Looking at the way the play offs work we would be better placed at 5th then 4th as we did last year. Also better at 5th then 3rd. 4th you will have to go to Wigan and get smashed and prob lose. the next game you are at home after a draining game and a loss and play the winners of the lower places who will be on a high after 2 wins. If we can get to 5th we have a good chance. We need to win the last 3 games and some results to go our way.

The players want to meet Hull at some stage this season...Revenge is their motivation.

At the end of the day 4th or 5th you're eventually going to have to beat a team who finished higher. No easy route.

You can claim a play-off win from 5th or 6th far more easily than you could under the old system though. That means a lot to some even though it's not comparable with the 6 team format where 5th would have to play away at 4th and 6th away at 3rd.

Why does it need a wink? Your use of emoticons is shoddy to say the least.

I agree, 4th would be a difficult route, if it finishes as is fc would get the pies away, then if it goes to form, lose and get Leeds at the kc who would be off the back of a win.

Of course 4th could beat 1st and jobs a good un.

5th would be more difficult IMO.

You have to beat 8th, then beat 2nd/3rd or 4th away then you have to beat 1st away to get to the grand final. ATETOD it depends what your objectives are, 4th obviously gives you a better chance of winning the play-offs IMO but 5th gives you the better chance of winning a game.

After the past 25yrs I'm just happy to be in the playoffs! I think any of us would have took this after being minutes away from going bust but fighting our way out of it without merging!

Not sure how you work this out really...top 4 get 2 bites of the cherry....5-8 start knock out straight away..

Its a very fine line and depends how confident a team is of beating the 8th placed team. It just means going into the 2nd game you have a team that has had a potentially easier game and coming off a good win against a team that is off the back of a potentially hard loss.

I agree it must be better overall finishing 4th as a good season and all teams will be aiming as high as they can, but I think we suffered more for it last year with getting Leeds and then meeting a very inform Wigan side.

I think its based on the experience of last season, which was the 1st time a top 8 format had been used. We crashed & burned at Leeds and Wigan had all the momentum by the time they came to Craven Park the following week.

I'd take 5th over 4th just for the chance of hitting week 2 with some form.