Thursday 21 September 2017 14:21, UK
Tom Mordey assesses the fortunes of the four teams looking to book one of two remaining semi-final spots in Super League XXII.
Castleford have claimed top spot and Leeds will finish second, which means home play-offs for the Tigers and Rhinos, while four teams remain in contention for the remaining places.
With all four featuring on Sky Sports this weekend, Tom Mordey assesses what lies ahead for Hull, Saints, Wigan and Wakefield...
Position: 3rd
Opponent: Castleford (A) - Friday (Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm)
Form guide:
Aiming to shrug off the Wembley curse, Hull FC lost twice after the cup final win over Wigan. They suffered a 12th successive defeat at Headingley, with Leeds prevailing 38-26 before Liam Watts' controversial red card left the 12 men in Black and White coming up just short against Wigan.
Things improved last week, but only just. Gareth Ellis' departing gift to the home supporters saw them sneak past Wakefield 19-18.
Reasons to believe
Hull FC are the team in possession of third place, and as they say, possession is nine tenths of the law. They can't be caught by Wakefield and both Wigan and St Helens have to win to draw level on points with Lee Radford's side.
But Hull FC's points difference is worse than both their rivals; a meagre +27 compared to St Helens' +119 and Wigan's +55. But with that Wembley curse ended last week, Hull FC will be confident of getting over the line.
Reasons to despair
On paper, it's a difficult trip to Castleford. Admittedly Daryl Powell has rested six players for this clash as the Tigers await the semi-finals, but that means certain other players will have a point to prove ahead of the knock-out games. And Cas have lost just once at home all season, a surprise reverse against St Helens in the Super 8s.
Weakened team or not, the Tigers are flowing with confidence, so don't expect them to let up this weekend.
Who will inspire them?
The halves, Albert Kelly and Marc Sneyd have formed an impressive combination all season. Sneyd's kicking game and organisational abilities are the ideal match with Kelly's flair, skill and eye for the unpredictable.
Sneyd possesses the big game temperament too, having picked up successive Lance Todd trophies in the Challenge Cup final wins.
Position: 4th
Opponent: Salford (A) Thursday (Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm)
Form guide:
Two wins in their last two have put St Helens in a great position to make the semi-finals. They sneaked past Wakefield thanks to a 76th-minute Jonny Lomax try, a result that kept their hopes alive.
But Justin Holbrook's side then put Huddersfield to the sword last week, excelling in a 40-16 win to bolster Saints' points difference and edge them ahead of their rivals going into the final round.
Reasons to believe
St Helens know what they have to do. Win away at Salford and a semi-final spot is effectively secured given their vastly superior points difference. And that's the fixture all Saints would want to finish the season with.
Salford have plummeted in the Super 8s, having gone into them with ambitions of their own play-off spot. But they've lost five of their six games so far and were hammered by Leeds, Wakefield and Wigan. You would fancy St Helens to win this one.
Reasons to despair
Ian Watson's side have impressed against the Saints this season, turning them over 22-14 at the AJ Bell Stadium back in March. And in the reverse game, St Helens got lucky, needing a late Matty Smith drop goal to see them home in a 25-24 win.
They've got the know-how on what it takes to beat the Saints. Will the Red Devils finish the season with a flourish?
Who will inspire them?
A mixed bag so far for Ben Barba who certainly looked sluggish on his introduction to Super League in these Super 8s. But he showed what he's capable of against Huddersfield last week, hitting the line well from full-back and scoring a try himself.
He knows what it takes to win competitions, having starred for Cronulla last season in their NRL triumph. Will Barba hit top form to give Saints that little bit extra magic dust?
Position: 5th
Opponent: Wakefield (A) Saturday (Sky Sports Main Event from 3.15pm)
Form guide:
Excellent until last week. Wigan fought from 7th place in the regular table to put themselves into semi-final contention, and that's despite losing the opening Super 8s game to Leeds.
Having won four straight games, it seemed Shaun Wane's side were careering into a top-four spot, and as a dangerous team to face. But Castleford halted that momentum with a thump, beating them 38-20 at the DW Stadium. That could leave Wigan needing a miracle on Saturday.
Reasons to believe
As highlighted above, Wigan have shown the fight and spirit to propel themselves up the table. It's been a difficult season for Shaun Wane's side, with injuries a mitigating factor in their 7th-place finish in the regular table. That was followed by Wembley defeat to Hull FC, so this set of Wigan players will be desperate to prove they can do the business.
Their away wins at Hull FC and St Helens proved their mettle and the Cherry and Whites will be ready to capitalise on any slip-ups ahead of them.
Reasons to despair
Any adverse result for St Helens will bring Wakefield into play. And that will set up the mammoth clash on Saturday at the Beaumont Legal Stadium. That leaves Wigan facing the most difficult task of all four teams, having to beat a side away from home who could have it all to play for themselves. What an atmosphere that will be.
Who will inspire them?
Where would Wigan be without George Williams this season? He's provided 29 try assists for the Warriors, more than any other player in the competition. That's to go with the 11 tries he's scored as well.
He turned down the overtures of the NRL to sign a new contract with the Warriors. And Williams has proven in 2017 he is truly in the elite of Super League talent.
Position: 6th
Opponent: Wigan (H) Saturday (Sky Sports Main Event from 3.15pm)
Form guide:
Oh what might have been. The narrow defeats to Hull FC and St Helens have made things mighty difficult for Trinity to finish in the top four.
In truth, they've slipped in the Super 8s, losing four of their six games, though the exceptions were a big win over Salford and a sensational 38-6 victory over Leeds. But they need results to go their way now in this final round.
Reasons to believe
It's been an incredible season for Chris Chester's side. Widely tipped to be competing in the Qualifiers rather than the Super 8s at the start of the season, once again they've proven the critics wrong. And they've done it playing an exciting brand of rugby, scoring 713 points this season, the same as Leeds and only less than Castleford.
If there are to be any fairy-tales in Super League, then Wakefield will be afforded an opportunity to seal their date with destiny.
Reasons to despair
The permutations don't look great. They can't catch third-placed Hull FC, meaning Wakefield are relying on a St Helens defeat to Salford. And as we've explained above, that result seems unlikely.
Even if St Helens do lose, Trinity then need to get past a Wigan side who will be determined to go on and seal their own Super 8s spot.
And how's the confidence in the camp? The two heartbreaking late defeats in the last two rounds certainly won't have helped.
Who will inspire them?
The wide players have been in stunning form this season for Wakefield. Ben Jones-Bishop is their top scorer with 19 tries this campaign, but he's being pushed all the way by fellow speedster Mason Caton-Brown who's got 17 scores to his name. And Bill Tupou, now playing in the centres, has 13 tries of his own too, including that stunning long range score against St Helens.
If Wakefield are to pull this off, they need their firepower out wide shooting on all cylinders.
