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While hope to win an unprecedented fourth straight Grand Final from an unfamiliarly low position, and while and exchange blood and thunder at the KC, it is the end of season presence of that most catches the eye.

Noble probably won't be in charge at the Welsh club next year and, while on this season, I understand has already been told the job is his if Noble does indeed move on. Crusaders will probably be seen as the end-of-season whipping boys and are but Noble quite simply doesn't care and is adamant that whatever happens from here on in should not detract from an outstanding achievement.

"We have snuck up on a few people, we were most people's bets to finish 14th, let alone eighth and we've got better as the year's gone on," he says. "It is a fabulous success story on behalf of the players and I think we have enough in us to ruffle a few feathers."

Crusaders' rise from a worrying start is also a shot in the arm for the RFL, who .

, but September marks a clean slate on the road to Old Trafford.

Not the usual routine for the Crusaders

It's been a somewhat unusual build-up to the Wrexham side's first play-off appearance, too. Crusaders held a yoga session on their training ground on Thursday and the sight of a Super League squad performing the ancient art together days before the biggest game in the club's history marks a real turnaround in the club's standing and image.

"We didn't even have a training ground until two months into the season," recalls Noble. "We even cheered when we got some training bibs."

While Crusaders have been meditating, play-off opponents Huddersfield have been navigating. Or not. Barry, the Giants' kitman, caused a bit of a scare after last weekend's win over the Catalans Dragons by misreading and driving the team kit all the way to Geneva!

and we will find out just how strong their claims are when . Having celebrated engagement to girlfriend Issy with the Wolves boys in Leeds last weekend, I can confirm they are taking things very seriously. That evening began by watching the fiery Hull FC versus Leeds contest at the KC, including the early dismissal of Lee Radford for doing what many a Super League forward must have been tempted to do in the past and take a few swings at .

A couple of the more mischievous members of my Saturday night viewing party suggested that other Super League players might even have a whip round to pay Radford's fine!

More severe than being hit to the tune of £300 in his pocket was the subsequent one-match ban that ruled Radford out of the play-off derby. I was more than a little surprised to see , on the basis that "only one of the punches thrown by Radford had made contact".

So if you have a poor aim it seems you could well get off...

That Leeds win not only helped patch up the Wembley wounds from the previous weekend's mauling by the Wolves but, more importantly, snuck the Rhinos into the top four, thus handing them an extra play-off life.

Leeds, like most other Super League clubs, held their annual awards night this week, with in-form Danny McGuire named Player of the Year ahead of . I don't think Leeds have the depth to do it again this year, especially in who underwent knee surgery on Thursday, but in .

"We've been used to finishing top two so this is unusual," says veteran centre who was this week named in the once more. (Indeed my Dream Team predications in last week's blog were uncharacteristically accurate).

"We still have a very good chance of making it four titles on the trot," insists Senior.

"Wembley was devastating, I took it very hard. We were confident and didn't deliver. Warrington showed us how to play the game. We've taken it on chin, kicked ourselves up the backside and we're getting on with it. It's a great test of our character and to see how much desire there is in the team to get back to the Grand Final."

First up for the champions is the trip that nobody wants this season - a match with Michael Maguire's seemingly untouchable Wigan. though, has reminded the runaway table-toppers that "we've always just come up short in the play-offs and haven't had that ability over the last few years to go that one step further".