Looking at the table and the fixtures of Huddersfield, Catalans and ourselves I think it is still very possible.
We play:
Cas (H)
Quins (A)
Wakefield (H)
Hudds (A)

Hudds play:
Saints (A)
Salford (A)
Quins (H)
Leeds (H)

Catalans play:
Hull (A)
Warrington (H)
Hull KR (H)
Salford (A)

With Huddersfield we need them to lose two of those first 3 games, St Helens is likely to be one of them and with Salford still pushing for play offs then going to the Willows will be difficult for them as well, we win our first 3 and then go into the game at the Galpharm a point behind them.

Considering we have to win all 4 games and hope Catalans lose two to be level on points with them then I guess it's likely our points difference would be better than theirs.
Fourth spot is unlikely, especially with the Challenge Cup games which will be priority but it is still possible.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=503052 Not going to happen. 6th at best.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=503052 Not going to happen. 6th at best.

I already started this topic after the Salford victory, but the error of my thoughts was pointed out , so to speak! As others pointed out, we would need a whole stack of other results to go our way, all the way to the end of the season, and we would probably need to win all our remaining fixtures, but the thing is we have a major distraction in place called the Challenge Cup!
Conclusion:- 5th possible, 6th more likely, 4th a minor miracle!

Keep the faith. Its within reach

BELIEVE!

More chance of tad's hair growing

Although i can see Leeds finishing the season very strongly i think the fact that we'll be in the Challenge cup final will prevent us from finishing any higher than 6th realistically. I know the players and coach say we're still in with a massive shout come the play-offs, but even they must know that the Cup represents our biggest chance of winning anything this season.

cant see us making the top 4

It would be a travesty and an indication of the poor quality in SL if we did.

I think 6th...and an early exit from the play offs due to the fall out from winning the CC - the one that the club and players really want to complete their collection of medals.

CC final loss to wigan and 2nd round playoff exit is where my money is.

No chance of us making the top 4, we'll probably finish 6th and will then face the never been done before scenario of winning a GF from such a lowly position

The CC is our most realistic aim of silverware this season, although some side will possibly win the GF from our current position eventually

For a side to win the GF from such a lowly position a number of factors needs to be in play.

They need to be in awesome form, have the ability to win it in the first place get some luck in the tight playoff games and have a few teams above them self destruct in some way.

When bradford won it in 2005, the only team to win from outside the top 2, they finished 3rd and they had everything going in their favour. They pretty much had a first choice 17 fully fit, all their key players were fireing, they had the coach and the players that had won it before, they had new players added to the team (an already strong squad) before the playoffs and the 2 teams above them self destructed. Both got injuries to key players - saints more than leeds, and leeds burnt out.

When you consider all the factors that fell into place it wasn't even a shock when you look back with hindsight.

And all this was in place for a team that finished 3rd and had made tghe previous 4 grand finals winning 2!!!!

Leeds have no chance of a grand final win this year because they aren't good enough, let alone having everything going in their favour at the right time.

I hope the teams finishing 1 and 2 always contest the Grand Final and then it's all on the night. If 1 or 2 fails to make the final I hope the other still takes out the prize over the team finishing third or lower.

Having a winner from outside the top two devalues the league campaign and harms the credibility of the comp IMO.

I see your point, but I think the play-off system has been quite successful in creating interest (and income) in the end of the season, sometimes long after the title would have been decided the old fashioned way, and for more teams. RL needs the money, in my opinion.

If nobody outside the top 2, or even 3, ever wins it, sooner or later it will dawn on the great unwashed below those positions that actually their season is over and the magic will be gone. A winner from 5th or 6th would do the play-off concept a world of good.

Still can't see it happening. There were times earlier this year when it looked like a 4 horse race, but I think we're down to 3 at best again now.

Hasn't the all conquering NRL had a winner from 8th before? Wests I think...

I think Bradford were found gulity of breaching the salary cap that year. Adrian Morley ??

Don't get me wrong I am 100% behind the play-off concept which has served the sport for the overwhelming majority of it's existence, it's just that I want to see the title earned and go to a team that deserves it from a season long campaign not just from a burst of form at the end. The play-offs need to be weighted in favour of the two teams finishing highest on the ladder and I'm not sure that is the case with the present format.



If it hasn't dawned on supporters by now it probably never will but the reality is there has yet to be a winner from below 3rd (and even that was a one-off (from 13 finals) attributable as much to the antics of one Wigan player as it was to Bradford busting the salary cap and bringing in a ringer in order to win it.



It has looked like a two horse race all season, still does. The only potential fly in that ointment remains the ridiculous placing of the Challenge Cup in the season. It's about as predictable an outcome as you will find in sport (outside of wrestling, cricket and snooker obviously) but there's always a chance of a genuine upset to cling onto even if deep down you know it's not going to happen.

I tell you this. If Leeds make the CCF and somehow finish 4th and have a reasonable run in the play offs. Some people are going to have a REALLY hard time with Ouzo and G1.

Where is Ouzo, in whichever guise he's currently adopting? G1 has written off this season (and this coach) just as much as the rest hasn't he?

That's the impression I've had anyway (and he'd be right to do so) and in anycase reaching the CC Final would be no great shakes given the draw, it's what Leeds tend to do.

He's been in Greece oddly enough. And G1 may have written the team, the coach and the season off. But if he's proved wrong he'll be back harangueing those whom dare to praise the team after having done the same. It's what he tends to do.

Still trying to re-float their economy? I seriously think that country would go bust without his and M's frequent visits.

__________

Such hypocrisy would deserve to be highlighted although I suspect the chances are (unlike me) pretty slim this year.

I agree that there isn't quite enough weighting towards the top team now. I wouldn't mind that being tweaked. In my ideal world I would say that the weighting should be such that you feel a team coming from outside the top 2 has such a lot to do that you'd feel they had earned their title. At the moment I think the only reason it's a herculean task is that they evidently weren't as good as teams above them, who therefore beat them. If teams were closer together in quality and the top 8 was very much bunched up I think it would be very possible.




Are you suggesting that 13 or 14 years is long enough for an average RL fan to learn anything?

In all seriousness though, I think it's already happening, as evidenced by the fact that nobody believes Leeds or Hull have even the slightest chance of winning the title.




I still think Saints could involve themselves in the final shake-up. At one stage I really thought Huddersfield might last the pace this year. I think it's 2 favourites with one very close outsider. Below that, I suppose Hudds could get one result to reach Old Trafford at a push, but even that's unlikely. Would you really bet any serious money against Saints turning Wire over in the play-offs though?

To be fair I keep forgetting how truely appalling Warrington's record against St Helens and against anyone (bar Leeds - while they were under Cullen - ironically) within the SL Play-Offs actually is.

For them it has to be in the top two inches, if they can get that sorted I see them taking out the Championship now they are unburdoned by the Challenge Cup.

Haven't seen St Helens since Pryce returned, not that his appearance has counted for much in a Saints GF performance before. Still in there as the best of the rest.

Don't see this. Leeds making the CCF will be purely on the basis of avoiding any of the top 4 clubs in the draw, which they've failed to beat in the regular season. Finishing fourth will depend as much on the fortunes of other clubs as well, so if others go into decline like Huddersfield seem to being doing that's no real achievement for Leeds or their coaching staff.

I will, however, accept the possibility of egg on my face if Leeds manage to win the CC, or make the GF. Both would be a massive achievement given the form displayed by the team all season and I would be prepared to revise my opinion of the coach only in those circumstances. Doubt it will happen though.

Bump bump.