8th spot seems to come down to 4 teams, us, Hull FC, Hull KR and Salford.

The runs of each team

Bradford 18 points HKR (H), Wigan (A), Crusaders (H), Wakefield (A)

I'd say we have a chance of 3 wins from those 4 games as we're playing a team just ahead of us and two teams below us. So that would leave us with 24 points

Hull FC 21 points Catalan (H), Crusaders (A), Castleford (A), Warrington (H)

That's a fairly hard run for the Black & Whites as only Crusaders are below them. Catalan are on a good run at the moment, Castleford will be wanting to finish as high as they can and Warrington will be pushing for the league leaders shield.

Hull KR points 20 Bradford (A), Saints (H), Catalan (A), Castleford (H)

Again, another tough run in for a Hull club. The only game I could see them getting an easy time of would be against us if we pull another headless chicken performance like the one against Warrington

Salford 18 points Wigan (A), Huddersfield (H), Saints (A), Catalan (H)

Possibly the toughest run out of the 4 with 4 of the current top 5 to play I can't really see Salford picking up another win this season.

So, it boils down to Sunday. A win and the right results else where in the league would see us claw our way towards the play-offs. A loss and the season is officially over.

I know I'm a naive optimist, but where there's life there's hope.

2009 redux.

What it really goes to show is how doable making the eight was before we took no points from Cas, Hull and 12 man Catalans...

Well we'd be in the play offs with those 3 as wins.

Really comes down hull-cas game. Assuming we win the 3 we should thats the most likely of the other games to go against us IMO. Don't think we've much chance tbh

I'm more worried about the Hull Catalans game, we need Dureaux to be back fit for them really, but I have no idea how long he is supposed to be out for.

Who is this Cataland team?

Sorry, I have a cold

And we all know million to one shots happen 9 times out of 10, don't we?

The play offs are long gone, they went with the gutless performance against Hull at home. But I admire your optimism.

Oh come on, we're going to Old Trafford and you know it!

I'll be going to Old Trafford alright but it'll be to watch Utd!

If we did, by some miracle, make the playoffs then would this year be classed as a success? Making the top eight was the goal. I think its been anything other than a success.

Indeed, add to that other games where we blew it such as the dreadful Salford and HKR away games.

Frsutrating isn't even close.

If we did, by some combination of strange forces, miracles and all the other teams fielding junior squads for the remaining games, make the play offs, we would be paggered in the first round away to whoever, so it would extend the agony for a week, and not by any stretch of the imagination would it be possible to call it a success.

TBF getting in the play offs is better than missing out whichever way you look at it.

The goal surely has to be to build and improve year on year. Last year we finished the season with a grand total of 19 points. [iIF[/i we win 3 of our last 4 and finish on 24 points then that's progress, top 8 or no top 8, and that would be a success, albeit not a huge one.

Beat Hull KR and I'll continue to believe.

What worries me though is that it's now come down to the requirement to win two games at least in a row and we've only managed it once this season.

Also it's now reliant on other results going our way with Cup Semi finals and the Final in the middle of it.

Well there is a rumour on the KR board that Morgan has already left the club. If so, it could be just the disruption to KR's game plan that we need to take the 2 points on Sunday

Hang on, you can't say that! We were, of course, out of the 8 as soonas we lost to Hull. But as you are talking hypothetically, then if we had scraped in 8th, (a) it could be one of our good days, (well, you never know) and (b) we've already won at both Catalans and Leeds.

We actually got a draw at Catalans, though we should have won and if Paddy had kicked a simple goal (even in the thunderstorm) we would have done, so I'll let you off with that

That's also another to kick start a team..

Realisticly i can't see us making it just using my head more than my heart!. Stranger things have happend in recent weeks to me so fingers crossed