And they have to play each other

Yes, I think the games that have to be played against each other makes us okay, subject to the Salford appeal. Is anyone good enough at maths to work out the permutations?

There are loads of permutations for this.

There are 10 points available to everyone.
We are 7 points clear of 9th.

If we beat Leeds and Hull KR lose to St Helens and Salford lose to Huddersfield, that would give us a 9 point cushion with 4 games left (so only 8 points available)
Then we'd be safe

If we win but either Hull KR or Salford win, we could still be caught, as we have a poor points difference with each 7 and 8 behind us respectively with 8 points still available.
If we lose and they both win, it's leaving it a bit more open.

Ignoring all other results and only looking at ours, we need to win the next 3 games to actually be safe.
Every time Salford or Rovers lose one, we can afford to win one less.

Best case scenario is that we win, Salford and Rovers both lose.
Then Salford and Rovers, as well as Leeds and Giants win all their games as it would make it so we can't be caught but they would pull Widnes, Cas and Sts back towards them and leave us 5th/6th.

Phew, nice work statto

We are very close but not quite there yet.

I actually think if anyone who drops out of the 8 now will be in the MPG if no one I predict HULL KR

I actually think that the middle 8's this year are going to be very tight, and don't think there will be any teams that go through it unbeaten like last year.

BOJ04 fears for Hull KR. If they can keep Campese, Kelly and Blair fit, then I think they could be fine, just look how they ripped us and Castleford apart.

Some suggestion that Campese is struggling with injury again, according to the Hull KR forum anyway.

I get the impression that Hull KR will do with Webster what we did, because the reports suggest that the players like him. The question has to be asked: why? The players didn't like Brian Smith too much, with hindsight, but he got them fit and got them playing. The Wakey players spoke very highly of Webster as a person but none of them seemed particularly bothered about busting a gut for him. Everyone likes a pleasant boss, and it's usually because you can get away with stuff.

how fun Is it going to be if we are not in it- watching and going for the championship clubs!!
it would be better for us thinking next year that a championship club gets promoted in my opinion.

the players that get relegated will be up for grabs

Got to admit it would be funny.

Much as it would be fun to see Leeds or Shudds battling in the MPG, it's very hard (if not impossible) to imagine any of the Championship clubs beating any of the clubs that are currently in the bottom 4.

The biggest chance of promotion was surely last year, when Wakefield were in such dire straits.

Next season will be as you were and there may well be a tweak, possibly a full blown change, to the league format after that (as the Championship clubs will be moaning more than James Lowes (or Denis Betts

) if nobody gains promotion this time.

So if Leeds and Shudds start adding players for the M8's, will the Sky commentators and the supporters of Championship clubs label them cheats - or was that reserved just for us?

I have always flt that if we must have this ridiculous system then the bottom 4 should carry forward the points they have earned against the other bottom 4 clubs (ditto top 4 Championship) and play 8 games home and away against the Championship sides. Top 4 stay in Superleague.

Imagine, a straightforward league with a huge prize and no gimmicks or nonsenses. It'll never catch on with the RFL.

That was reserved for us !
The words used were ( not in the spirit of the game! ) Hemings could see we were in big trouble, and didn't want to miss an opportunity to put boot in!

I don't suppose Webster helped us, by declaring us out of the main season and in preparation for the M8's, but the hyperbole was established by Hemmings and repeated ad infinitum, mainly by Leigh and Bradford fans; and even by the Bradford coach, in a somewhat emotional post-match interview.

So - as soon as Shudds or Leeds add a player pre-M8's, be sure to contact Eddie to ask if he feels similarly outraged.

They're already recruiting with Manly's Tom Symonds expected to sign for Huddersfield following on the heels of Sebastine Ikahihifo

It's hard for us (Wakefield fans) to have any issue with this although, it surprising that there wasn't a change to the rules for recruiting so late in the season.
Although we escaped (by the skin of our teeth), wholesale changes, so late in the season, don't really seem "in the spirit" of the game.
Also for Huddersfield, are they not already close to busting the cap ?

I'm in eager anticipation of Leigh fans perpetually posting vitriol on the Leeds and Huddersfield boards for the duration of the middle 8s. We got our fair share of it last season, it'll be a welcome break for someone else to be on the receiving end this season.

I imagine not when Robinson retired and Ferres before the start of the season.

Sorry but don't agree with that. Saw nothing wrong at the time and don't now. Every team whether facing relegation or wanting promotion is entitled to sign who they like (within the cap) right til the last second IMHO.

Agree with this .. Leigh have been very active in transfer market.. And only yesterday released jake emmett.. So watch out for a new face shortly.. Clubs will do whatever they can to better their chances of survival or promotion at this time of year.. Trinity broke no rules doing what they did .... What would we all have said if MC had turned round and said..... Well we want to, and can sign some new players, but we have been told it's not in the spirit of the game!!! So I'm going to have to keep those two drunken idiots and see how we get on!!!
I doubt it...even though the car crash in hull came right at the end trinity needed fresh faces... The Moore mc Shane swap with cas worked out for us. Good job too..

Dr K seems confident they will get their six points back so maybe too early to deem ourselves safely in the 8, even if we beat Leeds.

When is the tribunal taking place?

Looked at Salford fixtures and can only see them winning one game. If we won Friday they would need to win 2.

Don't know when it is taking place but surely it should be in the next couple of weeks so clubs know where they are. An interesting interview with him he seems certain they didn't break the cap. Would make the rfl look like idiots if the tribunal find in salfords favour. Remember though there are 3 other clubs around us who will be looking at the decision and probably hoping the deduction stands

I was thinking same thing,if results go our way this weekend and we are safe for 8th and then we bt hudds in quarter we could go down the route to take it easier and rest a few players for the upcoming semi ( not saying this would be right or wrong )but then if salford got points back say 2 week before end of regular season we could end up in trouble so would we be able to take matters up with rfl or would it simply be "tough"

Absolutely right - the only thing that was broken was the narrative that Eddie and Co were desperate to play out; that plucky Leigh, or badly done to Bradford, would triumph in the new structure and take up their rightful place in SL - at our expense.