or put the video up on the club website. That way you're not choosing your opponents, and therefore not giving their coach an easy teamtalk. Obviously, the opposition you picked could always claim the draw was fixed - but hey - who would EVER believe there was foul play involved in the draw for a knockout competition??



Of course, if there was a team you wanted to avoid, you'd either have to warm one of the balls up a bit, as per BBC cup draws (allegedly....

), or just go down the route of picking the team you'd have been drawn against normally. Half of me thinks the whole concept is a really dumb idea, the other half of me is quite interested in seeing how it all pans out.....

I honestly don't think Leeds should fear playing anyone at Headingley though. You'd think that with a crowd like we had on Friday, matched with a similar performance, we should be able to take anyone out at home. Emphasis obviously on "should".....

It'd be too late by then and I've cut the piece of string connecting the two bean cans anyway.

Just to clarify, you can only select from the two winners from week 2? And its the highest ranked team to win week 1 play off's who decide who they play or the highest ranked team in the semi finals?

If at all possible I'd pick Saints in the semis. Would be a sweet way to dislodge them.

I'd choose based on whoever is best placed yo kock Saints out, and that could be us, btw.

I fancy us to beat Saints in the GF again, but I also think it would be easier to beat anyone else...

wouldn't shock me either

But then you also have the opposite problem of would it be such a sweet way to be dislodged? In that sense I am quite glad that Saints are highly unlikely to be in a position to have to pick the opposition because it is a decision that (whoever is picked) could easily come back to bite Leeds.

McClennan wil choose the side that he thinks have weaknesses to our strength's. Fired up or not those weaknesses wil still be there.

Money men at the club would never let it happen.

The GF appearance is worth much more to them, than an 'easier' GF game.

I really have no idea what happens in the play-offs, all I need to know is who will Leeds play and when.

Do Leeds play in week 1?

I'm confused, I have read above that Leeds can choose their opponents? If thats the case why not go for Gateshead?

Not if you pick the way mick potter had intended to, go back through his interviews, you'll find it

I heard you can pick your opponents this year.

Will a big play off crowd have an effect, if so Leeds would choose HKR because they will bring 6 million more fans to headingley than anyone else