With Wire losing at home to widnes they could still lose away at saints and Catalans, if Wigan lose at Catalans this weekend and we finish by winning our last three games we finish a clear second. If a miracle happens and Huddersfiled lose there last three we can still finish top. 2nd is still achievable IMO.

There's a heck of a lot of "if's" there.

Er lets just focus on tommorow.

Webb's return for Catalans could prove significant: it's a big boost to the side still to play three of the top four in the regular season.

Second would be great. Leeds at home to (maybe) Wigan for a place in the semi.

Saints vs Warrington is 50/50
Catalans vs Warrington & Wigan are 50/50's as home advantage is huge for Catalans.
Leeds vs Wigan I'm confident that Leeds will do a good job on them.

Will all the three 50/50s go our way so we finish 2nd? Highly unlikely, but 3rd is definitely on, its been on for a while now and results are falling into place.

Ifs and buts.

Leeds need to focus on playing what's in front of them and getting ready for the play-offs. One way or another, beating 2 of those teams currently above us is going to be required if we're going to be champions. I'd like us to finish as high up the table as possible, but only one element of that is in our control.

We will finish where we finish. Lets just focus on trying to do what we need to do in the meantime, and then take it from there.

Only fans care where the team finishes.
The coaching team will focus on gettting the players in peak condition & focussed for the play offs, and then Leeds will do what they normally do....

..win the Grand Final.

Rhinos lead the way and set the standard other clubs are still trying to reach

That's why we're Champions!!

I wouldn't bet on those odds and after the drubbing from a 12 man Widnes I seriously doubt that Tony Smith will let his charges be as complacent against Saints.

I agree we have a shot at third but second????... Narr

Can't believe people care about where we finish still

I wouldn't be so sure at that to be honest. Warrington look a very aged team right now. Despite rotating the side through the year, they look absolutely fatigued.

If and buts, but, for all the complaining about how we've played this year, it's already our best season in 3 years and had the Wire away game not slipped away from us and the Wigan magic game had a few decisions go our way we would already be 2nd. This has been with the injury run we've had too!

Wherever we finish though, The playoffs don't worry me. The only team that's been better than us all year has been Hudds and I fancy our chances against anyone anyway when we turn it up a notch in September.

Well said Harrigan.

Absolutely agree H!!

People seem supremly confident but i have a sense of impending doom that it will go tits up (which after 5 from 6 is probably overdue?).

With wigan and warrington seemingly losing form, and in many peoples eyes hudds still unproven, i guess you could argue things are slotting into place for leeds with injuries returning. With saints in 5th and improving, are they a big threat?

I've a feeling they are going to really come good in the playoffs.

I can't decide about wigan and warrington. Whether they've learnt from last year and this is just a lull before they gear up for the playoffs, or whether they are both on the slide. Last night, looking at the reaction of the wolves players on the sidelines and the frustration of the players on the field, it certainly wasn't in the script for them to be so under par, let alone losing the game.

Leeds have always tended to try and go into the playoffs in decent nick. Of all the title wins, only 2011 and 2012 was form scratchy entering the playoffs, but by then leeds had already built a winning playoff mentality so could cope with that handicapp.

I'm not sure you could describe the 2011 league form in the run up to the play-offs as 'scratchy'...

they only lost one SL game following the horror show in France in early July right through to the Grand Final - and that was the week before Wembley at Harlequins!

Oh, and x3 for well said Harrigan!!

FW-To be fair i think this squad has "earned" the fans confidence come play-off time but i dont think its a "supreme" confidence just confident that we AND the Squad more importantly know how to win at that time of year irrespective of form or odds.
It could go t!ts up as could any game of RL but whoever we face will have that % of doubt knowing full well that our boys are "THE TEAM" come play-off time.

I love how Wigan fans, among others, did nothing but criticise us for supposedly choosing which games to win, aiming for a low finish and that we only played to win in the Play-Offs, yet it looks like they're doing the same thing this year, especially with the lack of Tomkins in any games not deemed 'important'. Now, I know we didn't aim for that, in the same way Wigan probably aren't doing so now, but the evidence is very similar to how they came up with conclusions about us last season.

I had the same thought about finishing second last night - I don't think it's likely, but if we win our last few games, we've done everything we can. No point worrying about other teams results that we can't change or effect.

That's because squad rotation reduces stamina.

Don't be stupid. They are athletes.

Age is playing a big part with Warrington. And the fact that they are still resorting to poop like Chris Bridge who appears to be a permanent fixture for them.

Age? Explain that theory to Jamie Peacock.

Stupid? Counter-intuitive, maybe, to give your team an edge in end-of-season play-offs by pushing a cadre of experienced players beyond what seems sensible during the regular season.

Fortunately, in this one sense, you and Wane, Anderson et al still have something in common.

Exactly. I don't know if we'll win the playoffs but I'm confident we'll turn up and put up a strong challenge. When we won in 2011 & 2012 we were the best team in the playoffs....but we weren't unbeatable, so there was/is room for an opponent to step up and play a blinder against us and win. If we do get knocked out though I think it'll be in very stark contrast to the CC exit when we underperformed badly at Hudds.

The playoffs will have a sub-plot running alongside the usual 'who will win?'. 'Who can/will stop Leeds?'.

Jamie Peacock is a freak, not a norm. Compare and contrast to how Morley has gone this season.

Anderson is the one doing it correctly. Selected rotation, where injuries and fatigue does not become an issue.

Sorry, how does being an "athlete" mean you can't fail to be in optimum condidtion?

I run fairly seriously (although 'athlete' may be stretching it a bit) but I can more or less guarantee I'm in better shape a week before a target race than I am for an ordinary race 6 weeks earlier. This will be true of elite athletes too, in any sport.

Ok, so tell us how all that relates to what I said was stupid?

I don't dissagree with your point. It just has nothing to do with what was said.

Just to be clear, the don't be stupid response was to this: