And if my auntie had balls she'd be my uncle.

One match at a time, I suggest!

problem with that is any of teams youve mentioned could put out a weakened team and still be a big challenge for us unless we improve rapidly.

I watched the Bulls players after the game. They were clearly sickened to lose, but the togetherness and spirit was there for anyone to see.

I thought L'Estrange was MOM by miles, but Langley was outstanding on his return. Jeffires made a big difference. he and l'Estrange moved the Bulls around the park better than at any time this season.

Mistakes were cut down, sets were finished better and there was a real hunger to take the ball up and close the gaps.

On that showing, and with plenty of players to come back, the Bulls should make the 8.

I reckon, looking at past seasons, and the position and fixtures of the teams around us, we need 16 points from 13 games to make the 8. However, we have to start to make a serious charge SOMEWHERE and as it happens, our next 2 games represent our last chance saloon, Salford at home, and Quins away. We 100% definitely need to win both. And we have no clue whether good Bulls or bad Bulls will turn up.

If we lose either of those then the task is in my view too great.

If we speculate that these two wins did in fact materialise, then the outlook would seem different. We would be left needing 12 points from 11 games. Now THAT is do-able, and we could conceivably sneak in with a point or so less.

Of course the reality is that we will win all our remaining games, but I mention the above just for completeness

Right I have been hard at work all day looking at our remaining fixtures and I think that 25 points would be just about enough to claim 7th/8th.

To reach that target we need to win eight of the last thirteen games.

So if we throw away the games against:

St Helens (H)
Huddersfield (H)
Warrington (A)
Wigan (A)

That means we can only afford to lose one more game and the following games I would say are far from easy:

Hull FC (H)
Leeds (A)
Castleford (A)
Catalans (H)

I still think we'll fall about three/four points short but we'll finish with more points than we did last year.

Meaning Potter has improved the team

Sunday is a cup final. Momentum is everything in these situations and if we can scratch any kind of victory against Salford, double up in the capital then we stand as good a chance as 4 or 5 other clubs aiming for the 8th spot. The home games against Hull, HullKR and Cas are also must win games as they will be figuring in a win at Bradford as a good bet right now. Langley simply has to stay fit and we have to really raise the roof for the lads on Sunday as it could scarecly be more important. Biggest game of the season.

We won't make the 8, but I'd settle for more of what we saw on Sunday as indication we're improving!

Sunday is huge, and I don't have a good feeling about our ability to back up last week - Really, genuinely hope I'm wrong!

You're away to Cas.

a couple of weeks ago I would have agreed with you, when I said that we needed to beat KR twice. But that was based on our abysmal performances against top half teams whereas the performance against Wigan has made me think that we could pull off a surprise against one of the top sides which could compensate for losing a must-win. plus we are getting more players back, so I am confident of a stronger second half of the season partly because of the players confidence from Wigan.

That's pretty fair comment. When you look a how results have gone this season, not just ours but results in general, it seems to have been a season full of surprises. If we can spring an odd one (to make up for the 'must win' game we'll almost certainly lose along the way) we can still do it, because the clubs around or just above us are likely to be up and down too. Guess it's a fingers crossed job!

If (if, if, if) we were to make the play-offs, who'll miss out?

Cru
Wakey
Salford
Hull KR
Quins
Cas?

To come 8th we need six teams to outdo. Are those the six most likely?

think you can probably add hull fc and catalans into that group too. I know both are playing well at moment but they've been inconsistent early in season and get feeling an injury to a couple of players could derail either of their seasons.

We just need to concentrate on beating Salford and then Harlequins. If we can't do that, then making the 8 will be next to impossible, but we wouldn't deserve to do it either.

Whereas if we do win the next 2, then as I explained earlier, our remaining task is tough, but averaging a point a game is definitely do-able. And that's more or less what it would become. Which equals "win your home games", and any extra point you poach away becomes a brucie bonus.

agreed, we just need to concentrate on getting the necessary number of points by winning however we do it against whoever - tho of course some are going to be more difficult games than others, so ideally we should beat Catalans and Hull. but as for who doesnt get into the playoffs, I dont give a monkeys as long as we do, because it helps with next year and recruitment to take us on the next step both on the terraces and on the pitch. Trying to guess our teams form has been bad enough this year without trying to predict all the other teams around us.

That's as far ahead as I'm allowing myself to go!

Well, if we start one game at a time, and consider the apparent lack of effort and lack of care in some recent displays, the away game at Salford was amongst the worst of the worst. So:
1) We really, really, absolutely must-win a home tie against Salford to retain any credibility or even a remote chance of the playoffs; and
2) We don't half owe them one after a 50 point drubbing;
3) With a couple of tweaks including Langley back, we looked back to being a team, and one that can play and defend a bit, last time out, so confidence must be on the up; and
4) a team that can play like we did against Wigan certainly is more than capable of beating Salford, at home.

I'd like to see us really annihilate Salford and restore a little bit of balance to our dismal Points F/A record. But if given the above, the players still don't manage to get themselves up to win this one, then I give up, I really do. Till that happens though I refuse to see anything other than a decent win, and have bet accordingly.

agree with all of your post, but you've someone else agreeing with your bet, Ian Millward has us to beat Salford by at least 12 points. I think in this case I do believe a word he says, well about 9 words.

Wow. Things have changed a lot since the start of the year!!!! viewtopic.php?f=19&t=477825

Wow. Things have changed a lot since the start of the year!!!! viewtopic.php?f=19&t=477825

Quote ="who needs flankers?"Wow. Things have changed a lot since the start of the year!!!! viewtopic.php?f=19&t=477825'" Very true. At the start of the season only one of the squad, Halley, had a long term injury. and some very perceptive comments there, regarding gelling and injuries. Adey looks appropriately cautious. Any flanker can look back, what is your prediction for the top six places even now we are half way through the season? or do you want to wait until the end of the season to make your prediction?

Quote ="who needs flankers?"Wow. Things have changed a lot since the start of the year!!!! viewtopic.php?f=19&t=477825'" Very true. At the start of the season only one of the squad, Halley, had a long term injury. and some very perceptive comments there, regarding gelling and injuries. Adey looks appropriately cautious. Any flanker can look back, what is your prediction for the top six places even now we are half way through the season? or do you want to wait until the end of the season to make your prediction?

I'd say if we are to make it, it would be most likely at the expense of Cas, Catalans or Hull of the current top 8. So wins for the top five (and the bottom six, as long as there's not too many for any one team) are good news for us.

How have we managed to be only two points behind Hull put with a PD 174 worse, almost twelve points per game?

At the moment I would say you are a fair bit off top 8 standard. Some good signs today of it was a bit laboured at times.

2 points is a fair bit off the play offs? Massive gulf that to over turn with over half a season left!



Your opinion counts for zero the number of competition points on the table counts for everything. It must really grate on you that however bad the Bulls have been this year we are only 1 win and a draw (due to the points difference) off the play off places!

Whatever happens this year right now we are 2 points off a play off spot - FACT!

And 174pd.

It would be nice if this was the start of a good run! Friday is a big game.