If rovers are to win the Cup, they are going to need to rediscover their mojo, and pretty sharpish!

Injury crisis or not, that was a fairly underwhelming performance by them last night. Low on energy, unenthused and some very poor decision making with ball in hand.

I don't think anyone is going to be overawed by that display, let alone Wigan with Wembley in their sights.
On the plus side, I reckon we all enjoyed the night's entertainment!

Yep, have to hold my hands up and say I thought the Leopard print stuff was a poor stunt but it seems to have given them a shot in the arm, I also thought Lam was just an average coach as he was only ok at Wigan.

It does help this is a pretty poor standard in SL though. I think Catalan look the front runner but theyd probably be only top4 in seasons gone by.

I hope they tone down the leopard print next season. Don't mind the name change, but the kit is ghastly.

They probably don't care though sat in second

Now the dust has settled I can see his logic, playing just up the road from the most famous name in British RL in the same colour kit wasnt a great idea, Centurions was only a 1990s idea anyway. Its also allowed the fans to go wild with the fancy dress shopping



I do sometimes wonder if the Sharks moniker may have done better if we werent so skint and poor, not that im advocating we adopt a stupid gimmic!

You can laugh all you want, but if you make the CC final then it becomes very hard to sustain a push on both fronts. If you manage it then kudos to you. FWIW that win against Rovers was very important. You might have enough of a buffer now that you can afford a slump and still get in the six.

Every Leyther will be laughing, and be very very happy, come what may.

The next 3 fixtures for the teams I perceive to be in the playoff scrap.

Warrington (22pts)

Wigan (a)
Wakefield (a)
Catalans (H)

All three are potential defeats, but I'll give them the BOTD and say they will win 1/3. (24pts)

Salford (20pts)

Leigh (H)
Catalans (a)
St Helens (H)

They might turn over Leigh at home, but I reckon they are underdogs in all 3. (20pts)

Leeds (18pts)

Hull KR (H)
St Helens (a)
Leigh (H)

Hull KR on current form and the week before a semi is a close to a gimme as you're likely to see. Saints away is probably a loss. Let's just say they beat Leigh too. (22pts)

Hull KR

Leeds (a)
Cas (H)
Wigan (a)

In normal circumstances I'd say they would beat Cas at home, but the week after the semi I think Cas take that one. The other two, forget it. (18pts)

Now of course it's a massive if. But if we can win our next three I reckon we will be sitting in 7th. Behind Leeds on PD and behind Warrington by 2 points. We then have a free hit against Wigan (Leeds and Warrington play eachother that week so someone is missing out), and then we play Warrington in a game that could prove to be pivotal.

Of course those predictions will probably prove to be a mile off. But it's not going to take a miracle to get us in, and potentially even 5th is possible. We just need to keep churning out the consistent performances.

As I stated on another thread, think Salford are the only team to fall out of the top 6. Wire are struggling but once Williams’ back they’ll buck up. Hudds. look like they’ve finally woken up, we play them twice which will have a bearing on us. On present form and IF Salford do drop out, I can only see Leeds pinching it and us finishing 7, unless Dobbins get their act together, they’ll miss out on everything.

If Wigan get to Wembley, we play them on the following Friday so that makes that game more winnable.

Have Huddersfield finally woken up or did they catch Catalan napping? Huddersfield have looked awful most of the season so far, it'll be an interesting game on Friday against a Wakefield side that are showing some fight.
Think Rovers may well be struggling for the rest of the season and feel their season now rests on beating Wigan in the Semi. Think Salford may just about hang on but think Leeds and ourselves aren't totally out of it yet however slim it may seem.

A major bearing is our dreadful points difference which effectively means that, in order to qualify for the six, we will probably need to find an extra win from somewhere to negate that factor.

Almost all of our remaining games are winnable, apart from Saints away on the final weekend, but I think we may need to win seven from nine to pinch a spot. We are clearly playing a good deal better than we were in March-April, but seven wins from nine, for anyone, requires a fairly high level of consistent performance which I'm not sure we are capable of.

Because of that run of seven defeats, we've left ourselves with little room for error. Those three home defeats to Salford, Leigh and rovers in the spring still look costly to our play-off hopes.

It certainly isn't impossible for us to make it, but I would agree with other posters in that the most likely six are still the current top five clubs with Leeds knocking Salford out of the group. At least we have some hope of making it, and with it an attendant interest in how the season is panning out. That alone is a step forward since the depressing mood amongst ourselves at Easter.

I reckon the attitude of TS and the players will be to prepare well, play well, win the game on Saturday and then go from there. What will be, will be as the next nine rounds unfold.
Onwards and upwards, hopefully!!

I think we took a lot out of Catalan even though we lost

I agree as I know watching the highlights doesn't give the full picture but Catalans looked defensively poor and think McNamara alluded to the fact that the win their win in Hull was very hard earned.

Think a truer picture of Huddersfield will be how they go against Wakefield on Friday.

Indeed.

Rovers leading against Leeds. That would probably be the best outcome for us actually. I think Leeds are the bigger threat to us so them unexpectedly dropping points would be good. It would keep Rovers ahead of us though obviously.

Wigan v Warrington is well poised. Hopefully Wigan take control in the second half.

Leigh looking like they’re going to give salford a leg up in the play off race currently.

Hopefully they’ll turn it around. We realistically have to get 2 wins over Leeds, rovers and Salford to be in the mix.

Luckily, we do have the easiest run in. I’m not overly confident, but we’re in with a shout and i know the lads will give it a good go (for a change)

Leigh win 24-22. Twelve wins in thirteen. Salford five defeats in a row.

We remain two points behind the play off albeit with well over a hundred points difference to make up.

Over the last 10 games we’ve been

4 points better than Salford
6 points better than Leeds & Rovers
8 points better than Warrington

With 8 games left and games against Leeds and Warrington we’re 100% in the mix.

It’s just about making sure we pick up the 8 potential points against the teams below us and beating Warrington & Leeds. Hopefully we'll get Wigan after a cup final as well.

Last round of the season can be a lottery too, such as Rovers have Wakefield away which could either be do or die for Wakefield or it could be dead rubber. Salford have Catalan who might have got the league leaders sheild already and may rest a few etc.

Feels like it. July.

So much for uncle Tony trying to get us to peak at the back end of the season....

It was more of a pre season game than one nearly back end o f the season .

going to need 2 wins from Wigan/Wire or Saints now, that includes if we win the other 4!

big opportunity missed tonight!

We all know how this team crumbles at the back end of seasons . Massive game now next week ..

We haven't the players too many not good enough, if Satae or a couple of others have an off night we struggle.