White Rose quartet will not wilt as they chase Grand Final dream

The play-offs were launched in Manchester yesterday at the same time as the fantasy XIII was unveiled, Leeds Rhinos duo Keith Senior and Ryan Hall along with Hull KR scrum-half Michael Dobson the only individuals from this side of the Pennines deemed good enough to warrant a place.

Not since 2001, when Bradford Bulls pair Tevita Vaikona and Jamie Peacock were the sole representatives from the White Rose county, has there been such a sparse inclusion in the line-up which is annually selected by a panel of journalists and broadcasters based on form throughout the season.

However, it should come as no surprise. After all, Wigan,

St Helens and Warrington are the sides who have led the way in this, one of the most entertaining Super League campaigns, and they consequently dominate the voting.

Resurgent Wigan, having finished top for the first time in 10 years, boast four players alone with leading points scorer Pat Richards, influential loose forward Sean O'Loughlin and swashbuckling second row Joel Tomkins all making their debuts, alongside stand-off Sam Tomkins, who was a member of the 2009 Dream Team.

Challenge Cup winners Warrington have Australian centre Matt King making his own bow, the evergreen Adrian Morley and Ben Westwood also named, while Saints' Paul Wellens and James Roby return for the first time since 2007, James Graham picked, too, after missing out last year.

Although Warrington's marauding second-row Westwood does at least hail from Wakefield, a proud product of Normanton ARLFC, it does not disguise the fact it has been a barren year for the Tykes.

However, for all the prestige wearing the exclusive shirt on the hallowed turf of Old Trafford brought yesterday, each individual would swap the honour in favour of being there again on October 2 as part of a victorious Grand Final side.

That is what the head coaches of Leeds, Huddersfield, Hull FC and Hull KR will all be reminding their players of from hereon in – nothing of real importance has been won yet.

The regular season is over and the likes of Tomkins, Richards et al have undoubtedly starred. But over the next four weeks, players from that Yorkshire quartet can, despite the odds being stacked against them, inspire themselves to the ultimate goal of raising the Super League trophy, an image which will be engrained in the memory far longer than any photo opportunity in early September.

The real work begins now and, if any team can deliver three or four successive quality displays, the beauty of the play-offs says they can be deemed champions.

The other side engaged – Crusaders – have reached the play-offs in only their second year of Super League and have at the helm a venerable master of the system.

Brian Noble is the most successful coach in the competition's history having guided Bradford to five successive Grand Finals and it will not be lost on the gregarious Yorkshireman that when only Vaikona and Peacock got the nod in that Dream Team nine years ago, it was indeed his Bulls side that went on actually to win the title.

His current side must go to Huddersfield on Saturday and succeed in order to progress to the next round while Hull FC and Hull KR face each other in a titanic encounter chasing the same reward.

Defending champions Leeds have the luxury of a second chance if they fail at Wigan on Sunday

Meanwhile, the Tomkins are the first brothers to appear in a Super League Dream Team, three months after becoming the first siblings to play for the national team for 21 years while, after making his comeback in 2009 after a 10-year absence, Morley is the first player to appear in selections in three decades.

Rhinos' left-edge combination Senior and Hall retain their places from last year, as does Rovers scrum-half Dobson who admitted surprise at beating off the challenge of Saints' Kyle Eastmond, Wigan's Thomas Leuluai and Warrington tyro Richie Myler.

"I'd not really thought about it and it was a bit of a shock when I got the call," said the Australian.

"With all the great half-backs around it's an honour to get picked ahead of them.

"Now we're just looking forward to the play-offs. We didn't do great last year but now we've more experience in the side and we're pretty much fully fit.

"We'll have to be 100 per cent to beat Hull but it'll be a great occasion and hopefully we can edge them."

2010 Engage Super League Dream Team: Paul Wellens (St Helens); Pat Richards (Wigan), Matt King (Warrington), Keith Senior (Leeds), Ryan Hall (Leeds); Sam Tomkins (Wigan), Michael Dobson (Hull KR); James Graham (St Helens), James Roby (St Helens), Adrian Morley (Warrington), Ben Westwood (Warrington), Joel Tomkins (Wigan), Sean O'Loughlin (Wigan).