Super League play-off race remains wide open despite shifting narratives - James O'Brien comment

In the digital age, every result is magnified. Teams can move from crisis to contenders and back again in the space of a fortnight.

Right now, there is an air of invincibility surrounding Wigan Warriors. Their return to form has been so impressive, so emphatic that there is a growing sense the trophy is theirs to lose.

And yet rewind a few months and the conversation sounded very different. Home defeats to Huddersfield Giants and Castleford Tigers had some wondering whether Wigan were a fading force. A team accused of being over-reliant on Bevan French are now trying to find room for their star half-back after the emergence of Jack Farrimond.

The fact that those concerns now seem absurd underlines how quickly perceptions can change. That is why writing teams off can be a dangerous game.

Seasons ebb and flow, momentum shifts, injuries bite, players return and teams find a second wind.

At various points this year, a compelling case could have been made for several different clubs as Grand Final winners.

That is what makes the run-in so intriguing. The race for the play-offs may be tightening but the battle for the biggest prize remains far more open than recent narratives would have you believe.

League leaders Leeds Rhinos are a case in point. The focus has shifted to Wigan but Leeds have spent months doing what contenders do best: winning consistently.

Ironically, their only defeat in the last nine games came against the Warriors last month. That result prompted fresh questions about the Rhinos' credentials and whether they could handle the biggest occasions. One defeat was enough to alter the narrative.

That is why Thursday's top-of-the-table clash with Warrington Wolves carries significance.

Victory would give Leeds a cushion at the top and reinforce the belief that Brad Arthur's side have what it takes to go all the way; defeat, however, would see the questions raised after their loss at Wigan resurface.

Whatever happens, the Rhinos will remain one of the competition's leading contenders. Yet in a season where perceptions can change from week to week, the noise may sound very different by Friday morning.

Wakefield Trinity found that out the hard way last week. On a high following their dramatic win over Hull KR, Trinity became the latest team to have their wings clipped by the ruthless Warriors.

Such has been the speed of their rise that it is easy to forget Wakefield only returned to Super League last year. Yet that is another example of how quickly perceptions can shift in this competition.

On their day, Trinity are capable of beating anybody but consistency at the sharp end is what separates the contenders from the genuine title challengers.

A favourable run of fixtures now offers Daryl Powell's team the chance to build momentum. Hull KR are the only top-six side Wakefield will face between now and early August, a stretch that may add wins to their record without fully answering the broader question about their play-off prospects.

Rovers provide another example of how quickly the conversation can shift.

Willie Peters' side appeared to be flying prior to Wembley after racking up nine straight wins, including a dominant Challenge Cup semi-final performance against Warrington.

Yet doubts have begun to surface about whether they are the same force as last season, concerns that can be traced back to their Las Vegas collapse against Leeds.

While they could point to their World Club Challenge exploits the previous week, there was no such mitigation in their Wembley humbling by Wigan.

For all the scrutiny, Rovers sit third at the halfway mark of the campaign after returning to winning ways against York Knights. Another victory over the in-form Leigh Leopards this week would provide fresh impetus.

Momentum is undeniably with the Leopards right now following six wins in seven games. But they do not need reminding that form is fragile in Super League.

Warrington, too, have the look of genuine challengers; St Helens, by contrast, are trending in the wrong direction and appear to be the side in danger of making way for Leigh in the top six.

At this stage of the campaign, nothing stays still for long. The usual mid-season lull only adds intrigue to the play-off battle.

Wigan, for instance, cannot possibly maintain this level of dominance week in, week out all the way through to September. Their form will be questioned and the cycle continues.

Ultimately, amid all the noise, there are clues about how each team is travelling but the picture will not become clear until the play-offs arrive. That is what makes Super League such a rollercoaster of emotions and conjecture.

Because in the end, the talking only stops when Old Trafford is in sight.