100% Rovers will be back up. Fans talking about not needing MPG either like Leigh last year. Shame for Widnes, I like Denis Betts and he got screwed over by the late loss of Brown, although that's not proved the shrewdest signing so far.

I wonder if they'll increase SL next season if les cats lose the MPG?

Rovers fans seem to of seen this season as a one season adventure and nostalgia of visiting some of the old traditional grounds while they rebuild a super league team for the following season . It's almost like promotion is a done deal. Every team in that bottom four are decent on there day no matter how poor they may have been over the full season . I really think rovers are going to struggle to get back up

rovers have the advantage of 4 home games and really only need to beat 1 SL side in 4 attempts to either get a home fixture in the MPG (Although we all remember how that went for them last year ) or automatic promotion.

Personally, I feel the middle 8's is weighted in favour of the championship's best team(s) who have the luxury of being able to rotate and rest players in the weeks leading up to the games and also the advantage of the extra home game

One of widnes or leigh will be relegated

With 3/4 fixtures left Leigh and Widnes should be able to rest players before the 8's as it won't be possible to make the top 8.

I'd be worried if I was a Rovers fan if it's Leigh, Widnes (who are both in decent form), Catalans and Warrington with players back will be too strong for them.

They have a chance but need to recruit as they current side isn't good enough IMO.

... next year, some poor team could be playing Catalans, Toulouse, Toronto and London away in the middle 8's.
You know it makes sense.

Talk of top 3 in the middle 8s is more aspirational than confident. We're keen, to put it mildly, to get back up without that participating in that particular spectacle. Leigh showed what can be done. But we also know they slumped in the 8s the year before. We just have to hope that the struggling SL teams didn't learn too many lessons from our mistakes.

Hudgell has been unequivocal that anything other than an instant return is not being entertained. Pretty clear that the MPG is a riskier way to deliver on that so would be highly surprised if automatic promotion isn't secured.

That's very possible, but by no means guaranteed. With four wins a lot depends on other results, and it could very easily not be enough for a home tie in the MPG, or even possibly a place in the MPG. I think - I'll check later and edit/apologise if I'm wrong.

And all that assumes we're 3 from 3 against the other teams from the championship, which is no gimme.

It is unequivocally the target, but targeting something doesn't mean it'll be achieved. The fact we're signing players to contracts that contain terms for both SL and the championship in 2018 shows that that simple fact is not lost on the club.