After our demise in 2016 into the middle 8's competition some SL clubs fans took great joy in rubbing our noses in it

So without apologising to the team who's fans say that it's always their year

Well 2017 certainly is Your year....that you will be playing clubs from the Championship

They need to stop thinking they'll get through that competition easily, that attitude could slip them up.

Widnes are in decent form, Leigh know what that competition is all about and Catalans have a new coach. Regardless of opposition if you aren't in good form it's not easy to get out of that rut. For all our flaws last year our professional attitude towards finding ourselves in the Middle 8's was very good. If Warrington don't take a similar approach and just assume they'll coast through they could find themselves scrambling to avoid the MPG.

lets be honest Segeyaro saved our season and maybe even our super league status

Perhaps, but who cares? I doubt Warrington will be saying the same thing about Hiku come the end of the season

Although positions likely to change, here's what Warrington are looking at ATM in the middle 8's

Home - Widnes, Leigh, London, Toulouse
Away - Catalans, HKR, Featherstone

Widnes in 11th

Home - HKR, Leigh, Featherstone
Away - Catalans, Warrington, London, Toulouse

Warrington could do with making sure they don't drop to 11th.


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Again likely to change (possibly this afternoon) but at present Leeds Top 8 fixtures would be

Home - Hull, Salford, Saints, Hudds
Away - Cas, Wakey, Wigan

Widnes ran Wigan close today and have looked a much better side of late, add that with them and Leigh knowing middle 8s was coming weeks ago and being able to plan they wont be easy beats. Hull KR will be at least as tough as leigh were last year too.

Warrington will have to be much better if they are to survive the MPG.

I always thought Hull KR would easily come back up. Not so sure now. But of the bottom four, I think Catalans might be the ones most at risk, if they end up in there.

Again granted positions could still change but this is what Catalans are potentially facing if they stay in 9th.

Home - Warrington, Widnes, HKR, Featherstone
Away - Leigh, London, Toulouse

If they can return to their reliable home form they should be ok. Toulouse away would be interesting as it wouldn't provide the usual travel issues for them.

Yeah, Catalans until the last 20 minutes yesterday remind me of Salford last season. There's also at least 3 teams at the top of the Championship in good form coming into the 8s, I can see at least 1 SL side getting relegated. I'd love to see Toulouse and KR come up, but Toulouse are limping into the 8s by the looks of it.

The middle 8's will be very tough this year,at present there seems to be sides that are improving each week despite being consigned to not being able to get out of the bottom 4

Sides at the top of the Championship look like they will be tough to beat when they play at home

Warrington and Catalan urgently need to find some form and good performances sharpish

Limping out, more like. Lots of injured players to come back but will it be in time?

Whilst I don't think London and Featherstone have enough to gain promotion, the experience of being in the Middle 8's last year will only help them. London beat Salford away last and were probably our trickiest Championship opponent. So whilst as I said they might not have enough to threaten promotion they could come up with a surprise win over a SL team that costs that side their SL place.