This thread we are talking about finishing top of the league, a grand final is a seperate issue.

Definitely is. It may come down to points difference for 6th but it could easily happen

Us bei 3 points better does not mean the competition is weaker. I would say we should be better given that we have had Walsh and Amor added to the ranks.

If we had the same points as last year, then we would be a little disappointed.

It's hard to measure quality season to season. It's very in the eye of the beholder. In those 'better' years we still took hammerings against the Green and Gold. But given their increase in the cap you would expect that over the years WCC wins would become less and hammerings by them more often.

Another opportunity presents itself.

I'm just awaiting Saddened to lay into this Wigan team and the ancient cart horses they are carrying and their uninspiring signings.

I think the word is competitive.

Only if Leeds lose to London and Cas to Warrington. Either one of Leeds or Cas go above us if they win and we don't as they have better points differences than us don't they?

Your assuming we lose? If we win it puts us in a very good position - doesn't have to be pretty, but I assume there's a plan in place given they've had a week off!

Leeds could beat London blindfold, but I'd expect Warrington to beat cas given they're resting everyone before the final. If they don't then it strengthens our chances of securing top 4

We can see a weakened Cas side losing to Warrington who have a bit of momentum in superleague. Hull KR gaining a point against has made life a bit harder for Wakefield.
If the Wheeler and Wellens show papers over the big cracks we are capable of a big score to help points difference.
This team needs an 18th man it starts from tonight.

Don't know why you are so eager to finish top.

Didn't you win like, 5 LLS on the bounce when you kept losing all those grand finals?

Saints would have just as good a chance from 2nd/3rd as they would from top.

I get that it's a trophy. But do you really want to add another situation where ''they got the booby prize but not the main one''? Because I'm not sure i can see saints winning it now no matter where they finish.

We won't win the big one without walsh, wilkin, lomax and hohaia. It's about getting what we can now and getting something in the cabinet.

We've had a very bare trophy cabinet for a few years now. The likelihood is that without the players we've got missing, we won't be able to contest the main title, so while the LLS shield is both something we have a half decent chance of getting as well as the first bit of silverware we've seen for a while.

It's quite simple, Timmy Ten Names. If we finish top, we would have to face Wire/Cas twice to get to a Grand Final instead of Wigan/Leeds twice. As unlikely as it may be, I'd rather take a slightly easier route (we'd still be underdogs I'd imagine) and let Leeds/Wigan beat each other up.

And no, we didn't win 5 LLS on the bounce.

We have been without silverwear for many years.

Ask the Leeds coach if he would rather have something or nothing.

It's like saying would you rather finish 8th or 9th. Both have little chance of winning the big one, but 8th is still better than 9th.

Also I'm a bit of a traditionalist and still enjoy getting more wins over a season than just in a 4 game competition at the end.

I know people buy the hype, but in reality the Grandfinal is still the same as the premiership was all those years ago.

A valid league competition generates money for clubs a playoff series generates little to no money for the teams. Clubs should be wary of putting out that only the GF matters message, because if no one turns up to watch the league games because they do not matter RL will die very very quickly as the money stops flowing in.

The only chance of us getting to a grand final and winning it is if we have a "level playing field" and all the top teams lose there full back and half backs. Beating Wakefield tonight might give us a 50/50 of the LLS, a booby prize is probably a bit better than nowt.

Why wouldn't anyone want to finish top? I'd put money on every coach in super league would want to finish top.

I have got to agree with you on this one.

I also heard a rumour about next years world club challenge could be between 3 clubs from Australia & 3 clubs from UK, possibly the two grand finalists and the team that finishes top. Have you heard anything about this?
That would definitely be an added incentive to finish top of the pile.

Given the closeness of the league, I'd imagine everyone wants top spot this year as second v third is going to be the toughest draw.

4th or less is better than 2nd and 3rd

Im a big Wigan fan i will be amazed if we come top.That week off before Kr did us no favors what so ever and if you come top you get a week off!Im pretty sure wayney wont want a week off.We need to be playing week in week out at the moment.

why is 2nd v third going to be a more difficult game than 1st v 4th

I enjoy finishing top. There is something to really celebrate about being the best team over the whole competition and it's stupid that Sky has been allowed to overshadow both the LLS and the CC in the way that it has but that's happened because we have a weak governing body.

However, unlike when we won our four on the trot, there is now prize money available for winning the LLS so that in itself is an incentive. Having some shiny stuff in the brand spanking new trohy cabinet is another, and finally, it's bound to be a boost to the confidence of the players if they pull it off, especially Saints without all their key play makers.

Absolute bull , yes its nice to finish top but it means little as all coaches will tell you , for some teams like yourself and Huddersfield it might mean more as you have not won the big ones of late but to the teams that have won at Old Trafford or Wembley in recent times it means nothing unless the league leaders go on to Grand Final victory .

How very patronising of you.

Its all time line relative though, I,m sure once Leeds lose all there experienced players and success dries up the Leeds fans will re value the LLS, where as the saints club has always given it some stature no matter who wins it.

A win at Leeds all but secures a top 2 spot by the looks of it. If there's one game we can target it's that one. Hopefully Leeds win next week and take their eye off the ball. Our forwards could get right on top of them if we go there with the right attitude.

If we can win 2 out of 3 we'd be unlucky not to finish top. Warrington could still be our biggest rivals. If they win their last 3 (Hudds H, Saints A, Wigan A) they'd finish above us if we only win 1.

Very interesting finish to the season coming up.

Why 1st is better than 2nd and 3rd??????
Really.

When looking at the odds. Leeds or Wigan twice to get to the final (home or away). Or someone else at home more than likely twice. I'll take someone else at home.

Obviously the 190 poster has bought into the hype of the GF and beleives clubs need no more than 4 games to sustain an income over the season.

If league position does not count, then why play those games, just have a playoff of the 14 teams and be done within 8 weeks. The rest of the season is pointless so less not bother. Fans won't go and players will get paid zip as the playoff and GF earn practically zero for the clubs.

It's all hype. Those with a memory older than 20 years will know we had a league and playoff system previously, but the league was the king. The only thing SKY did was move the shiny trophy and give it to Wigan permanently and create a new one with a nice big shiny SKY S on the top.

The final for the permiership and the playoffs are one and the same to me.

IF anything the CC is harder to win than the GF as not everyone plays in the playoffs.

I don't care what anyone says. Every coach wants to finish top. Obviously some teams can use the play off system to rest players in certain league Games but I still believe Brown, wane, Powell, smith, McDermott and Anderson would rather finish top