Win or bust now.

This is going to be very tricky. Saints are in free scoring mode and warrington really exposed some of our defence. I must admit i'd rather be facing hull. Because although they are decent in defence they don't have the same attacking flair that saints have to cause us problems.

How does everyone see this going?

Tight game as you would expect but a home win none the less then a trip to Wigan I feel.

Depends whether the appointed ref wants to emulate Child and allow punches to the head to go unpunished and the video ref to again be a hopeless waste of bluddy time

Will be a great match, if we're anything other than on our game then it'll be an early exit. Yesterday's result will have taken a bit of pressure & expectation off, and that's generally when we perform. Saints won't need too much motivation to do us though

Is this what the professional game is coming to - which team can goad the opposition into a reaction the best ..... what next, diving in the penalty box?

__________

Under this present flawed format no team finishing the regular season in third and coming off a loss has won a week two play-off fixture despite being at home V supposed inferior opposition.

This current Leeds coach has never beaten St Helens at Headingley during his tenure but in terms of the play-offs he has also yet to lose a sudden death fixture.

If the coach selects the correct run-on team and bench, gives them clearly defined roles and shares their workload it's a game in which Leeds can defy the recent past and win - if we see a repeat of the muddled shambles at the Halliwell-Jones it's going to be a tough ask even for a group of Champion players.

What a cracking game this should be.
It's gonna be very hard for Leeds, Saints are on a sausage roll.
Worthy of a final, weather permitting.

Hardaker
Jones bishop
Watkins
Moon
Hall
McGuire
Burrow
Peacock
Sinfield
Leuluai
Ablett
Clarkson
Singleton

Jjb
Delaney
Bailey
Sutcliffe

While being a keen student of history, in a sporting context it is irrelevant and bordering on superstition to suggest what has gone before is therefore what is going to happen this time around.. Next weeks game as in previous times will be decided by which team finds the necessary motivation and form to beat the other irrespective of position.

Leeds have had a huge handicap this season with key injured players returning too late to produce match fitness and form in time for the key playoff games. Our current and foreseeable future coach knows the value of his tried and trusted first choices and has tried to get them match fit in the space of a few games. He managed to inspire an outstanding performance for the Wigan game but the Champion players looked jaded and fell short at Warrington.

In hindsight it may have been better for us to have used the Wigan game to get the injured match fit at the expense of a victory. But to his credit that is not the way of our Champion coach who as always goes out to win.

So we need to lick our wounds, and pick out best and fittest players for next week. They can do it despite the odds being against them

Will the team finishing 5th lose a play off game for the first time in 3 years???

Ironic that Leeds are the team to stop it happening.

Will the team finishing 5th not make the proper semi finals for the first time since Wakefield finished 5th and allowed an initial free pass to the team finishing 8th to almost reach the Grand Final themselves?

Are you suggesting mumbo-jumbo plays no part in sport? Have you ever heard the current (and hopefully soon to be dismissed - although not expecting this to happen even if and when his team loses a Play-Off game that matters under this flawed format) Leeds coach speak to the media.

Try telling Hull players and/or supporters yet to win/witness a Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium that superstition plays no part in sport - after seven attempts to do so and despite lifting the trophy elsewhere on three occasions, not least when overcoming sizable odds to defeat Leeds at the Millenium Stadium in 2005.

Try also telling Leeds fans ahead of facing Wigan in a major 1st grade final that some things are beyond our and even Opta's understanding.

It's going to be very tough on friday, I think saints will be confident of getting a result with the form they are in

When was the last time they knocked us out of the play offs?

Don't fancy this one bit. Hopeful that it'll p1ss down.

A tough game in prospect for sure.the intensity levels will have to be cranked up but when the team is put in this position it normaly reacts in the best way.

Please let singleton start!!!!

Its gonna be a tough night and more importantly than anything we need 100% improvement defensively especially around the ruck otherwise Roby will beat us on his own.
History shows we can bounce back from a poor play off defeat but as TVOC points out ST's with their record at HQ wont be daunted one bit.
For me the Coach has to get his 17 and use of his bench bang on ,no passengers or players turning up looking like Mr Bump and turning out on one leg no matter "how brave" it seems.
I'd line up like this..
Hardaker
Hall
Moon
Watkins
Bjb
Sutcliffe
Burrow
JP
Sinfield
Singleton
Jjb
Ablett
Clarkson

Mcguire
Delaney(if fit)/Foster
Achurch
Leuluai

I predicted a few weeks back that the Saints were big dark horses in the play offs and that they could spoil a few clubs parties along the way, Lets hope that it's only Hull KR's party that gets spoilt in this seasons play offs

The key to stopping Saints on Friday night will mean that we're going to have to be very dominant in our defense and especially down the middle channel IMO because Saints can certainly rip you to bits with quick play the balls and offloads around the ruck area, they are renowned for pushing up in attack in this area anticipating offloads on the back of scrambling defenses

Both sides will see Friday's game as the ideal preparation going into sudden death semi final footy and this game could ultimately prove more beneficial to the winning side when they oppose the awaiting first round victors who have been left kicking their heels

I'm really looking forward to it. We've been in really good form over the last 8 or 9 weeks only losing narrowly to Warrington, although after the opening 20 minutes we played well in that game. Our injuries this season have meant we now look really fresh at this point in the season which isn't usually the case with us.

There's no better challenge for us than to play the current champions, if we win it opens the competition up and will give the others a boost as they won't have to face you guys which is what Warrington and Wigan will fear.

I'm not expecting us to win if I'm honest but I'm sure we'll give it a very good go and make it a really competitive game. Bring it on!

Reckon it will be a cracking game, plenty of match winners on both sides. Can see the lead changing hands a few times, it will all be down to who wants it the most.

Leeds must be favourites being a home game, forecast for Friday dry and warm.

I believe looking through this year's handbook that our one and only loss in a knockout game in the playoffs to St Helens was a 38-30 away defeat in 2001

Given that considerably more than half the England RLWC team and squad will be comprised of Rhinos players, it's crucial for the game in this country that they defeat St Helens on Friday and continue playing well beyond next weekend. Retaining their match fitness is far better preparation than the alternative of sitting on the sidelines for 5 weeks waiting for the RLWC to kick off.

I personally think we should recall McShane and Achurch.
But that would mean leaving out McGuire and Kirke and that is not going to happen.
Neither did anything to keep their place on Saturday.
I fear if we go into next season with the lack of pace from both Sinfield and McGuire we are going to struggle.
Hopefully this Friday I will be proved wrong.

We have played most of our season without James Roby and so have adapted to playing a more expansive game than previously. We now have a lot of pace and some guile in the backline and Hohaia appears to be stepping up in the halves. Our biggest weakness IMO is actually our pack, even though we don't have recognised halfbacks. If our pack goes soft again then we could be in for a long night. However, if our pack steps up, especially if LMS has one of his red mist nights, then we are in for a really good match.

Although HKR didn't provide much opposition Saints looked fast and their passing was crisp. The biggest concern for me is Roby and his ability around the ruck, if we have JP and Kylie on the field at the same time he will have a field day.

Leeds need a performance like Wigan not Warrington. Saints forwards will not dominate Leeds like Warrington did but Monaghan showed what a quality hooker can do to an ageing pack.

Should be a cracking game next week.

Us Saints fans shouldn't get carried away with hammering a really poor Hull KR side, different proposition entirely on Friday.

I take home advantage and a Leeds win by 6-10 points unfortunately, the intensity will be light years ahead of what we were up against on Saturday and I think our limitations up front and in the halves will see Leeds through.

At least if we lose to Leeds this years we don't have to travel back from Manchester afterwards!