At this time of year it is safe to dream of what might be, but the reality is much more terrifying. There are 12 teams competing for the top slot, but in Rugby League the top teams are not concerned with positions after 23 games, only after 30 or more importantly after 32. The Challenge Cup is the one the fans want to win after a good day out in London and the Club wants the Grand Final.
If you want to know the order of importance, just ask a Warrington fan, because at the end of the day they won the one Trophy the fans didn't really care about.
No Super League teams wants to finish in the bottom four, and the target therefore for a team like Leigh Centurions is to make the top 8. In order to achieve that based on last years results, you need to achieve 21 points. 20 Points with Salford having 6 points re-instated would have shown the danger zone with points For and Against coming into play.
Team
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Ded
|
Pts
|
|
1
|
23
|
17
|
0
|
6
|
605
|
465
|
0
|
34
|
|
2
|
23
|
16
|
1
|
6
|
675
|
425
|
0
|
33
|
|
3
|
23
|
16
|
0
|
7
|
455
|
440
|
0
|
32
|
|
4
|
23
|
14
|
0
|
9
|
573
|
536
|
0
|
28
|
|
5
|
23
|
13
|
0
|
10
|
593
|
505
|
0
|
26
|
|
6
|
23
|
10
|
1
|
12
|
617
|
640
|
0
|
21
|
|
7
|
23
|
10
|
0
|
13
|
499
|
474
|
0
|
20
|
|
8
|
23
|
10
|
0
|
13
|
485
|
654
|
0
|
20
|
|
9
|
23
|
8
|
0
|
15
|
404
|
576
|
0
|
16
|
|
10
|
23
|
10
|
0
|
13
|
560
|
569
|
6
|
14
|
|
11
|
Hull KR
|
23
|
6
|
2
|
15
|
486
|
610
|
0
|
14
|
12
|
23
|
6
|
0
|
17
|
511
|
569
|
0
|
12
|
|
Can Leigh obtain 21 points from 23 games? and If so, who could they beat to get those points?
11 home wins would do nicely, but even Catalan don't achieve that kind of home advantage. If we assume that a loss to the big 5 Home and Away to Hull, Warrington, Wigan, St Helens, and Leeds.
That means they need to win 10 and draw 1 against Catalan, Castleford, Widnes, Wakefield, Salford and Huddersfield.
In my opinion it is a tough ask to pick off the weaker teams and in particular to do so Home and Away.
The 1st Four games of the season will set an early marker for where Leigh are at.
Friday 10th February 2017 8pm K.O - Castleford v Leigh
Friday 17th February 2017 8pm K.O - Leigh v Leeds
Friday 24th February 2017 8pm K.O - Leigh v St Helens
Friday 3rd March 2017 8pm K.O - Wigan v Leigh
Castleford are a very inconsistent team, only 1 point separated them from the mid table pack last season, but they did finish very strongly in the Super 8's.
Leeds are also going to be better than last season, everybody knows that.
St Helens are going to be tough at any point in the season
Wigan is a grudge match on Home turf for the Pies.
Theoretically Leigh could easily be on nil points from 4 games. Leaving a tough set of matches against Hudderfield, Warrington, Wakefield, Widnes, Catalan and Salford to try to play catch up.
I like the Leigh team on paper but they have to play these games on the green stuff, and I have absolutely no doubt that it is going to be tough.
For this reason I am predicting a bottom 2 finish with around 14 points. That means hitting the middle 8's with only 3 home games. It is a tough old game.
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