Just had a quick look at the likely Super 8 fixtures now the regular season is coming to a close.

Bar the extra home game, is anyone else unconvinced that you get favourable fixtures the higher you finish?

Assume Wigan finish 3rd - their fixtures would be:

Home

Huddersfield =#FF0000WIN
Catalans =#FF0000WIN
Castleford =#FF0000WIN
Hull FC =#FF0000WIN

Away

St Helens
Leeds
Warrington

Now take a hypothetical situation where us and Leeds swap places. We would then play:

Home

Saints
Leeds
Warrington
Castleford =#FF0000WIN

Away

Huddersfield
Catalans
Hull FC

I've put the word WIN in red alongside the games I would feel confident of winning. Any games not marked with WIN I would look upon as either 50/50 to win or doubtful. So the way I see it - finish 3rd and we have four very likely home wins and outside chances in the away games. Finish 1st and one very likely win with the rest up in the air.

Any thoughts/alternate perspectives?

P.S. As an afterthought, does anyone know if season ticket holders get free access to our 'home' game in London?

That's just because our away form is so ropey though isn't it? The premise that finishing higher sees you play your harder games at home and your easier games away is reasonable enough.

Yes because it is a "home game".

Finishing in the top two after the super 8's is what matters. I actually think Wigan are best in third at this point because they will be up for the games at Leeds, Saints and Warrington rather than having to go to Cas and Catalan if they finished second.

Getting a game against the challenge cup semi and finalist teams the week after the semi or the weeks before and after the final will be a good draw for the rest of the top 8 teams. Playing the Rhinos or Saints away the week after the final would be the ideal draw in the 8s for Wigan

Playing them the week before the final might not be too bad either.

Don't really understand what you are worried about. After 2 or 3 games the 4th place will probably out of reach for the teams in 6th to 8th place now, so depending on when you play them, they will be playing for nothing. The matches will be irrelevant and if I were the coaches, I would field the academy side. With carrying over all the points (which is fine), there will be a fair few meaningless games on show towards the end of the playoffs.

There's 4 points separating 4 teams from 4th to 7th. There's going to be plenty to play for come the Super 8s. There's going to be far fewer meaningless games than there were under the old system and at least we're no longer rewarding mediocrity by allowing teams who've lost more than they've won to still have the opportunity to be "champions".

Home advantage in a one off playoff to go to Old Trafford is critical IMO, particularly for Wigan.

You'd have to think it's essential given our away form. Even our home form is fading and it feels like a loss is due but our away form is simply pathetic.

Given that away form though I'm pretty sure that 'if' we make the top four it'll be in either positions three or four.

when and how will they decide the next fixtures for the super 8s hope they do it all in one go instead of a week before hand to let us know who we play as that is no good to anyone

They will surely have it ready to announce on Sunday evening?

Knowing the RFL they'll probably announce it the Thursday afternoon of the first super 8 game.