Huddersfield aren't just bad

Fed up of the same suspects, Hudds, Hull, HKR, just bending over come playoff time. Granted these teams haven't been good enough to win GF's but at least give it a shot. We expanded the playoffs to 8 because the fans of other clubs bitched and moaned that the playoffs were always made up of the same sides.....and this is what we get for it.

Catalans are another one who've usually bent over come playoff time (barring the 2009 effort at Headingley), part of me hopes they play well on Saturday and give a good showing of themselves, just obviously not too good a showing.

As embarrassing as it is to watch (WTF must neutrals think of this ''sport''?), this is a good result for leeds and the more wigan win by the better. The week off does not do a team any favours when they have a walkover like this and should we beat catalans on saturday hudds will be a bit more beat up for the game next week.

They're M&S bad?

It's not Huddersfield's fault that the current format is flawed.

Their play-offs start next week anyway.

The format is flawed but no good has ever come from appraoching it in the way huddersfield have.

Catalans did the same in 2012.

Tonight IS Huddersfield's fault. Don't care if they can't be eliminated tonight (neither can Wigan).

Would they have finished as high as 3rd had it been a top 4/5 playoff system? Perhaps not, but to play like this is inexcusable. Hudds team might not be as good as Wigan, it might not be good enough to win a GF.....but it's a better side than this.

This scoreline isn't because they aren't physically good enough, it's because they aren't mentally good enough.

Nah! They have learned belatedly that a big effort in the first round as a top four finisher is a waste of time ( I remember Leeds losing heavily against Saints in the long distant days when Leeds finished in the top 4 only to then go and beat the same team in the final - as usual of course ).

If Leeds get past against Catalans - which is likely - they will play a Brough included H'field side !!!!! and we all know how those matches usually end

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To be honest I still think Leeds are capable of winning this match too...... all indicators as to how poor the format has become. A team finishing 6th really should not be in the chance of winning the GF as 'champions' ....BUT you cannot blame any club for taking full advantage. It's just that the other teams have been slow to cotton on to what Leeds learned many seasons ago

Yeah going all out in the first week in the top 4 and winning is pointless......how did Wigan do last year after finishing 4th and beating Hudds away the first week???

Leeds were clearly 2nd best in the 2008 playoff game at Saints you're alluding to (losing 38-10) but comparing that to what Hudds offered tonight is ridiculous. Leeds also had the advantage of a few GF wins under their belt by that point.....Hudds don't have this luxury of experience and knowledge to help them bounce back. Also the same Leeds team went to Knowsley Road just 12 months previous in 2007, this was also effectively a "meaningless" game and helped produce one of the finest games in SL history when we lost 10-8......putting in that effort clearly effected us badly for the remainder of the playoffs as we only managed to beat Wigan 36-6 the following week and then ONLY JUST scraped past Saints in the GF 33-6.

That was in 2008 under a completly different format, leeds finished second.

As for your first remark, it's just wrong. No team who turns up in week 1 thinking about week 2 really does well. Catalans 2012, hudds 2011.....warrington 2010 etc

It also makes no sense.

Hey guys, if I'm not a title contender, and I have to play away at a title contender, when do I have the best chance of winning?

a) a non knockout game
b) a knockout to get into the grand final

Tricky one.

I'm thinking A.

A win tonight was huddersfields best chance (

) of making the grand final.

They lost by 50 f*cking points.

Also FYI Nantwich, Leeds came 2nd in 2008 by the vast margin of 1 point iirc.

I just hope it's a Wigan/Leeds Grand Final. Anything else will be crap and a waste of time.

Leeds should reach Old Trafford.

Catalan and Hudds are a waste of play-off space. Two ordinary Leeds performances will be sufficient to dispose of those two joke SL franchises.

Club call is the unknown but if St Helens select Leeds, Old Trafford is nailed on.

You could be right and i hope it happens.

Lot depends on who gets clubcall as if Wigan get it im sure they will pick us. but i really cannot see Cas beating Saints tomorrow.

If things go the way people are thinking (Saints and Wigan through first, Warrington and Leeds end up as clubcall options) then McManus and Saints won't do any of this Ian 'Wigan/Wire GF is what the public want' Lenagan or Tony 'I'm not getting involved in the decision' Smith.....they'll do the straight forward thing, pick the lowest which would be us.

If Leeds get past Catalan then we would come up against Brough/Hudds which may be too much for us , either way i'm afraid Wigan look a certain Grand final winner to me this time , all fit and in form .No other team can boast either

Hopefully if Leeds do play Wigan at some point the put in a better effort than they did two weeks ago if they don't the result will be similar to that experienced by Huddersfield

The current standard is such that I'd be fairly disappointed to lose to anyone, whether it be by five points or fifty. Wigan are the form team of recent weeks but no way are they invincible.

Agree re Wigan - this Leeds side have been capable of raising their game. Time only will tell if the have have the need and more importantly whether they still have the mo-jo.

Man for man Leeds are far better than Wigan. I'd still fancy Wigan on the field unfortunately.

I would tend o agree. Just hope the team finds the 'missing something' that has been around for a few months now. Wembley was the exception but was that because Cas had a bad day or that Rhinos got it together

Roll on tomorrow - A close score and I will be concerned a big win and the optimisim returns

Well, the last two games that really meant something, the semi and the final, we were very good and that was after very scratchy form in the league.There is no doubt this side can turn it up a few notches just by flicking the switch but, as somebody alluded to elsewhere, is the the mojo there to do it this year? We will soon see.

Looks like cas are another side to have spent half their salary cap on lubricants.

Never has Bill's ''whipping boy rabble'' been more true.

Neither hudds or cas look much cop based on this weeks games.

It's the format that is not much cop which is why it's going in 2015 and not before time.

Should Warrington and Leeds progress tomorrow from 5th and 6th (and they should as they are at home playing weaker opponents) they'll no doubt be installed as favourites in week two despite being away from home against teams on a higher finish.