This is what I posted on the Wigan board



I love the play offs as can be seen from the regular season with no disrespect the likes of CRusaders, Wakey and to a lesser extent Bulls over the lasst couple of years. There have been to many one sided results. A good exampole of this is the recent Wolves Wigan match, not to take anything away from the Wolves performance but would they have played that well if they had to play the Saints the week before just like Wigan had to play Leeds? IMO I doubt it.



The play offs ensures that the the champion now has to put in the work and be constantly tested to be at the very top of the game. Although I do like the club call concept I wouldn't have it. I like the top 8 format as it would work ideally like this. The team that finishes 1st plays the 8th team, 2nd team plays 7th and so forth. One chance loser knocked out. This way the top two teams in theory shouldn't play each other until OT.



From reading the posts on here some people do not like the play offs for what ever reason every one to there own. However I want to know what the feelings would be if last year Wolves had won the GF after finishing third?

I have always thought whoever finishes top should go straight to the GF and the teams that finished 2 - 5 should playoff to decide who plays them. so 2nd plays 5th and 3rd plays 4th with the semi being at the ground of the team that finished highest.

Grand Final system is established now and I can't believe this is being brought up again. A book on the use of play offs in sport eh? Fascinating.

Finishing top is the hardest thing to achieve but we have had this system for years now, and we all know how to be crowned champions and whether you like it or not its winning the GF that counts. I'm glad some of you now understand the achievement of finishing top, because last year it was a completely different story with some Wire fans (not all). I'm sure if Wire had won the GF last season from 3rd you wouldn't be saying this. I know its the same with many fans but opinions on this changed very quickly with a change in circumstance.



Still cant see past you guys, and think you will be champions come October.

I knew embarrassing threads like this would appear if we came top, just as I knew the embarrassing comparisons to football would be thrown in for good measure.



Championship finals/Grand Finals are the traditional way of deciding the league winners and the game needs the money generated by the play-off games. There's no point arguing that it could be a separate competition because that competition would slowly die off through lack of interest.



We came top knowing the rules, but it counts for nothing unless we win the Grand Final. Being consistent is one things, but for 13 years clubs have been gearing their preparation up in order to peak at this time of year. Those are the rules and rightly so, let's go and win the trophy rather than being precious.

The 'league' we have now isn't a proper league anyway. If you want to regard the league leaders as champions, you would have to have games against each team without the extra fixture thrown in that we have now.



And as I've mentioned on here throughout the season teams no longer go all out to win every game, they have an eye on the long term and the goal is no longer trying to finish top, but to ensure they go into the play offs in the best form and the best condition.



FPTP in Super League this season would have meant everyone below Wigan going through the motions for 6 months of the season.



FPTP & No Relegation = Nothing to play for, for most teams.

Quite correct.

I posted last season after Wigan finished top, that the real champions are whoever sits at the top after 27 games.

That view still holds good.

The play offs should be a separate knock out competition with first playing 8th etc. Maybe for the Sky Superleague trophy?

Why teams have to play off after 27 gruelling matches when every team has played each other at least twice, and then in a knockout formula is beyond me.

If Hull happened to win at OT, would they truly be considered the best team in the league, and henceforth, Superleague champions? No offence to Hull - just using you as an example.

Yet another person saying "well we've had it before" without any attempt to say [iwhy[/i that was the case in the first place. The playoffs were originally a fixture in league in this country because of the logistics, time and cost involved of arranging costly and timely travel to away fixtures across the pennines at a time when the players had full time jobs to work and transport was slow. This was the reason why it happened, and that is no longer an issue in modern times.



If you're going to argue for the playoff system being kept please at least give valid reasons, and there are some, 2 of which are

1) We don't play each time an equal number of times home & away

2) It's bloody good entertainment and is exciting.









And that's another valid reason in favour of the playoffs.



It doesn't alter the fact I find it difficult to justify the playoff system to people who are not already RL die hards. I've already had two conversations this morning where people have expressed to me what a joke it is that a team that finishes top of the pile now have to win a sudden death knock-out tournament to be deemed champions.



Rugby League - shooting itself in the foot commercially since 1896.

Yes, why not? If Warrington aren't capable of winning the Grand Final this season, it means they are not really suitable for the Champions crown doesn't it.



Being able to handle the pressure generated by the playoffs and Grand Final is exactly the kind of test that identifies the strongest squad in SL. If a team isn't up to that test they are not the Champion side they thought they were.

Can you explain then, why winning the Challenge Cup is looked upon as a lesser title than the main league title, because, to quote many fans (and I include people who have been trolling the Wigan forum too this year): "all you have to do is win a few games, not be consistent over a whole season".



My only problem with the current playoff format is that too many teams are involved. If Hull FC or Hull KR go on to win the Super League this year, then they will quite rightly be crowned champions as the rules allowed them to be so, but I would be embarrassed to proclaim my love of RL (for the first time in my life) to people who know nothing of the sport and want an explanation as to why the team that finished 8th were suddenly deemed champions.

Two separate competitions.....the league and the playoffs. Even coaches will say that from this point on, its a completely different competition and they are starting from scratch.