Super League Play-Offs Crystal Ball

[Graham Las Darrington]

This weekend sees the first two games of the play-offs taking place. The losers know that their seasons will be kerput!
Hull v Wakefield (Friday)
Hull have lost key players recently and have had a slump in form at the wrong time. Will Hull still edge through with the home advantage being the deciding factor? Wakefield have had their best season in SL so far.

T'other match on Saturday sees arch-rivals St Helens travel down the road to take on pals Wigan at the JJB.

Wigan have been dominant at home this year and Saints have failed to win there in 2004. Is it is too tight to call?
This weekend:
Wigan or Saints to win then?
Hull or Wakefield ?
Grand Finalists:
Can any of these teams beat a Bradford team coming into some good form or a Leeds team that have dominated the league this season?

[Rose Madder]

I am picking Hull , I think they can just scrape in
AND I think I will go for WIGAN in the other game

[Graham Las Darrington]

Rose:

I am picking Hull

Looks like Hull have to win, Rose. The news is out here that despite the disgraceful money they got through merging with Gateshead, their new ground and crowds of 10,000, Hull are £2,000,000 in debt! Aaargh!

Its a close call. As such I'll go for Wakey, although home advantage maybe enough for the cod 'eads( joke honestly )
I'll agree with you and go for Wigan in the other match.

[Rose Madder]

Let the games begin !!

[PD]

Let the games begin !!

Couple of early mornings then
http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/sportsext ... dule.shtml

[Rose Madder]

OMG..

[TC]

Looks like Hull have to win, Rose. The news is out here that despite the disgraceful money they got through merging with Gateshead, their new ground and crowds of 10,000, Hull are £2,000,000 in debt! Aaargh!

Gee, what a tragedy. Hell FC in financial trouble. Perhaps a Robins fan can squeeze out a single tear for them......


.....Nup! Thought not!

What's black and white and in the red?

And out in the first weekend too. Oh dear.


And for Rose and PD, I think Wigan should do you proud.

[Graham Las Darrington]

Of course TC there's another important game this weekend in the NL1 play-offs with the world famous Featherstone Rovers travelling to Hull KR.
On the Fev forum someone reckons that a few Robins players have got flu and may not be on top form... pull the other one!

Good Luck and may the best team win ...you know the one in blue shirts!

[TC]

Of course TC there's another important game this weekend in the NL1 play-offs with the world famous Featherstone Rovers travelling to Hull KR.

Of course! Should be a great match at Craven Park. If the Robins continue with their form from last week (poor l'il dragons ) Featherstone have a big task in front of them. Wish I could be there.

Best of luck to your boys. Are you going?

[Rose Madder]

And for Rose and PD, I think Wigan should do you proud.

And They Did...What a game

[Graham Las Darrington]

From TC:

Best of luck to your boys. Are you going?

Yup.
Its not a bad journey for us just along the M62. Weather: fine but breezy.

There's been good friendly banter on our forum from fans of both clubs this week.
Fev have announced that win lose or draw today there will be a get together in the clubhouse tonight for a knees up. From a dull start, this season has brightened up for us. The club is genuinely happy to have got this far in the comp.

[TC]

Congrats to you Graham, and to FEV. Hope you had a pint or 2 on my behalf.

From what I read your boys did everything just that little bit better than ours did, and the result reflected that. Best of luck for the next game.

If you win through do you think Fev will make it past the criteria and actually get a run in the top flight next year?

[Graham Las Darrington]

Its a big 'if' TC with Leigh in particular being the hot favourites..all full time professional players and a team on form who gave us a thrashing on our own ground. Still we were one of the few to beat them early on in the season on their own turf.
RL HQ have been to all the grounds of the top 6 finishers in NL1 but won't announce the yea or nay until the week before the two finalists meet.
We were told at a meeting in our clubhouse by our own officials that they had spoken favourably about our case, though there were one or two details of a minor nature (safety signs etc) to attend to.
I think the bigger question is 'Are we strong enough to go up and survive?'
We've got further in a shorter time than most of people, including ourselves, expected and we sure wouldn't turn the chance down.

Of the three clubs left in here's what I think:

Leigh: yes physically and I guess so 'businesswise' Yes

Whitehaven : not strong from ground point of view but feeling is SL would like a Cumbrian team in. Probably

Featherstone: Hope so...we've ground developments going on, we have had financial problems though now we appear to be on a stronger footing. Hopefully/possibly.

If we were to go up it would be especially good as our good friends at Castleford would be passing us going the other way.

If we won the comp and weren't allowed up and Cas therefore stayed up in SL by default, WAR would break out!

[TC]

I think the bigger question is 'Are we strong enough to go up and survive?'
We've got further in a shorter time than most of people, including ourselves, expected and we sure wouldn't turn the chance down.

I've always felt that a promotion/relegation system requires some League protection and encouragement to be really worthwhile. Some financial assistance to the sides going up and down (we've seen in Premier League how clubs can be ruined by the drop, losing all their class players and similarly the struggles of newly promoted sides). I'd also like to see some sort of guarantee that a club will get a season to get their side in order to be competitive - look how long it's taken the Bunnies in the NRL.

Anyway, best of luck to you. I don't really have a fave ESL team, so if Fev get up I reckon I might wave the flag for your blokes.

[Graham Las Darrington]

Thanks TC...you're a good 'un!:D Welcome onboard...if it happens!
TC said

Some financial assistance to the sides going up and down (we've seen in Premier League how clubs can be ruined by the drop, losing all their class players and similarly the struggles of newly promoted sides). I'd also like to see some sort of guarantee that a club will get a season to get their side in order to be competitive - look how long it's taken the Bunnies in the NRL.

If anything promotion this season could mean the hardest struggle ever for the newly promoted side whoever they are. They won't get the full help you suggest other than their SL club share of 'Sky' money and a share in the big time with bigger attendances and probably more sponsorship.
The team coming down do get a parachute payment though its fair to say that its not what it was a couple of years ago when clubs used it to give themselves unfair advantage and so bounced straight back up!

A stonkingly hard season will be ahead at the end of which not the normal one but TWO clubs will go down! So twice as hard as normal! This is to make way for the French side Perpignan who are a completely untried and untested outfit from the much less competitive French league.

So maybe promotion this year is a bit of a poisoned chalice then...

Still if you get the chance you have to take it...what's the alternative: striving for second best? No thanks!