[PopTart]

Re: Final games and 8's : Tue Jul 07, 2015 12:52 pm  

How do you see your chances in the 8.
You've kinda been under the radar with all the Leigh loving but I reckon the SL clubs won't enjoy coming to Odsal.

[Bullseye]

Re: Final games and 8's : Tue Jul 07, 2015 1:10 pm  

I can see us winning our games against championship opposition provided our key players are fit but agaist SL opposition I'm not sure we have the quality. Perhaps we may sneak a win in the 4 vs 5 game if we're lucky.

Re: Final games and 8's : Tue Jul 07, 2015 1:35 pm  

Not sure whether we lack the quality Bullseye. Gaskell,
O'brien, Mullaney, Clough and Ferguson are all quality players IMO

To be honest Poptart, we've not performed great. We've sort of being doing just enough. The month leading up to the Fev defeat we were performing really poorly and the wins were papering over the cracks. The Fev result wasn't out of the blue, it had been coming for sometime. We were missing our 1,6 and 7 which would massively effect anyone. But we were just sluggish, tired and just all round poor.

We have the players to get promoted, but it's whether we perform or not. Certainly need to be much better.

[Bulliac]

Re: Final games and 8's : Tue Jul 07, 2015 1:44 pm  

I agree we have a few SL quality players but we certainly, and pretty obviously given the difference in cap, don't have anything like the same depth.

I suspect we'll give sides a run for their money, and who knows, with a bit of luck might even get a result against one of the SL sides, but let's be honest, it's not like the cup where a bit of complacency might creep in, these are 'must wins' for the SL sides too. They, after all, actually have far more to lose than we do.

Re: Final games and 8's : Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:09 pm  

The way I see it is that in the end most of the fixtures will end up being foregone conclusions. Yes, there wil be the odd 'surprise' or maybe even 'shock' but the final table is pretty predictable within a place. But that one place is what its all about. The thing is, the main protagonists will each have a couple of really key fixtures, and so it will all boil down to what happens in those.

You can make a case for an SL club "having more to lose" but it doesn't wash. If (for example) we played Wakey in 4 vs 5 then BOTH teams have EXACTLY the same to lose, that is a place in SL2016. It's not as if we could play footloose and carefree, on the basis that well, we're a Championship club, whatever, if we lose, so what. No, losing that game would be every bit as much of a disaster for us as it would be for them. If anything, our players know far more keenly than Wakey (or the other 3 SL clubs in the mix) what they have to lose, because most of them have already been there and done that.

[PopTart]

Re: Final games and 8's : Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:25 pm  

I think one of the problems you have is that Leigh have been able to test themselves out, whereas you have not.
They know what it took to beat Salford and Wakefield. They nearly lost to us, but managed to do enough to win, which gives them a lot of confidence.
I actually think that will work against them in the end, as in some ways the SL clubs are underdogs against Leigh as they have some form but both Salford and Wakefield will be in much better shape than the cup games.

Bradford on the other hand haven't really had chance to test yourselves against SL opposition so you don't know what you can do.
You may be able to do well, but it will be a test of the coach to see if he can get the best out of the Bulls in those 7 games. (4 at home of course)

Position matters too. Whoever finishes top, will play second place at home.

Re: Final games and 8's : Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:31 pm  

Way I see it is we have as much chance as anybody and form will count for a lot.

I think we have a pack capable of matching the SL sides dropping down, perhaps with exception of Hull FC if they're to fall down and if we can get Gaskell and Mullaney in the halves and we will have plenty of attacking threat there.

Beat all our Championship rivals and sneak a win against a SL side and we will be in the decider, sneak two wins and its highly likely we will go up without needing to playoff, same goes for any Championship side.
Also think we have to approach every game with a cup game mentality because we cant offer out the "its not how you start but how you finish" malarky. The competition is simply to short to be able to apply that mindset to it. Win more than you lose and the safer you are, simples really isn't it?

That's why we must come out all guns blazing and that's why it will help if we can finish the season in good form.

As a fan I think Leighs cup run will stand them in good stead mentally, and they are going to know what it takes to turn a SL side over.

Re: Final games and 8's : Tue Jul 07, 2015 11:09 pm  

If we keep O'Brien, Gaskell and Mullaney fit and playing in all 7 games (or 8, if we're in the Million Pound Game) then I think we have a chance. These three have enough quality IMO to hurt the Super League teams we'll be up against. I think our pack will be fine against all the teams in there, except for Hull if they should finish in the bottom 4.

Re: Final games and 8's : Wed Jul 08, 2015 8:21 am  

I've no idea how we'll get on as through the course of the season we've been unimpressive more often than signalling our potential to beat SL opposition. I agree with those who say the teams at the bottom of SL are beatable and if Gaskell, Mullaney and O'brien are fit and in form then I I think we can.

Two things stand out for me. Firstly they're going to be exciting games. Secondly, the scrum half situation has been a ridiculous, season long error of judgement on the part of Lowes and Ferres.

[Bulliac]

Re: Final games and 8's : Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:33 am  

M@islebugs wrote:

I've no idea how we'll get on as through the course of the season we've been unimpressive more often than signalling our potential to beat SL opposition. I agree with those who say the teams at the bottom of SL are beatable and if Gaskell, Mullaney and O'brien are fit and in form then I I think we can.

Two things stand out for me. Firstly they're going to be exciting games. Secondly, the scrum half situation has been a ridiculous, season long error of judgement on the part of Lowes and Ferres.

To be fair to them, they were up the proverbial creek when Gareth O'B gave backword at the last minute, so had to act quickly and work with what was available. I guess a guy, who was a standout early in his NRL career but had suffered injury setbacks, seemed a fair bet for div 2. You win some and you lose some, I suppose.