Im looking forward to them.
Lets make it an event
I think the club should pull out all the stops to make sure B Vs packed. Special offers with season ticket holders able to bring a friend for £7 and two for a fiver. Free tickets circulated for school kids who bring an adult at £10 on the gate. Free entry to people who buy the shirt. Hand held flags for kids, a reduced ticket for attending all the games.
Any other ideas
I honestly don't think the 8s should be anything to worry about, and with the right kind of marketing mind set the club can take a giant step to getting supporters to get behind the team and turn up.
Come on Mr Carter you have done a great job in your appointment of Brian Smith lets show him just how passionate we can be given the right circumstances

So, according to this [url=http://www.rugbyleaguechampionships.co.uk/rlneweraMiddle 8's format[/url, if the leagues finished as they are now, we would play:

Hull KR, Bradford and Halifax at home and Widnes, Salford, Leigh and Sheffield away.


I think I'd be happy enough to take on that challenge - would certainly prefer Bradford at Belle Vue than at Odsal as our record there is not great. Salford is not as intimidating a trip as Hull KR so I'd take that too. Widnes away is tough with the advantage their pitch gives them but I reckon we could probably do enough with those fixtures to ensure we're atill battling in SL next year.

Points difference is going to be important too so even those we lose need to be close affairs
Widnes away not good. Would prefer them at ours.

I would like to see the club offer some kind of Middle 8, 3 game ticket offer at a reduced price.

3 games for the price of 2 or something?

I bought my season ticket at the start of the season, but would not be against this if it got more through the gate. Having said that i'm sure there would be more than a few who would complain and i suppose it wont help with season ticket sales for next year. Fine line i suppose.

I think the club should put the prices up for the Middle 8 games, they will be the most exciting of the season and we might have a chance of the odd win.

This is a simple thing to market and an ideal way to bring in some extra £££ that we wouldn't have got last year

I would do a slidding scale price
If you go to all three then it's the cheapest option
Game 1 £20
Game 2 £15
Game 3 £10
But to get them prices you must attend all the games abit of a loyalty thank you....

As for merch it's a fine line cause club would need to have the outlay and if all didn't go well would be stuck with a load of stock that can't be shifted, generic Wtw flags scarfs etc fine as these can roll onto next season but specific super 8s is a risk the club don't need!!

A perverse positive from our awful season is that we know our fate at the split and can prepare the players for it. The middle eight play offs will demand the players to be prepared for the unexpected of the championship clubs both mentally and physically. The problem for the other 11 clubs is that their players believe they will not be in the bottom 4 but sadly three will and this could work to our advantage.

Exactly the other clubs in sl are putting effort in to avoiding the bottom 3. Our fates sealed and with the right preparation we will survive. I don't see Widnes away as a problem, Widnes in my view are over rated and I would expect a tight game but a win.

So Widnes who hammered us twice this season are over rated ? On paper they are miles stronger tan us in all areas. We are getting better but we have a massive amount of catching up to do. I do not think people on here realize just how poor our outside backs are. That said we are improving and the players are now putting the effort in, plus we have a coach who picks Anakin so all is not lost

Yes they are. Miles stronger? Give over. If we were firing on all cylinders from the start we wouldve probably done the double over the likes of Widnes and Salford. Sadly we weren't. I agree our outside backs are worse than the ones we had last year and getting rid of Fox and Mathers to sign Owen and Hall was just plain lunacy.

Belly we have been hammered on a number of occasions during the season and deservedly so. Its a new start and in many ways a totally new comp. All the clubs involved from S L can be beaten and Wakey will by the 8s provide much stiffer opposition than they did in the earlier games. Widnes have been bulled up all season on sky and in my view are totally over rated. I don't see Widnes or Salford improving H K R can still spring a surprise

You would certainly hope that if we keep improving we could at least give ourselves a good shot at beating the likes of Widnes & Salford, but I think now the team are desperate for a win of any kind, the next couple of games give them a big chance of doing that, if they at least win one it will just feel like a massive relief i'm sure......but, if we don't it will just seem it's dragging on and on as re. the losing run, and they don't want to be entering the new 'comp' if you like, still winless......

