"could easily finish 5th" would have involved having a 350+ points difference over-hauled ie losing on Friday by 175 - 0. How is that "easily"

The rest of the post reads like the ramblings of a mad-man.

Given all these injuries will be interesting to see what Saints have left in the tank come playoff time.

I've been having a think about the Club Call thing too. I think most of us suspect we'll be playing Saints twice in the play offs but if we do get to week three via a week one defeat and week two win, then whoever ends up with the Club Call is likely to choose us in my opinion so we could well end up in Wigan for the last game. I know we've won there this season but they've lost to Leeds too so if they're faced with a choice between a team who has only won one play off game prior to anything we manage this year or the team that has won the last three Grand Finals then I reckon Wigan will choose us.

Of course if Wigan lose and so do we then Saints will be elevated to top seed and then they will almost definitely choose us given the record. Winning at Knowsley Road in the last game played there as specially chosen lambs to the slaughter will be the greatest experience I ever have watching the Wire if it comes to fruition...

Imagen if Wigan picked us in the CC and the winner goes to Old Trafford, a packed out DW, with a huge army of P&B, I actually think we would take 5k+!

To be honest with you I can see us beating quins by a higher score then saints beating castleford. Am i mad for thinking we should just finish 2nd?

I know - imagine how far we'd be ahead of Wire if Kyle and Leon were any good!

Cas are a better side than Quins in all respects at the moment, i really think we'll do to them what we did at the HJ with a minimum 30 points difference.

Always knew you were a 2 man team.

Cas have something to play for, Quins don't.

Wire will walk 2nd place by a good 20 points I reckon.

I know Wire/Wigan fans won't agree, but it will be a shame if the play-off series goes off without "star" players like Long/Peacock/Eastmond/Pryce.

This had the makings of the best play-offs ever (probably still will be) but looks like a few sides will be genuinely weakened.

I agree. Obviously the GF is the pinnacle of the season, but to get there you have to go through the playoff system. It's always a blow if you don't see the best players plying their trade in the end of season playoffs.

Me personally, I want you to have Eastmond, Pryce and Cunningham back because if we beat you without them, many Saints fans will just the excuse that we beat a weakened Saints side. I would rather beat you with your full strength team out, that way the win will mean so much more.

We would get 5,000 tickets from Wigan and I'd expect us to sell them easily with more in the Wigan end too. Saints would be different though as they wouldn't give us anymore tickets than they are obligated too, knowing that the fact it's a semi, combined with it being the last ever game as Knowsley Road, would result in a far higher demand from their own fans than there was when we took thousands in March.

If that happens then the savviest Wires will be buying tickets from Saints directly to dilute their support as much as possible