Hudds have little playoff experience this will be their biggest ever game. Leeds have loads of playoff pedigree, our win over them means nothing now

One team are the current SL Champions, the other team was Huddersfield
One team has proven pedigree in the playoff competition, the other team was Huddersfield
One team beat us in last years final, the other team was Huddersfield

Not exactly rocket science this.

Compare and contrast Leeds' and Huddersfield's playoff records. There-in lies the answer.

I think Huddersfield is the correct pick, but I was very surprised we went for them, as I’d convinced myself we’d take Leeds all day long. Common sense has prevailed, but it’s still a very tough game.
I still don’t believe a word that Broomhead, Smith or the players have said before, during or after the announcement, though. It’s all a load of hot air.

For one thing, I suspect the players would have wanted to play Huddersfield and they’d have definitely been consulted. In the past, it appears we’ve won games against Huddersfield when lining up in the tunnel beforehand, and when Morley, Hill and Westwood are eyeballing them backstage again this Thursday, they’ll do well not to look down at their feet with their recent record against us. I suspect this, as much as anything else, is why we picked them.

All this “Hudds will be extra motivated” or “Smith has done Anderson’s team-talk for him” is the biggest load of tosh imaginable. If Anderson’s only team-talk is to beat his chest, throw teacups about and boom out Henry V to get his team up for a semi, then they’ve got no chance and he’s a crap coach - and neither of these things is true. He’s got to be focusing on how he gets on top on Warrington’s pack and how he can protect Brough sufficiently to let him orchestrate the game for 80 minutes and not just 20.

Warrington will be ready and waiting; it’s up to Huddersfield to ensure they are as well. I’m sure they will be.

I just hope it doesn’t rain.

Stop using common sense please. Everyone knows the pick was simply down to arrogance, the Huddersfield fans said so.

The easiest route to the final given the choice of the 2 teams is Leeds, they are carrying injuries and have just had a humdinger of a game.

However if you want to make the final easier to win, you let Leeds go and take Huddersfield on home turf, were 90% of the crowd will be backing you and giving the ref greif and applying pressure to the away side.



Ref's may try to be neutral, but come on home advantage does have an impact on the odd call. Even if it's just persuading them to make the right call on a forward, rather than letting it go.



Take your biggest threat on home turf, rather than in a final where it's pretty even.



I think Saints made this mistake a few years back when we had club call. We took Huddersfield as it was clearly the easier route to the final. But for me we should have took Wigan. In the final Wigan won the game in minutes on a wide open pitch with our players flagging we did not stand a chance. Had we taken them at home, the very last game at KR, with fans pressurising the ref and players on a narrower pitch it would not have been so easy for them.



For me the question is about the team picking, is making the final the achivement or do you want to win the thing.