I got lost with it. Why not reform it into a) the AFl's System or b) the NRL System, or even c) Create a Conference system, and use that?
It's just drives me mad

It seems to work out though doesnt it?

1st vs 2nd same as for the last 4 years

i do like the NRL version for the variety of matches that could happen.

One thing i don't like about it is like Warrington ended 3rd but got Saints away, Huddersfield 5th and got Crusaders at home, to me that's not exactly fair.

Warrington got a 2nd chance that's why it was fair, it isn't the RFL's fault that coulden't win either game.

I've gotta admit something has to be done,the attendances for high profile play off games are utterly dismal. Wigan less than 10,000 for one of their games Leeds v Wigan less than a normal league game between the sides, and Saints, less than 14,000 for the last ever game at Knowlsey Road. Personally I detest the play offs. How could someone who wins the league fair and square at the seasons end NOT be true champions??

They've won the league, proven they are a top team, get given the most advantage of any club. If they can't perform under pressure then they dont deserve to be SL champs. Play off system is how its (nearly) always been done in RL. League leaders deserve a bit more credit than is given at the moment but IMO the play offs are brilliant!!

Yup, we could call it a day at the end of the regular season and that would be that.

All that money generated from the play-offs, not just gate receipts but little incidentals like Sky money, sponsorship etc. could all go elsewhere.

Sounds like a plan, a fooking stupid plan admittedly but pretty much par for the course as far as you're concerned

Would you be prepared to backdate it through most of the RL / NU history ?

Mike 'Stevo' Stevenson's Dewsbury won it from 8th in '73 ... The Dewsbury team that won the Championship Final were the legitmate champions for that season and it is the one all the history books list.

It's interesting to note all the complaining about the play-off system comes whilst they are going on and hardly any during the off-season or the start of a campaign.

I think the system needs looking at. To have two teams play each other twice before the final says to me that there is something wrong with it. Maybe go back to 5 or 6 team system of the past? Either way it needs a rethink along with the clubcall idea.

The playoff system was necessary prior to 1973/74 due to the fact teams didn't play everyone twice, thus creating an imbalance throughout the regular season, and you need [iimbalance[/i to justify a playoff system IMO - to which, one extra game ("magic weekend"icon_wink.gif doesn't create enough uncertainty that the team who finishes top shouldn't be champions.

Even in the NRL, there are 24 games played - from 16 teams. There are potentially 6 games missing from a straight home/away league season creating uncertainty, and not giving any team sufficient reasons for thinking they should be champions prior to the playoffs.

Put it this way, if we would of beat Hudds, then we would of played Saints away again.

So how is that fair we end 3rd, and could of ended playing two games away from home what kind of reward is that.

The top 4 should all get home draws straight away, why can't they just do a simple 1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th and so on, do a straight knock out.