The 2011 Super League Play offs

So After 27 rounds of hard rugby (congratulations to Warrington on becoming the Minor Champions), we now reach the playoffs.

The Qualifying quarter finals will see

Warrington V Huddersfield
Wigan v St Helens

The Elimination Quarter finals will see

Catalan v Hull Kingston Rovers
Leeds v Hull fc

4 intresting games, all tough.

Personally and being totally biased i think the best game could be Catalan v Rovers, Rovers have been coming in to form, while till yesterday Catalans form had been poor, throw in the fact that Rovers won a close game there last week, all add's up to an intresting game.

For the record, i think the winners will be, Warrington, Wigan, Leeds and hopefully Rovers.

The next elimination round if this happens would be,
Saints v Rovers
Huddersfield v Leeds.

Good luck to the teams involved.

I can see both Hull clubs being eliminated at this stage, but its KO football and anything can happen.

Unfortunatly George so can i, i do seriously think that Catalan v Rovers is the hardest to call, but we shall see what happens. Could need either Huddersfield or Saints to win to make it intresting.

Head says Catalans heart says Rovers it should definatley be THE game of the weekend .

im going to say Warrington ,Wigan, Hull and Catalans

Nice post Kenny.

So you've changed your mind?

I hope Rovers can do this business over Catalans. Off the top of my head - I'd go Warrington, Wigan and Leeds for the other matches.

I think we have a very good chance of beating Catalans , but we are away and this maybe one game to far 8 wins from 9 games to finish the season will catch up with us i think , but i REALLY hope im wrong .

Hull beating Leeds i just have a feeling about .

You'd know better than me. I hope they can win the 9th!

Are Hull FC in good form at the moment and are Leeds on the wane?

Hull are in decent form and Leeds are hit and miss , it should be a good game

I hope we get the Final live. They've been broadcasting some games very late here which is very annoying!

Most of the NRL games are on pay per view tv here , some on live feeds on the internet but the only free tv we get is NRL fulltime in Sky .

It's good that the two comps are run parallel... do you prefer the bulk of the games in your summer with the finals series in early autumn? Opposite here with mainly winter for the round matches... and now we can get the odd scorcher for the Finals in early spring. It's going to be quite hot this weekend... around 30 degrees.

Warrington v Huddersfiled KOs at 8PM, and I'm going for a Wolves win by 16.

Yes got to agree with George , i cant see past the Wolves in this one .

Warrington V Huddersfield - Warrington by 28
Wigan v St Helens - Wigan by 12 (but I always bet on the draw between these 2)

Catalan v Hull Kingston Rovers - Catalan by 8
Leeds v Hull fc - Leeds by 14

So Warrington stuff Huddersfield 47 - 0, Qualifying for the semi final easily, and will be the team that choose's in the stupid club call idea. Worryingly for the other clubs involved, Warrington looked fantastic, with no weakness's, definatly the team to beat. As for Huddersfield looked poor, but get another chance next week, though whoever they get will fancy there chances after such a crushing defeat.

Warrington were excellent tonight and the scary thing for everyone else should be that they have and can play better . Great start to the playoffs .

Today we have the elimination semi final between Catalan Dragons and Hull KR. KO 6.45 PM.
I predict a brusing encounter due to the importance of the game with the Catalans getting home by 4.

I think Rovers will suprise a few people and win, because for the last month we've had to play play off rugby just to get here, and so are already into play off mentallity. But agree it should be a close brusing game, quite possably the best of the weekend. Definatly the hardest to predict.

Hope im wrong but just have a feeling this will be one step to far for Rovers , Catalans to win by 8 .

So the first side out of the play offs, is my beloved Rovers. Who were crushed 56 - 6 at Catalan. In a game where my blind optimism and hope where crushed ( and also showing why i don't do well on my accummulators every saturday), Catalan put on a superb display to progress through and give the departing Rovers manager and players a night to forget.
I'm off to cry now.

tigerrobins wrote:So the first side out of the play offs, is my beloved Rovers. Who were crushed 56 - 6 at Catalan. In a game where my blind optimism and hope where crushed ( and also showing why i don't do well on my accummulators every saturday), Catalan put on a superb display to progress through and give the departing Rovers manager and players a night to forget.
I'm off to cry now.

I didn't see that scoreline coming. A very sad exit for Justin Morgan for all the fine work he has done at rovers.

Neither did i, but to be fair Rovers have been very hit & miss all season, and from what i heard and saw Catalans looked like the side that performed so well at the start of the season. And Rovers couldn't cope. Maybe a game to far, though catalan could suprise a few more teams yet.
Morgan has bought a level of professionalism through out the club that this result shouldn't detract from. The players and coach have also in the 5 season's we've been in super league lead us to the play offs for the last 3 years, and considering that quite a few Rovers supporters think this has been a poor season because we only just finnished 7th, and were expecting to finnish higher says alot about the players and morgan.
Though next season could be a tough campagin looking at how clubs who weren't in the play offs have been strenghthning.
Hopefully this will also be an end of the one sided nature to the play off games this season.

Catalans executed their plays very well they were just to quick for Rovers lastnight making us play on the back foot all the time , they didn't let us play at all .

