Games we must win to get eighth.

Crusaders h
Wakey a
Cas a
Quins a
Catalans h
Hull h
Hull KR h
Salford h

Games we could win to either make up for defeats above

Wigan a
Leeds a
Saints h
Hudds h
Wire a

Win all our winnables plus one of our outside chances, and we have a fifty-fifty record and we're likely in the eight. But lose a winnable and it's hard to see it happening.

Of course it's a possibility.

I said last week that defeat to Hull KR would mean season over and I still stand by that.

I would like the players to see the above comment and prove me wrong.

I would like to think we can do it on the back of the effort and team spirit shown today. If we can get a good win next Sunday then maybe a run of wins in the league could be on.

Well, let's see how we feel this time next week.

If back up this week and thump Salford, all well and good. But I'm sure many of us - me included - have a dread fear that we'll be abject next week, and end up wasting all the undoubted positive vibe from today's match.

I think the motto is 'let's take it one game at a time'

A possibility assuming we win some games. It's no good playing well and losing, we have to start winning......

Points won by eighth over 27 rounds

2010- 24
2009- 26
2008- 22
2007- 23

So we may need fewer than nine wins. But not many less.

Too many games to win IMO. Will have to see if we can get any form. Surely we have to get a few shocks before the year is out.

Of course the players should take it one game at a time. But we can afford to have a look at the fixtures left and see what is feasible. A run of reasonable, unspectacular form would do it. Salford is effectively as important as today in terms of keeping the season alive.

Ideal world, we grab eighth on the last day, go to Leeds and dump them out with a last minute penalty try... then we're 160 minutes from OT... Keep dreaming, eh? But isn't that what following a sports team is about?

Of course you have a chance to make it.

It is possible but a tough ask.

I would settle to see some consistency and signs that Potter is making some improvements in the 2nd half of the season. It would be nice if the team could string 3 or 4 wins together at some stage.

Looking at the fixtures, we wouldn't need to win more than two in the bounce at any one point. That said, I'd like to think we have a chance in every game before Wire away on July 31st. By which point we'll be 12-1-8, and pressing for a spot in the top four.

Quite lucky in the fact we have a couple of "winnable" fixtures on the bounce after today. If we had someone like Wire next week, we could risk losing all momentum. That said, considering our last effort against Salford we can't exactly rule that out anyway!

After the complete no show at the Willows I would like to think the squad were already going to be pretty fired up for our next SL game. That game was the lowest so far this season for me.

Probably not quite as big an ask as it was in 2009. Maybe its time for one of my spreadsheets to try and forecast what all the other teams will do. After all, 50% of the other games will be lost by someone (if not drawn of course...!)

We need a winning run now. What we saw today shows the team can do it, if they just have confidence in themselves.

Did you notice too the collective team huddles? That spoke volumes, I thought? Teams do that; groups of individuals, like we have seen of late, do not.

Also, did you notice how they all, to a man, looked totally gutted after the hooter? They set out to win this one - and, but for a moment of desperation by Raynor or a handful of lost possessions, they likely would have. Let us hope that this is not another Wire-last-year game and their collective heads all go down - there is no reason at all why they should, since they all did us proud today. Let us instead hope that they have gained a load in confidence, and turn out next weekend KNOWING they are going to win if they play to their ability and follow the gameplan.

Looking at that list i can see you getting 5 more wins.
Crusaders h
Wakey a
Cas a
Quins a
salford h

The saving grace may depend on what happens to teams in the CC and whether that will affect the form of teams who are still in it.

If they rest players or pick up injuries you might win more.

Whilst we are getting ahead of ourselves, Wigan away is the week before the CC final. If they get there, and we need it - could be our first "big club" defeat in ages (if Leeds away isn't!)

Unbeaten till the play-offs? Will give us good momentum but I fear it may lead to complacency at Old Trafford.

I think this will be the "anti-wire" if we are comparing to last year. The game last year was the catalyst to a grim run of form - this year we have already had this and I hope it is a catalyst for something better. They did look gutted at the end - but they all stuck together and the team huddle followed by the appreciation to the fans was "look, we're better than we have been and this proves it" rather than a "that's all folks" dropping of the heads. Might just be blind faith on my part though

Why not?

It's happend before (2005).

Yeh I mentioned that on another thread and agree its a good sign. There were other points during the game aswell where you could see alot more talk going on off the ball in defense and attack, backslapping all that stuff. L'estrange was all over the place motivating people. Great intensity in defence for nearly the whole 80 mins too.

Got to hope the desire today wasn't because it was the cup and seen as their only chance at silverware and was instead the turning point we all want. Next week is now a massive game for us, need to get some momentum.

Some of the posts here are way too optimistic off the back of one good performance, we still lost, but I do think the play offs are doable if the team turnout with the same mentality as today.

L'estrange is an absolute revelation. So much passion. I have a lot of time for Diskin, but Heath is a genuine game breaker, running about 40 yards to be the first in a scrum. Most excitable man since Zane Lowe discovered Red Bull

I rekon we could do Saints at Home, it's the same weekend as England vs Exiles.

I'll go along with that!
I think the players going into a huddle before they came over to the fans seems to show there is clearly a spirit there and maybe a statement of intent. I'm filled with renewed hope after that showing, I know one swallow etc etc but they've shown they can do it for the first time in ages.

Also we could beat Warrington as it is the week after the QF and the week before the Semis. Also if Wigan beat Warrington and progress to te Final then our game against Wigan is the week before Final. Also beating Saints is a possibility as they will have half the team playing for England or Exiles.