Mrs Barista wrote:In my opinion the aims on any SL team are:
1) Avoiding the Middle 8s
2) Making the Top 4
3) Making the GF
4) Winning the GF
We've achieved 1 & 2 in the last two seasons with a largely fit squad. We've had a catastrophic mid season run of long term injuries to key players which, in conjunction with a significantly stronger Saints and Warrington makes 2 almost certainly out of reach. Making the top 8 would hardly be an "event" but missing that target would put us right on the back foot for all sorts of reasons. IMO the season is panning out a bit like 2015, where we scraped in and used the Super 8s as SL experience for emerging players. Whilst it would, overall, be disappointing, context is important. As joyous as our cup run has been, and I can't adequately put that into words, this year a week off might actually help us. It's not only me that recognises the downside of finishing 9-12. See coaches and directors of those featuring in them on a regular basis for details.
I do get the point that you are trying to make. No one wants to be involved in the middle 8s for obvious reasons. I don't think a one off appearance in them is the end of the world. Teams who are in them year after year will struggle having no stability and recruitment will be harder because they can't guarantee what league they will be in from one year to the next. Just being in them once because of injuries or whatever is different. Obviously it makes for a few nervous weeks, but it isn't terminal as long as the unthinkable doesn't happen and we go down.
All that said. It simply won't happen now. For it to happen we need to lose every game. Go ask a bookie what odds you can get on that. Stick a tenner on it and you could probably retire off the winnings. Then, even if we did, two of the bottom clubs need to find more wins in 7/8 games than they have just found in 15/16. They are down there for a reason. It categorically will not happen.
As for your other comment about top 4 being almost certainly out of reach. Why is that? Leeds are wretched just now. They are playing like relegation fodder and they have injuries not that much better than us. I saw every game at magic and they were the worst side there. There is nothing at all to suggest they will finish above us. Cas aren't much better. They too have injuries to key players and are not playing at all well. They have two games in hand, but they also have a tougher run of fixtures than we do. Again, there is little to suggest they have the ability to finish above us. At this moment in time I feel we are more likely to make 4th than not.