Sad end to Justin's time at Hull KR , i would like to thank him for all he has done and wish him all the best .

As a Robin i hope the board get the right coach and back him in bringing in some top quality players , just to give the club a bit of a lift .

Hope Catalans can go further but dont see them beating either Wigan or Saints .

A fantastic win for Saints 26 - 18 at Wigan, sends them through to the semi finals, while Wigan now have a game against Catalans at the moment, unless Hull win at Leeds in the evening kick off.

Saints played really well , sounds a bit daft but it really did look like they wanted it more then Wigan today . Wigan will have to get over this quickly and get back to the form of a few weeks ago .

So the final game of this play off weekend see's Leeds beat Hull fc 42 - 10.

So both Hull clubs seasons are ended at the 1st hurdle, as we now progress on to the next round, which will see

Wigan v Catalan
Huddersfield v Leeds

Fighting it out to meet Warrington & St Helens in the semi finals.

My predictions for the next games are that Leeds & Wigan will progress.
Though i hope to god that Catalans win, more because they are a decent side, and that it will make it more intresting than watching the established big 4

It does look like the so called big 4 will be the last teams in it . It would be nice to see either Catalans or Huddersfield win though .

If it does end up being Wigan ,Leeds, St Helens and Warrington then the PICK will be interesting though .

Think Catalans have more chance, though going to Wigan can be dodgy.
I work with a few Leeds fans, they're convinced that if they get through Warrington will pick them, as Wire dominated them in both games.

That would take the pressure off Leeds though i think as they wouldn't be expected to win given those other results same goes for Huddersfield . The PICK is a daft rule whoever Warrington choose will be written off as the weakest team but in one off games anyone can win .

agree about the rule, also thinks it gives extra motivation to the side picked, like if Wire pick Leeds, they are saying that they expect to win,.

tigerrobins wrote:agree about the rule, also thinks it gives extra motivation to the side picked, like if Wire pick Leeds, they are saying that they expect to win,.

Yeh i agree

I will go with Wigan and Leeds, but be warned we are talking KO football, and anything can happen.

So Leeds after building up a commanding lead, then try there hardest to throw it away before finally winning 34 - 28.
Leeds have been looking strong since the challange cup final, and could go the distance. So it's left to Catalans to provide the shock, good luck to them.
Just a thought, but if Wigan win, who do Warrington choose?

What were Leeds doing , good game though . I still think Wigan will beat Catalans so Warringtons Pick will be interesting

KingKenny7Heaven wrote:What were Leeds doing , good game though . I still think Wigan will beat Catalans so Warringtons Pick will be interesting

I think Wolves will go with the Rhinos.

Yeh they probabley will unless who ever wins between Wigan and Catalans gets beat up bad .

So Wigan crush the Catalan team 44 - 0. And qualifying as the last side into the semi final.

And to the suprise of very few people, Warrington have choosen to face Leeds in the club call match.

So the Semi finals next week as mentioned

Warrington v Leeds
St Helens V Wigan, for the 6th time this season, and both of Saints play off games so far.

I predict that Warrington v Wigan will be the grand final. Though i would like Saints to win it overall, can't see them beating Both Wigan & Warrington. And a small part of me wants Leeds to beat Wire, just because of the stupid club call idea.

Should be 2 cracking games cant wait

The scoreline that Wigan beat the Catalans by was a bit of surprise to me i must admit.

yeh Catalans plan A didn't work and they didn't have a plan B imo , thought it would be a hell of a lot closer

Is that 'club call' idea new?

I could imagine it would add a bit of "so you chose us... don't think we're good enough?... we'll show you!" Makes for greater competition, imo.

NRL maybe should think of doing the same? Would add an extra level of rivalry which would be good.

Think this is the 3rd year its been done , everyone has been the lowest placed team that was picked .

Is it working do you think or is it unnecessary?

I think I like the McIntyre system best - like the AFL has and what we used to have in the ARL.

I dont think the club call is popular with fans or clubs , it's like you said whoever gets picked it's as if the other team is saying ' your the weakest team so we will play you '

I know repeating myself, but go for a top 9 playoff with 8 playing 9 and then the winners away to the team that finishes top, and then play straight KO football.

So the first side through to next weeks GF is

LEEDS.

Who upset the form book by winning at Warrington 26 - 24. And nackering the club call idea as well. Know all they have to do is win it and it might get rid of the play offs, i mean how do you explain to none RL fans that a team that finnished 5th are actually champions.
This also leaves me in a slight quandary, as i have already said, i would like Saints to win it, but really don't want a Leeds/Saints GF for the 4 time out of the last 5 seasons. Though a 3rd v 5th placed teams GF would be intresting trying to explain.

The Leeds result shows that nothing is certain in KO football.
What makes this all the more interesting is that if the RFL keep the club call for next season the team that has the option of the club call know that they can suffer the same fate as Warrington.

And Leeds opponent in next week's GF is

St Helens

Who beat Wigan again by 26 - 18.

I'm afraid to say i got both semi final results wrong this weekend.

Just had a feeling about St's yesterday but im going for a Leeds Gf win