The Virtual Terrace • Re: Super 8's and Middle 8's Predictions

The qualifiers are making a monkey out of anyone trying to predict anything. Last week, Widnes seemed on a roll while Hull KR were unconvincing. This week Hull KR pass the finishing line at the expense of Widnes!

You'd have to say Leigh seem to have the easiest run-in - if 'easy' is a fair description, with 2 games against championship sides. They should win both and finish on 8 points.

Catalans have the hardest run in, with two super league clubs, especially as one - Widnes - will be desperate to win. Cats fans will have to hope Hull KR might ease up, having achieved their goal. But one win won't be enough for the Cats, as their points difference is inferior to Leigh and it's hard to see it making up the ground.

Most people would back Widnes to beat London at home, securing them 8 points going into their final game with the Cats, and again they've got a much better points difference than the French side.

Bottom line is that if Cats don't win both of their next two games, they'll be playing away in the MPG. If they do win their next two games, they'll not be in the MPG at all. Their future is still in their hands, but the way they've struggled to beat championship opposition in these games suggests that they will soon join London and Bradford in being dumped out of Super League as a direct consequence of the catastrophic decision to bring back promotion and relegation to a sport which can ill-afford even more contraction to small towns and small crowds along the M62 corridor.