I don't think anyone would begrudge leeds players and staff some real celebration this week which most likely means the saints game will be a bit of a write off.

So, with the previous 2 league losses and a perfectly acceptable loss to saints in the circumstances leeds chance of a top 2 finish will be slim. So in effect, should they toss off the remaining league games and make sure the key players are as fit and fresh as possible for the playoffs from (hopefully) somewhere in the top 4 (but unlikely top 2)?

How should leeds approach the rest of the season in these circumstances?

It's great to be going into the playoffs with abit of silverware for once.

Couple of days on the ale and then back to business for me. Keep the momentum going into the play-offs. Saints have some key players missing so I'm confident we can give them a game.

Try and go strong.

McGuire will probably miss Saints (and maybe more). I see Moon missed 2 of the 3 previous league games (strange for a fairly good age centre compared to the obvious reasons for Peacock and Leuluai missing those) and for Hall's second try yesterday he'd switched to the wing and was on the wing with Hall inside him after that also so I think he might have an issue.

A few of them have missed enough rugby in the second half of the season so far that they shouldn't be on their last legs and needing more rest unless with knocks.

Let's go hell for leather and attempt the double

That would show how good this team is

I think after the controlled performance of the final the players will be allowed to celebrate by chucking the ball about in front of a big home crowd against Saints. How that works out will influence how we play the rest of the season.

from here on in we need to go into the play offs with a fully fit squad, that is paramount imo
after yesterdays success we may even end up finishing out of the top 4 if there are the expected CC hangovers that sides regularly suffer when they play top sides immediately after

wherever we finish on the ladder i believe that this club can win the big play off games although we will most certainly have to do it the hard way from here on in

I'd say this group of players will sit down Tuesday morning and decide to aim for the double. They've never been in this position before as a group of players and this could be their last hooray.

Saints are beatable especially with the players missing.

They should try finish as high in the table as possible but without peaking too early and risking injuries. We can win it from anywhere, but id rather get into the best position for the playoffs

Nowt to lose. Play full tilt from here on in. If they don't make Old Trafford they have yesterday to fall back on. There is no pressure for the rest of the year though. I expect us to churn out some more performances.

One of the most interesting things is how some of the fringe forwards perform from here on in. Achurch, Singleton, Steve Ward and Clarkson ought to be busting a gut because if we reach the GF there will most likely to be one bench spot up for grabs, as there no doubt was in the run-up to the CC final.

I agree with most on here in that we are capable of winning it from anywhere and i'd also like to see us "go for it" there will be 1 or 2 who miss out like Mags and I'm sure I saw Kylie getting his calf iced at F/T.
Pick the fittest 17 for the remaining SL games hopefully secure a top 4 spot then we go into "Play off mode"!

The double is now the only thing missing off this teams CV. There's been no stand out side this year and Leeds have proved more than capable of raising their game when it counts. There has been little focus on the league by Leeds so far this year and it has been obvious that the CC was the number one target to the exclusion of everything else. I suspect that focus will change to a real crack at the double.

Having sat and seen first hand the level they need to perform to, these players should be given the opportunity to show they can do the same IMO. A golden opportunity to see who can really hack it; the remaining games aren't meaningless ones and I'd play each of them in all three. If they can't lay down a marker here, then quite possibly they never will.

I hope they do the same also....but I will forgive them if not. I think they have put their bodies on the line enough to allow this club to me more than pleased. We should lower our expectations a little I think then bask and revel in more glory if they do actually achieve the double (treble?)

Leeds could become the 9th different RL club to do the double.

No Leeds team (at least none from the North side of the River Aire) has ever done the Challenge Cup/Championship double (or beaten Wigan in a Final) - this team now has the chance to possibly do both.

clearwing - that's almost my take as well. If those players mentioned (they're probably the only ones who could break into the side injuries apart) can't or don't step up now until the end of the year, you'd have to ask questions about their long-term positions at the club.

That doesn't mean BM has to pick them if we get to the GF, but they ought to be making his decision bloody hard.

I'm sure that Wigan (in this situation), knowing that the play offs are a certainty would concentrate on being up for that first round match. Remember it's another knock out comp so we should treat it just like the CC and use the remaining league matches to peak for the play offs.

So, after last nights events.......

We need to beat wigan and hull now and hope that's enough to get 3rd/4th. We get 3rd or 4th and we 'most likely' play either saints (key players out) or cas (not very playoff experienced) with a win giving us a week off and the home tie into the final.

That has to be the passage we aim for now.

Of course anywhere below 4th wouldn't be the end of the world but we'd have to go week in week out and go away from home in the final semi. Yes we've done it before, but it's bloody hard and we must surely want the ''easier'' passage.

Wigan will be thinking the same. Both teams will fancy it if they can get 3rd or 4th.

Not so sure myself, Flex. While I'm not expecting a damp squib of a game next week, I wouldn't be surprised to see the odd familiar face missing from both sides and the intensity perhaps a little short of the 100% I'd have expected had both teams won last night.