love to see wigan in middle 8s.

Love to see rovers stay down and be down there for years , but I do think they'll come back up this season in place of Widnes . Even though they are good on there day and difficult to beat at home I just think they'll drop down .

100% Rovers will be back up. Fans talking about not needing MPG either like Leigh last year. Shame for Widnes, I like Denis Betts and he got screwed over by the late loss of Brown, although that's not proved the shrewdest signing so far.

I wonder if they'll increase SL next season if les cats lose the MPG?

Rovers fans seem to of seen this season as a one season adventure and nostalgia of visiting some of the old traditional grounds while they rebuild a super league team for the following season . It's almost like promotion is a done deal. Every team in that bottom four are decent on there day no matter how poor they may have been over the full season . I really think rovers are going to struggle to get back up

rovers have the advantage of 4 home games and really only need to beat 1 SL side in 4 attempts to either get a home fixture in the MPG (Although we all remember how that went for them last year

) or automatic promotion.

Personally, I feel the middle 8's is weighted in favour of the championship's best team(s) who have the luxury of being able to rotate and rest players in the weeks leading up to the games and also the advantage of the extra home game

One of widnes or leigh will be relegated

With 3/4 fixtures left Leigh and Widnes should be able to rest players before the 8's as it won't be possible to make the top 8.

I'd be worried if I was a Rovers fan if it's Leigh, Widnes (who are both in decent form), Catalans and Warrington with players back will be too strong for them.

They have a chance but need to recruit as they current side isn't good enough IMO.

... next year, some poor team could be playing Catalans, Toulouse, Toronto and London away in the middle 8's.
You know it makes sense.

Talk of top 3 in the middle 8s is more aspirational than confident. We're keen, to put it mildly, to get back up without that participating in that particular spectacle. Leigh showed what can be done. But we also know they slumped in the 8s the year before. We just have to hope that the struggling SL teams didn't learn too many lessons from our mistakes.

Hudgell has been unequivocal that anything other than an instant return is not being entertained. Pretty clear that the MPG is a riskier way to deliver on that so would be highly surprised if automatic promotion isn't secured.

That's very possible, but by no means guaranteed. With four wins a lot depends on other results, and it could very easily not be enough for a home tie in the MPG, or even possibly a place in the MPG. I think - I'll check later and edit/apologise if I'm wrong.

And all that assumes we're 3 from 3 against the other teams from the championship, which is no gimme.

It is unequivocally the target, but targeting something doesn't mean it'll be achieved. The fact we're signing players to contracts that contain terms for both SL and the championship in 2018 shows that that simple fact is not lost on the club.

Depends who rovers sign up. With the team there have now there won't go up imo

At the moment I think Toulouse look the most likely to come up. They look more than capable of turning over a couple of SL sides at home.

What the Chamoionship sides don't have is the week in week out "intensity" of the Super League.
They have the luxury of having easier games with the odd tough one thrown in. Having to raise your game each week could be an issue for them.
I also think last years MPG will have put the bottom four SL teams on notice. They now know it's possible to get relegated and won't want a repeat.

Rovers losing 18-0 after 12 minutes at Oldham - middle 8's would be a struggle on that form.

Believing their own hype. Scraped home at the summer bash against a very poor bulls team. Lucky to get a point last week against Featherstone and now this. Even if they turn it around do they honestly think those last 3 performances would get them a result against the bottom 4 of sl. Love to have the derby back but wouldn't be to disappointed to see them stay down for few years. Find the whole arrogance that came from their relegation staggering. Be very interested how the fans would except another year of championship rugby.

.... FT 24-32 to rovers.

On track to seal automatic promotion. On another point London beat Dewsbury 52-8, so they go 8 from 8, seem to be building strong winning margins at the right time.

The middle 8's look like being the best yet

for those of us who worry about these things, warrington's defeat today means they cannot overhaul us in the regular season. Widnes and Leigh already could not. Only Catalan can prevent us from getting a top 8 finish and with a points diff of around 200 in our favour we are all but mathematically there now. still a battle on down there with hudds win over catalans dragging wigan heavily into it

Yeah, Salford and Leeds confirmed in top 8 today, but not us yet.

wigan needs 2 more wins possibly 3. they are away at hudds, widnes, and catalan and home to warrington and leeds.

they couldn't could they?

So. A couple of weeks have passed. We have won 2 and are now mathematically safe. Warrington continue to be terrible, Catalans not much better. Is anyone going to put their hand up and admit what a ridiculous knee jerking thread this was (and I'm not neccessarily refering to the OP)?

But surely you must be including the OP or are you worried your cuddle crew membership may be cancelled?