To be fair, winning SL five times in the last six years does a pretty good job of highlighting who the best side has been in recent times before the Sky coverage starts.



If Wigan had a similar recent record, no doubt they would get the same sort of buttering up. Same happened with Saints.



Leeds are an exceptional side.

Except that they didn't.

You don't think there was media fawning over the 80s/90s Wigan side?!

I'm talking about the Sky muppets in particular ... who once even tried to make an issue of the fact that Wigan used to play the ball quickly, as if it was somehow unfair on everyone else.

What a lot of us are concerned about is the fact the now under the SKY dominance the GF selects the "League Champions".

What is actually happening week in and week out though is that summaries of coaches when they play various teams is that they tell us "(N) are the best team in the comp". In 2010 it was Wigan, 2011 Warrington and 2012 Wigan again.

They say that because they were playing the best rugby and winning more than anyone, losing fewer, scoring more points than others and conceding fewer.

Those facts select the best team in the League yet only in 2010 did the best team in the League win the GF.

The concept that the League Champions are by definition the best team in the League has been undermined by the facts as they currently are. Leeds were the best team in the League in 2009.

How we overcome this I'm not sure but one way surely is that the League Leaders get an automatic place in the GF. That's not going to happen as it would require a two week play off or otherwise the LL will be waiting for 2 weeks or more for the Grand Final to come around.

The other is to recognise the League Leaders properly with a far better trophy than now and also with a substantial financial reward for what is the most difficult trophy to win.

Were SKY around during that period ?





I've noticed it's always a 'love in' from Stevo (with his Yorkshire bias) and Hemmings, who doesn't know much about RL anyway, when Leeds play.

The NRL commentary team put the Sky mob to shame!

Last week Stevo actually commented on how straight the touchlines were at Headingley

Against Bradford Eddie said that it would be up for some debate who the greatest player to play for both Leeds and Bradford between Ellery Hanley and Jamie Peacock. Ten minutes later Peacock concedes a penalty which ruled out Sinfield's drop goal and then he got himself sin binned andBradford score on the next set.



Ridiculous statement.

For once, that wasn't such a ridiculous statement by Hemmings.



Hanley is the best player of the last 40 years and was very good for Bradford and very good for Leeds but spent most of the peak of his career elsewhere. Peacock has been outstanding for Bradford and outstanding for Leeds, probably better than Hanley was for both clubs. So it is a fair matter for debate who has been the outstanding performer for both clubs, which is what I took Eddie to mean.



It's certainly less ridiculous than using the evidence of 5 minutes play to settle the argument one way or another.

Beat Leeds in the playoffs?



Simple.