hopefully it’s a bit of kidology as boy do we miss him when he’s not on the park.
Alongside Leutele and Hardaker , having John not playing is a massive blow.
Been fortunate with injuries this year so we can’t complain in the slightest.
Maybe a bit late in the season now but I do feel as though Mellor deserves a crack in the halves from the get go.

Whilst Wakey was a sh1tshow (i have not seen us play that badly for a couple of years), i have seen signs that we are revving up again. I don't think we win grand final but i can see us making the final. We need to avoid Wigan on the way because i think they have the hoodoo on us. They are the only team who we haven't competed with this season (with the exception of the HKR game). IT has taken a while to get over Wembley but I see a return to the process and the focus. We beat HKR if we play them again, we beat Saints if we play them again and i think we beat Catalans if we play them again. Quietly confident. I know I need my bumps feeling but I truly see the signs.

Phrenology won't help mate. Leigh are starting to feel a long season's bumps! Though you were topcat in early season predictions, this party thinks (player absentees notwithstanding) that Leigh are now out on their feet.

Leopards, you are hereby commanded to make ML a latterday prophet and Bongser a berk (again)!

I'm with Bongser on this one and if I may utilise a lyric from west coast singer song writer Jackson Browne, Leigh are currently 'running on empty'. More to the point i fear that they are running dry.

Great season, tremendous fun but it has been a long exhausting season and the volume of tough, hard games are just catching-up with the players, so much so that I fear that it is all about to unravel.

Our small squad and lack of quality in numbers means that those mighty minutes used up by our first choice squad and pack in particular means that we are hitting the business end of the season exhausted, weary and patched-up.

I hate to say it but I am worried that Friday will be another non-event against the Pies. We will not only lose but also lose 4th spot and end up with an away game in the play-offs which will then be our last game of the season.

I'm fearing a bit of a damp squib to the end of an otherwise fantastic season.

More quality signings in numbers for next season then who knows what we might be able to achieve in 12 months time.

I hope you guys are wrong, but here is what i see. Our defence when we need to be up for it, has still been there. At this stage in the season the pressure needs to be there for the group to 'turn up' in defence. Lam is getting rests into players in these games. Asiata has had a rest, players rotated much earlier in games. I know that could be due to increased fatigue but Lam is smart and I feel he is spelling and saving energy for the playoffs. Amone and Mulhern's metres and tackles have not dropped off at all. Halton looks big and strong and is playing himself into form. O'Donnell is still running hard and tackling like a man twice his size.
We have been clunky in attack which has been an issue since before Wembley. We have really missed Leutele and his role in that left edge attack. His absence has cost us points against Saints and ease of victory against Wakey. I love Chamberlain but he's a step down. Gildart is quality but has taken time to settle in. It takes time to learn the routines and I see that is coming. That left edge is ready to step up again and take us to 30 points or more in a game.
I see us building again ready for the playoffs.
That said I think Wigan beat us Friday. They are comfortably the best team in the league at the moment. I am hoping we can get a bit closer than the other games we have played against them this season. Sticking close gives us 4th even if we lose. HKR have a deficit in points difference to make up. I don't think it matters though. If we turn up we beat HKR home or away.
I can just see us revving up for one last push and Lammy purposefully resting players to prepare for the playoffs.
Up the Leythers

Manx, I love the optimism and I hope that you are right. I would love us to beat the Pies on Friday but i fear that realistically it will be next season before we turn them over and personally I cannot wait for that to happen.

I don't see us beating HKR in the play offs. All the signs that the season was unravelling were there when they embarrassed us just a few weeks ago at their midden. I fear that a repeat is coming in the play offs.

My eyes just see a very tired set of players just about hanging on. All the other teams around us have momentum and I just do not think that we have any at all. We are miles away from the form immediately pre-Wembley when we were turning teams over by 30 and it is that form that we need now if we are to do anything in the play offs. In boxing parlance I think our season is on the ropes and we are just one good punch away from going down. The players appear to be just too blinking jiggered to get back up.

I am just so proud of this set of players and what they have achieved this season but this is the sharp end of the season and the games just get tougher. The teams effort alone will not be enough to see us make progress in the play offs against teams who I have to say are simply playing better rugby than us at present.

I hear and agree with most of what you are saying Jack. I hope for but dont expect a win on Friday. I do however think we can beat HKR. I just watched a replay of their game against Salford on TV here in Vancouver. They were the best of two very tired and error ridden teams. If we can get Asiata (and hopefully Zak and Frankie) back, I think we turn them over, either at LSV or their place.