Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers: What they need to do to get into the Super League play-offs

With two games left in the regular season, both Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers could still snatch a home tie in the Betfred Super League play-offs - or miss out altogether.
Rhinos will be celebrating a top-six spot if they win one of their final two games. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com.Rhinos will be celebrating a top-six spot if they win one of their final two games. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com.
Rhinos will be celebrating a top-six spot if they win one of their final two games. Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com.

Rhinos are fifth and Tigers sixth, with Wigan Warriors holding fourth spot.

The top-three of Catalans Dragons - who are guaranteed the league leaders’ shield - St Helens and Warrington Wolves are now out of reach.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But either Leeds or Cas could get into the leading quartet, if they win their remaining games and other results go their way, while Hull KR still have a chance of knocking one of them out of the top-six.

Tigers fans celebrate the Magic Weekend win over Salford which kept them in the play-offs race. Picture by Ed Sykes/SWpix.com..Tigers fans celebrate the Magic Weekend win over Salford which kept them in the play-offs race. Picture by Ed Sykes/SWpix.com..
Tigers fans celebrate the Magic Weekend win over Salford which kept them in the play-offs race. Picture by Ed Sykes/SWpix.com..

Here’s a look at what could happen: in the race for places from fourth to sixth.

How the table is decided:

Win points percentage is being used this year, to allow for the fact not all teams will play an equal number of games.

How win point percentage is calculated:

Divide the number of league points gained - two for a win and one for a draw - by the number of matches played, then multiply by 50.

The current state of the table is:

4th: Wigan Warriors - 56.52% winning record

5th Leeds Rhinos - 54.55%

6th: Castleford Tigers - 52.38%

7th: Hull KR - 50%

8th: Hull FC - 44.74%

Remaining fixtures:

Wigan: Hull (away), Catalans Dragons (home).

Leeds: St Helens (a), Hull KR (home).

Castleford: Hull KR (a), Warrington Wolves (h.

Hull KR: Castleford (h), Leeds (a).

Hull: Wigan (h), Wakefield Trinity (a).

What could happen:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Wigan: Two wins - 60% final win percentage; one win - 56%, no wins - 52%.

Leeds: Two wins - 58.33%, one win - 54.17%, no wins - 50%.

Castleford: Two wins - 56.52%, one win - 52.17%, no wins - 47.83%.

Hull KR: Two wins - 55%, one win - 50%, no wins - 45%.

Hull FC: Two wins - 50 per cent, one win - 45.23, no wins - 40.47.

What Rhinos and Tigers need to do:

Both will be guaranteed a place in the play-offs if they win their two remaining games.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Leeds will be in the top-six if they win at St Helens on Friday.

Castleford will be in the top-six if they win at Hull KR on Saturday.

If Leeds lose to St Helens they will need to beat Hull KR to be certain.

If Leeds lose to Saints and Hull KR they could still qualify, but will be depending on other results.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If Hull KR lose to Castleford and beat Leeds and Leeds lose to Saints, it will come down to which of Rhinos and the Robins has the best points difference percentage.

If Castleford lose to Hull KR, it won't be all over for them, but they will need to win against Warrington and Leeds' result against Saints could become relevant.

A Leeds victory in that one would mean Hull KR could eliminate Tigers with a win at Emerald Headingley.

If Leeds lose to Saints, but beat Hull KR and Castleford defeat Warrington, Tigers and Rhinos will go through.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hull need to win both their games and hope Castleford lose theirs and Leeds beat Hull KR, then they could sneak in on points difference.

How the play-offs work:

The top-six qualify.

The top two have a bye in week one, when third is at home to sixth and fourth plays fifth.

In round two, the league leaders are at home to the lowest-ranked winners from the previous weekend, with the highest-ranked victories travelling to the league runners-up.

The two semi-final winners meet in the Grand Final.

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United, With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.