Whichever way you try and dress up Leeds Rhinos' season so far, there's one fact that stands out amongst the chaos. Heading into the second half of the season, the Rhinos are, somehow, only three points of a play-off position.
It's crazy to consider really, especially given the doom and gloom that has lingered over Headingley so far this season. There's no getting away from the fact that it's been a dismal campaign so far, and let's be right, it has been.
And yet, despite being Super League's lowest scorers so far this season, if they can find a way to win against at Warrington they're guaranteed to move up to ninth and if results fall kindly they could end the weekend just a point off a top-six position.
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You'd suspect that when Rohan Smith took the job his remit was based on what success looks like in 18 months or two years. Nevertheless, if Leeds were to plot a path to the finals this year, it would show that they're on the right path under their new head coach.
Of course, the fact we're considering a play-off place as success for Leeds Rhinos shows the nature of the decline, but for now at least, it's a tangible goal, and a realistic one too, for them to strive towards while working on the bigger picture is chipped away at.
There's plenty for Leeds to do between now and then, too. Their victory over Wakefield Trinity a fortnight ago was a step in the right direction with some notable improvements on show. They were effective in attack and looked more cohesive across the park.
But with no disrespect intended to Wakefield, the Rhinos were playing against a team way off the standard Leeds wants to be playing at. In Warrington, they play another big club that has failed to step up. However, this remains a big jump up from the previous opposition.
Performance remains key for Leeds. Fans are naturally desperate for results but anyone with a realistic head on their shoulders would concede that the Rhinos aren't really playing for anything between now and the end of the season. A play-off spot would be nice but wouldn't achieve much more than that. There's no quick fix here.
But if Leeds can play well for the rest of the season, it will stand them in good stead come 2023. Moreover, it would give some players fighting for their futures at the club the opportunity to convince Smith they're up to the task.
Every game is an education for Smith currently, he'll perhaps learn more from this game than any other so far.