The current squad would not be good enough because we are light in the backs. We need to make signings that will strengthen the backs to make us a better attacking force.

Dane Nielsen at centre would be a good short time signing whilst he is in dispute with his NRL club.

I'm sure BS has assessed when we are thin and has irons in the fire.
If he doesn't have quick signings like Sio, there will be players coming to the end of their contracts, that follow BS around to the clubs he's been to, that buy into his work ethic.
The players that are here have a chance to impress BS, in their respective positions.
There was enough on show Saturday to make you optimistic that with the next game being a week Weds, there will be some more wrinkles ironed out.

no to dane Nielsen - he was rubbish for the dragons this year

The club can prepare for the 8s and with the addition of a centre be in a much stronger position.

If Jordan Tansey is the answer. What was the question? Surely it wasnt who can we get to strengthen the centrs for the middle 8s!

I think Jordan could play in the centre and not let anyone down. Could it be that the players who have normally played have been put on the back burner by Smith because they are not up for it .

Or it could be that he is having a look at his entire squad including his new signings before the start of the Middle 8 competition. Only concern I'd have is Scott Anderson who has not played since the bad concussion. Hopefully it's not a Lance Hohaia situation..

I certainly think he could and he wouldn't let anyone down.
Think about the progression of one of the best 2nd rowers we've seen in the lat 10years, Gareth Ellis, and then there's Ben Weswood. There are close comparisons to be made between Jordan and Ben Currie at Warrington too.

I said a few weeks ago that the centre position was the root of our problems in both attack and defence, alongside having a full back that could link out wide when we're attacking.

Looking at the fixtures I reckon it will finish like this:

Widnes
Hull
Salford
Wakefield

Leigh
Bradford
Sheffield
Featherstone (Halifax maybe)

That means we would play
Widnes, Bradford and Featherstone at home
Hull, Leigh, Salford and Sheffield away

Having Widnes at home is important in my opinion.
We shouldn't be frightened of anyone, but I'm happy we can beat 5 of them which would put us in a good chance of 3rd.
We certainly need to beat the Super League teams as Leigh are going to upset everyone and Bradford are a bit unknown.

If Hull KR slip up though and let Widnes take 8th spot, it could be conceivable that 4 v 5 could be Hull v Hull KR.
That would be even bigger than our "million pound game" against Cas.

We have to beat the Championship clubs and one SL club, which makes Leigh away a massive game.
The timing of certain fixtures will be very important as well and of course the much used phrase "momentum".
I'd rather be playing a SL club in the first week and a Championship club second week.

Most of the lower league sides will be absolutely champing at the bit in the first week but, hopefully they will start to run out
of steam, with 7 tough fixtures on the bounce.

Hopefully we start well and begin to find plenty of confidence.

I hate the concept but, the games will certainly be a good watch,

Agreed about timing of the fixtures, KR being in the cup could hinder them. Playing a mid week game last week, they may not get a week off like other teams, could be a fatigue factor in there. However i expect them to be OK. Don't think Leigh or Bradford will tire out, both full time plus we get a week off before the 8's start, then another week off for the CC final.

Said it on our board, it's cliche but we have to take it a week at a time. I think the top 6 are all capable of beating each other. With the desperation of all the teams, if a team isn't on their game, they'll lose. Even the fourth championship team could be difficult. Fax would love nothing more than to beat the Bulls, similarly Fev with you guys. We got pumped by Fev as we just weren't at the races. Have to be switched on every game.

Personally think Widnes are one of the most vulnerable. Especially now Brown's crocked. Smith seems to have really added some steel to you guys. A lot of rugby to be played over the two months. Will certainly be interesting and unpredictable!

I agree wrencat1873, I think the Championship sides will fade over the rounds of fixtures. Particularly 3rd and 4th from the Championship. Initially adrenaline and enthusiasm will die down once they find out how tough it is.

I'd really want Widnes at home (they don't travel well and it will queue another pointless rant from Betts). I'd also like Leigh at home as I think home advantage would be a big plus, although I think we'll be good enough to see them off come the match.

Hull v Hull KR in the 4th v 5th decider is a scenario I just can't see happening, not this year anyway.