Hi everyone,

Here is the official format for the Championship 1 play-offs. (Info taken from the Co-operative website):

Wk 1: Preliminary Semi-Finals: Team 4 v Team 7 and Team 5 v Team 6

The losers are eliminated and their season is over.

Wk 2: Qualifying Semi-Final: Team 2 v Team 3. The winner goes straight into the Final. The
loser plays again in week 3.

Wk 2: Minor Semi-Final: The winner of last weeks 4 v 7 game is at home to the winner of
the 5 v 6 match

Wk 3:Major Semi-Final: Loser of 2 v 3 will be at home to the winner of the Minor Semi-Final.

Wk 4: The Final: The winner from Wk 3 will play the winner from the 2 v 3 game in Wk2.

From the Dons' point of view: Finishing second or third gives us two chances of getting to the final. If we can't manage that, fourth or fifth means we'll be at home in the first round of the play-offs. Fourth is much better because we'll be at home in the next match as well. We'd then only have to win one away game to get to the final instead of two.

This information will probably appear in the club's weekend programme but I thought I'd post it for those either not going to the match, or not buying a programme.

Let's all get behind the guys on Sunday and show them that any disappointment with the Keighley game is well and truly behind us, and that we're fully behind them. It would be nice if they came over and gave us a wave before the game. It'd help get everyone motivated and in good voice. Our support could make all the difference in a game we cannot afford to lose.

Good luck to the lads!

See you all on Sunday!!

Just a quick update:

Going into the Whitehaven game, if we win our final three matches, our lowest possible finishing position would be 4th. If other results go our way we could finish second.

No matter what happens in the last three games we can't drop below 7th. A play-off place is guaranteed.

We are used to the play-off format now DM but thanks for the post.

Other teams will now be making that extra push for places 2 to 4 (Swinton will finish top), so it won't be easy, Sunday's game will not be easy at all.
We will get behind them, but if they don't play better than vs Keighley they will get rolled over.

The two reasons for me that they lost at Keighley were they had next to no creativity in the half backs, since Kesik broke his nose and that disrupted us and Spav was all on his own and made bad decisions without any help. So in effect we had no attacking ideas.
Secondly Keighley wanted it more and relished the physical side of the game and we let them beat us up.

I should imagine Whitehaven will be like another Keighley.

No proper half back pairing and a lack of getting stuck in where it hurts will see us lose. Then we would be severely disadvantaged in the table.

That was the scenario coming into the Keighley game as well and we weren't up to it. Which is very worrying. When we know, that when we get it right, we can beat anyone,
But we are getting the player combinations wrong at exactly the critical time. Or to be fair, injuries are producing a made-do situation.

I do so hope I am wrong on Sunday, because if we win we can kick-on again with confidence.
But it's vital we have a proper half back pairing.
COYD.

Isn't Craig Fawcett due back this week?

That was the story at one time, but who knows?
We will probably take our seats on Sunday and find we have our best side out including Green, just to try to fool Whitehaven.

We have to finish 3rd so we get the second chance.

If we end up finishing below this then we risk ending up playing Haven or Worky possibly away and I know we have already turned over Worky at their place, but the playoffs are a different proposition.

We would be out after one game if we had to go Cumbria ... simples.
Still I would probably go, just for the chance of a few hours in Keswick.

Thats what i mean mate. We have to do all we can to get home draws if we can.

Also go to Cockermouth not Keswick.I think its nicer and you can go for the tour round Jennings Brewery in the town centre.

We want 2nd place .

One match win & we are in the final.

After the Whitehaven win, if the Dons win their last two games against Workington and Gateshead, we will finish no lower than 3rd. To finish 2nd we need Keighley to drop at least a point in one of their last two games. They've got Skolars away and their final match is at home to Whitehaven!