Perspective : Sun Jul 27, 2014 4:01 pm  

Warrington 'the form team in Super League' shipping 40 points at home to Wakefield.

Wigan's 'fabulous attacking structures' get them a grand total of 8 points against Bradford.

Cheer up lads, everyone else is poop too.

Re: Perspective : Sun Jul 27, 2014 4:16 pm  

You take a look at the next 2 rounds of SL fixtures too and it offers much optimism from Leeds point of view if we do the expected job against Bradford and London and get 4 from 4 points.

Wigan have the very short turnaround of Sunday to Thursday and play the inform and confident Salford. Followed by a tricky trip away to HKR.

Warrington having lost 2 on the trot go away to Catalans. Followed by a big match against Castleford.

Saints play Hull away who showed much more life this week against Cas and Saints have Walsh now out for the remainder of the year to add to Lomax and also Hohaia misses the rest of the regular season. After that they face a Wakey team going well.

Cas will stroll past London next week but then have to go to Warrington away.

Hudds got back on the horse today but face a tricky test away to Wakey.

By the time Round 24 is finished we could be sitting pretty and with Saints injury problems then that fixture doesn't look as daunting in Round 25 regardless of whether we make Wembley or not.

Re: Perspective : Sun Jul 27, 2014 4:37 pm  

If I was making a prediction now, I'd back us to take the LLS, Wigan to take 2nd from saints on points difference, Huddersfield to overhaul Wire for 5th and Cas tying up 4th place.

Widnes look horribly out of form, so i'd back HKR to overhaul them with Wakey narrowly missing out on the final day.

So I'd put in for a top 8 of:

1. Leeds
2. Wigan
3. St Helens
4. Castleford
5. Huddersfield
6. Warrington
7. Catalans
8. Hull KR

Re: Perspective : Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:01 pm  

It's definitely making the top 8 race more intriguing since it began imo.
We can still slip up ourselves though as we've seen against Wakey and in past seasons.
Although top spot would be nice for me the biggest game is the CC semi we have to be as close to our best as possible because irrespective of form I'm sure Wire will be hugely confident given their CC record against us.

[Frosties.]

Re: Perspective : Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:37 pm  

(34) St Helens - Hull FC, Wakefield, Leeds, Warrington, Huddersfield

(32) Leeds - Bradford, Warrington CCSF, London, CCF (TBC), St Helens, Wigan, Hull FC

(30) Wigan - Salford, Hull KR, Widnes, Leeds, Warrington.

(30) Castleford - London, Widnes CC, Warrington, CCF (TBC), Bradford, Wakefield, Catalan.

(28) Warrington - Catalan, Leeds CC, Castleford, CCF TBC, Huddersfield, St Helens, Wigan.

(28) Huddersfield - Wakefield, Widnes, Warrington, Hull FC, St Helens.

Re: Perspective : Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:42 pm  

Just looking once again at the remaining fixtures and the teams below us have a few matches against each other guaranteeing some dropped points for the teams currently placed 3rd-6th. With our comfortable points difference over the others (barring Wigan) then top 4 will be nailed on with 4 points from 4 against Bradford and London. After that will hinge on the final 3 games vs Saints, Wigan and Hull.

2 wins from 3 should get us top spot,
1 win then maybe 2nd/3rd
0 wins and 3rd/4th

Re: Perspective : Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:48 pm  

We must not take for granted the game vs the bulls which is just what Wigan did.

Re: Perspective : Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:50 pm  

I think the recent tough matches and close finishes will have been good mentally for the youngsters who may well be needed to hold their nerve in the playoffs.

The return of Burrow and JJB (and both in good form too) is a real boost and I expect Sinfield's enforced rest will have him mentally and physically ready too. We must use the Bradford game to continue our improvement and get back that steely defence and keep building our confidence.

Re: Perspective : Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:52 pm  

Old Feller wrote:

We must not take for granted the game vs the bulls which is just what Wigan did.

Nope we shouldn't, but I think that had a lot to do with Wigan having to play again on Thursday vs Salford. We'll have a full 7 days and Bradford will have the shorter Sunday-Friday turnaround vs us.

Re: Perspective : Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:56 pm  

Frosties. wrote:

(34) St Helens - Hull FC, Wakefield, Leeds, Warrington, Huddersfield

(32) Leeds - Bradford, Warrington CCSF, London, CCF (TBC), St Helens, Wigan, Hull FC

(30) Wigan - Salford, Hull KR, Widnes, Leeds, Warrington.

(30) Castleford - London, Widnes CC, Warrington, CCF (TBC), Bradford, Wakefield, Catalan.

(28) Warrington - Catalan, Leeds CC, Castleford, CCF TBC, Huddersfield, St Helens, Wigan.

(28) Huddersfield - Wakefield, Widnes, Warrington, Hull FC, St Helens.

Interesting.

From that, warrington have the toughest run in, with cas the most favourable. Wigan and hudds in second behind cas for favourable run in.

Very hard to make an accurate prediction but based on the fact theres no CC for them to worry about, there's a reasonably favourable run in (in comparison to others) and a superior points difference I'd say wigan will finish in the top 2.

The priority for leeds (besides the CC) should be securing a home tie in the playoffs and so a top 2 finish.

It'll be a squeeker based on that run in though.

The points difference is no longer something we can rely on, and saints although they have lost walsh have a good record at headingly. Then we finish with tricky games at hull and wigan.

You would like to think we would beat bradford and london and not suffer an upset, and then beat saints on account of 'home advantage' and no walsh, which hopefully would be enough (based on other teams dropping points in other games) to secure top 2.

Can't ever remeber a run in as tight as this.