17 Played and sitting in 6th on 16 points, a win yesterday would have done us the world of good.

6 games left now with Leeds and Huddersfield breathing right down our necks... What happens next?

Wakefield vs Widnes
St Helens vs Wakefield
Wakefield vs Catalans
Leeds vs Wakefield
Wakefield vs Hull FC
Huddersfield vs Wakefield

I can see us getting at least 6 points, will that secure a top 8 finish for us?

I usually like playing Hull FC at home as more often than not when I've attended we've come out the victor, I'm undecided on that game at the moment. A good run prior to this will help 100%.

Who know's... a poor run from Hull FC and a win over them in our home fixture could put us into 5th! The game in hand over Huddersfield and Salford is massive.

Beat Widnes and Catalan and I reckon that will get us top 8 assuming Leeds beat Catalan on Wednesday. That would put Catalan 8 points behind with 4 other games left meaning they would have to win em all whilst we lose the other 4 and a big points difference swing. Can’t see Salford winning enough games to overhaul us

Looking at those around us, it's unlikely Widnes or Hull KR are going to get out of the bottom four. Hull KR have the easier run in but would have to win every game and if they did would take points off Salford and Huddersfield so helps us anyway.

Salford are the ones to watch for me. They have
Home: Warrington Cas and Leeds
Away: Hull KR and Catalan
They'll either beat the easier teams away and take the advantage over the harder ones at home, or it goes the other way and they lose them all.
It will be interesting to see, but I think they are a danger to those above

Catalan have:
Home: Cas and Salford
Away: Leeds, Trin, Warrington and Wigan
I can't see them going so well away, especially with cup on their mind. We have to take advantage of that and beat them at our place

Giants have:
Home: Hull, Wigan and Trin
Away: Hull KR and Cas
Again, they are close to us so our game is a big one. If we go on a losing streak they will pass us

Leeds have
Home: Catalan, Trin and Widnes at home
Away: Wigan, Cas and Salford
They'll fancy their home games including us. That puts some pressure on. Because Leeds and Giants don't play each other, our games are going to be really important.

Hull have:
Home: Widnes, Sts and Hull KR
Away: Giants and Trin
Their injury list could cost them some games. It's important we are one of them if we want to catch them. If they lose to Giants and not us it gives Giants a big advantage.

We have
Home: Widnes, Catalan and Hull
Away: Sts, Leeds and Giants
We should be looking to win at least 2 of our home games and probably Hull too. Giants away is a big game, possibly bigger if we get there after some losses.

Personally I think we'll stay in the 8 anyway with wins over Widnes, Catalan and Giants. Losing to Leeds will put them 1 above us. Beating Leeds and Hull will put us on equal points with Hull (assuming all the others go to the form I've already said.

Widnes game will tell us which way it's going to go I reckon. If we lose we are in trouble and need to really work hard to be anything above 9th. If we win it looks good. If we win well then it's all on.

I'd like nothing more than to see us come out against Widnes and play with the fluency and freedom of the second half performance against Wire; we would blow them away, and go into the remaining games with a sense of confidence and purpose. It's just so bloody frustrating that we can't rely on that.

That said, all of this weekend's games were very tight - not sure what circumstances have converged to make that happen - but Leeds v Saints (which was a bloody brilliant spectacle for the neutral) set the template for a weekend of nail-biters, albeit of varying quality.

With some clubs ravaged by injury, especially Cas and Widnes and others fighting for SL survival plus, some of the big boys now wanting to manage their squads for a tilt at the top 4, anything could happen over the next few weeks.
Right now, you wouldnt bet against the bottom 4 Catalan, Salford, KR & Widnes staying as the bottom 4, although with Leeds still struggling and Huddersfield going 5/5 in SL.
Saints look to have the LLS in their pocket, which will give them a huge advantage in the run up to the Semi finals and with Saints, Warrington, Leeds & Catalan still with CC semis to play, it will go down to the Wire.
Apart from KR & Widnes, it will be any 2 from 5 (Wakefield, Leeds, Huddersfield, Catalan & Salford, to drop into the qualifiers and our games against Catalan and Huddersfield will be huge but, I'd rather be where we are than either of those two.

Right now, I'd go for Saints v Wire in the GF and Widnes v Toronto in the MPG but, you wouldnt put your mortgage on anything.
The current system, even with it's many faults, certainly keeps interest for every club.

I keep thinking about Leeds and how due to injury I can see them going down however despite losing near the end... If they play anywhere near like they did against Saints in their remaining fixtures I can see some wins.

I'd like to see a change in the league but I don't want it to be Toronto.

Leeds will start to get bodies back and their form should improve as they get nearer to full strength so, even if they end up in the qualifiers, which I dont think they will, they will be more than safe.
Even with half a side, they are massively better than Widnes and KR and the same can be said for the rest of the SL sides.
Travel could be a major factor in the fight for survival / promotion.
With the possibility of 2 French sides and Toronto in the mix, some sides will be clocking up significant air miles.

Very hard to call now as injuries mount up for some teams. Its no coincidence that the teams at the top have been relatively injury free same as Cas were last year. We have a decent run in but lost 4 more forwards yesterday and had no subs. Minikin limping on the wing for the last 20 minutes and left the ground on crutches. So what looked a decent run in against lower teams doesn't seem so easy now we have all the injuries and the lower teams have run into some form. Should make for an interesting and exiting run in.

What annoys me is the constant talk that we alone are not yet safe from the bottom 4. This does appear to not be the case for either Leeds or Huddersfield who are currently languishing below us with worst points differences and in some cases having played one more game.
I suppose it is more to do with our past and not who we are today.

Leeds dont get talked about as relegation or bottom 4 candidates by the media but, Huddersfield certainly have been, although, their recent form 5/5, has been pretty good.
Unfortunately, Wakefield are always marked down as relegation candidates, which with our spend and income is hardly a surprise.
Mind you, we are always happy to prove the doubters wrong and since MC took the reigns and Chester came on board, Trinity have certainly punched well above their weight and long may it continue.
Having said that, if we continue to be top 6 finishers, the "experts" will find another "easy" target for the wooden spoon (or bottom 4).