This Your Freudian moment Listy?

For the record I think we'll beat Huddersfield this weekend.

I expect us and Bradford to win one each of the games we have at the start of August. Hull away is also a tricky one to call since, although I wouldn't be at all surprised if they miss the play offs and we finish above them, they were struggling last season and still beat us at the KC in August. I think Wigan and Wire will finish in the top 8, Hull and Bulls to miss out, so two from us, Castleford, Dragons and Wakefield. I think (admittedly partly based on hope) we'll make the play offs, but wouldn't be at all surprised if it was 7th or 8th.

Huddersfield at Home: Can't see us beating them. Twice this year they have controlled the game from the forwards and then used the ball efficiently in the backs.......Only way we can get the points here is if Hudds have a mare

Nil Points
White flag waving surrender Monkeys away. This will be a high scoring game and as usual, close. We need to get on top quick and shut the crowd up, but I think the 2 points will be ours.
St Helens at home.





Nil Points
Bulls away: The next 2 are season defining games IMO. 4 points from this and we will make the 8.....but even 1 loss and it will be a real battle to stay in touch. The seem to be getting a bot of confidence back, but losing to Cas in a 78 point thriller might just work against them. Alas, they will have played Celtic the week before us and unless the welsh can do the double over them, they will be on their uppers.
Bulls at home. See above. 4 points
Salford at Home. We should have too much for them, but after beating Saints, they will be looking for consistancy. They have fixtures against teams they will think they can beat in the run up to the game at TW2, but if they only get 2 points from the possible 10, then their season will be over and they will be there for the taking. 2 points
FC away. Like Salford, the result of this one will be determined in some way to their results running up to this. I can see them only getting 2 points from 12 before this one and therefore, their season will be over and we should have too much for them. 2 points
Castleford at TW2: Tough one to call as I believe they will still be in the mix for the play offs and this game may well the tie of the round (ie...on SLYTV). I think we will need to win 1 of our last 2 to be sure of a home tie in the play-offs and that will be enough for us. 2 points
Wire away: Sad to say, I can see a certain amount of revenge being dished out to us in this. They are a diferent team to the one we hammered earlier in the season and will have too much all over the park for us. Nil Points

So there you have. Gutters Guide to the run in. 12 points from the 18 0n offer leaving us in either 5th or 6th place with a home play off game against either Wakey or Castleford IMO.

RE: My post above.......the game in France is really important now. Mess up here and we will be fighting over the last Play-off berth.
Having looked at the run in's for a few of the other teams, I still believe that we can end up 5th or 6th, but we really do need to win on Sunday.
This is now the part of the season when Everyone from outside the top 2 are quite capable of beating each other and apart from Celtic, everyone can still make the play-offs.
4 MORE WINS TO BE SURE OF A PLAY OFF BERTH, 6 TO BE SURE OF A HOME GAME!

Of course we will.

SMASHING

We've got a relatively kind run in with only one match against any of the teams above us (Saints), although if you bear in mind Wire lost their first five games and changed the coach they're clearly a tougher prospect right now than thier position suggests.

Obviously the number of key players missing at the moment is a big hindrance, but it's very much in our own hands.

With the players we have got missing against the French I can only see a real hammering coming our way. We manage to screw up won positions consistently against them even when we have the full squad out let alone when most of our key personel are injured or suspended.
As for Saints, I am expecting a cricket score now

Balls. We shall be victorious. By smashing them.

As for their home form....it's nearly as bad as ours


They are there for the taking and if we aspire to a "longer season" then we need to win this game.
Keep the Faith!

All is not lost we have 5 winnable games coming up: Salford, Cas and Bulls at home and Bulls and Hull away. These are the games we should target I will be very pleased if we get anything from the other games and thought the effort against Hudds was way beyond my expectation but we seem to lack zip (Gale excluded) and enthusiasm (ditto).

Agreed. We have 8 games left until the play-offs start and I believe we will win 6 of them (at least 4) which will get us into the play-offs.

Your losing streak will continue this weekend.

Boooooooooooo to our hated derby rivals!

Look on it this way - if we win, it could hasten the departure of Mr. Walters.

Nooooooo...we will never do any favours to our hated rivals......Booooooooo

Oh dear.........we are in trouble now. We will get nothing from Saints and looking at the other fixtures, I can see us dropping out of the 8, possibly as low as 10th place.
As I said above, Bradford home and away will decide if we make the 8 at all now. If we have some walking wounded, I would throw the kids in against Saints and try to have a fit squad when we face the Bulls. Points difference, whilst important, is worth taking a hit on if we can get 4 points from these 2 games.

Still in with a chance, results are all over the place at the moment - who'd have put money on Wakey beating Saints this weekend, although I agree that the Bradford double header's crucial.

In spite of another defeat and if Brain Mc doesn't experiment again with playing people out of position, I feel more optimistic this week about our staying in the 8. If we can get a few more bodies back for Bradford and the mistakes can be reduced I think (hope) we can still do it.

What makes you feel more optimistic?

Maybe a few of the following -
Level of commitment, few of the young 'uns getting a game (they might be needed again before the season ends and at least have an idea of what to expect) , got to be a few returnees soon (at least the expectant fathers). Optimism isn't not a feeling I'm often given to (God's sake West Ham are my football team!) but a decent show against an injury affected Saints and 4 points from the Bradford games could give us the shot in the arm we need for the last few weeks.

We will have to beat Bradford (minimum once), Salford, Castleford and Warrington.

Explain.



Why are you optimistic when they have clearly shown they are not good enough yet?



Can't argue with that!

no. 11 th place finish (with rose tinted glasses on)

Can we hang on?

No