Not time to write a full preview for Wakefield with the quick turnaround but here's a bit of though.

I'd be pointing out that us fans should be happy to have dealt with.....

Pat missing first 8 games
World Club Challenge
Gleeson being a fanny
Fuss over Maguire leaving
Deacon missing for the run of games inc. Hudds, Wire and Leeds
Other Injuries

....stuff like that to still only be two points of the pace is not bad going. Yes the defence or attack isn't up to last year yet but on reflection now to have gone through all that and not been punished too much for it should be seen as a huge positive for us.

I mean by hook or by crook we gained five points arguably out of Hull (H), Leeds (A) and St Helens (H) that would have perhaps given a fairer reflection on our season so far? I certainly think we are three points better off at least than we should have been.

Warrington in comparison have played some awesome stuff, out of their skins at times, yet are no better off than this time last year and for me they should be clear top at least (probably even four clear like we were this time last year), so all in all we are in not too bad a position.

Wakefield, Crusaders, Barrow, Quins next 4 games - time to kick on now in all departments. Hopefully the attack will flow and the defence get back to our old selves.

Play up Wigan!

A good start but let off the hook by the rest having a topsy-turvy start to the season too.

If we want a GF we need to kick on hard, rack up some points and confidence and show the rest of SL why we're Champions.

Weve had a lot of disruption but we have stayed in touch at the top and beat the old enemy with a "kick in the nuts" try

. We will get better which not all the other challengers will so we are still in a very good position imo.

Haven't played well yet and we're 2 pts off with a game in hand. I'd have taken this before kick off at MM.

I know what you mean but in a different way I think we have. We've shown great resilence at times. I said in my report, best part of Friday for me was that they didn't go 24-22 down and think "oh sh*t!". They didn't panic at all, kept calm and found the win.

Lima, Hoffman and Finch (but not as much as the other two) have had time to settle in. the squad know what is happening next season with the coach, and know what has happened with Gleeson. Distractions are over.

Now we need to win games, and lots of them. and there is no reason for us not to be able to. if we play to our best there isnt a team that can stop us. Thats why we are Champions. We need to show everyone else now.

I take heart from the fact that we've had a lot of disruption this year. (As have a lot of clubs) and yet we're still there.

I can only see positives when I think our major marquee signings of Finch and Lima are only going to improve and Hoffman is already playing incredible. Add to that Deacon getting a decent run of games and Pat back, then I'm confident that we will be thereabouts come October.

I've been relaxed all year that things will improve and that's not normally my nature. I'm a pessimistic git at times but I'm super confident in this coaching staff and this group of players. I know just how good we are and a couple of iffy moments won't alter my belief. We've had all sorts to contend with and yet were within touching distance of the top of the table and that's superb. We have players still settling in and players still trying to gain top fitness and on top of that we have 2 international forwards ready to come back in June.

I know that it will take a massive effort from any other side that wants to take out title and if they can produce that then they'll deserve it.

Roll on the rest of this season.

Nothing less than 4 wins. We need to win the next 6 as a minimum

Eh?

Nothing less than 4 wins.

Need to win the next 6 as a minimum.


Which is it

Can we call it 5 then Tricky? just to even things up

Agreed, that level of self-control was astounding; I was talking to the Rebel next to me and we agreed a draw would be a touch.

I still think we're playing within ourselves and there's even more to Wigan than what we've seen.

5 sounds odd to me.

:

as long as we finish in the top 8 come the end of the season, i cn't see anyone stopping us winning the gf again apart from warrington

What does the cliche 'kick on' mean ?

Anything outside the top 4 and however good you are, you will struggle.

Its also a long long time until then and if we don't improve then there's more teams than Warrington that can push us, Hudds look to be always improving (Crusaders apart), Saints will be hard to stop when they get their injured players back + Hull might sack Agar and realise they actually have a good side.

Have to agree.

We haven't hit "form" at all this season. Why? Well I am not paid to comment.

The reality is though, that despite this, we have "dug in" and come good when we needed to. (Hull, Stains).

This is a much underrated quality.

Add to this Fielden, Hock and Finch to find his feet, and we are looking ok.

We will make the GF this year, I have no doubt.

we finished top last season and ended up having to play the same amount of games that we would of had to if we had finished outside the top 4... fair enough we havent been playing well for the full 80mins in quite a few games this season, but when it has clicked i think theres been enough there to show we will be thereabouts at the end of the season

What im saying is nothing less than 4 wins will be good enough as i fell we need to win at least the next 6 games we play. Simples

I will only be worried when I see us playing without desire. This Wigan team is good enough to beat any team when we are desperate for the win.

To be only 2 points off the pace with all the problems and disruption as well as having played 1 less game is a great achievement.