You can't look at the bonus point in isolation without acknowledging that you also now get an extra point for winning and drawing.

The fact is that you don't get that extra point only if you lose by 12+.

So, if you really don't want to reward failure, the bonus point is exactly what you are after.

Bonus point for a big win won't happen. The League want to encourage closer games so they're hardly likely to reward a team for a "blow-out" score.

I agree to a point.

However, there are always 4 points on offer unless you win by more than 12.

I.e win by 12 or less; 3pts winning team 1pt losing team.

Draw the game; 2pts each team.

Yet if you win by more than 12 it is just 3pts wining team 0pts losing team.

Feels like we are rewarding negative play but not positive. Surely there should be 4pts available for every game and reward teams for winning by larger margins? So if you win by more than 12 then 3pts for winning plus a bonus point??

Yes, i agree. Although i think the Rfl have done this simply to reduce the chances of teams running away of the league and to make all the teams seperated by as few points as possible.

Wait for the time when a team looses 10 nil and gets a bonus point for not scoring a single point in the match and at the same time a team loses 30 - 16 and doesnt. The team who couldnt even score a single point in a match gets a bonus point when a team who tried doesnt. See if thats fair....

The Bonus point is a dead in the water concept. The sooner the RFL ditch this sill idea the better.

But in the old system a team just tries to win the game or at least draw it - although draws are rare they do reward the effort to get even on the scoreboard and something out of the game.
With a bonus point teams are just trying to keep the score down at the death to get one, I do not honestly beileve that a team is trying to settle for a BP for most of the game they are trying to win it. A BP just happens either because the opposition take their foot off the gas or late on a team realises it may get one but for 70 minutes both teams are probably blissfully unaware of the BP possibility so how is it keeping scores down???
What keeps scores down is more evenly matched teams, which cannot be manufactured as the RFL seem to be trying to suggest with the BP system.
It is a negative move for me as a win is what I want a team to be going for or a least a draw not to lose a match rfor a bonus point.
I bet the Aussies don't have this rule???

CORRECT ! They have Aussie rules.


We drew a game at Cas in the cup and eventually lost in extra time, is this any different, considering our team gave their all but still managed to get nothing out of the game ?

Yes its completely different. Although I dont like the golden point, it was a titanic attempt. The bonus point system is rewarding failure.

Definately see your point re rewarding failure but not totally against it as it can be seen as rewarding the fans in a sense. If your team is getting stuffed (as we were on Friday) the fans can cling to the hope of a bonus point for the extra effort in theory, therefore making it a bit more worthwhile if you know your team is out of it re a victory.

I see where you are coming from, but like I said earlier a team could loose 10 - 0 and be awarded a bonus point.

12 - 0 even.

If a team lost 10 - 0 they would still be within 12 points and would therefore qualify for a bonus point, surely.

The bonus point has its plus and minus points however as already mentioned, matches dont have the same value. Surely all matches should have 4 points on offer, that way a side who is winning by a decent margin doesnt take the foot off the gas as they would want to gain the bonus point.

One thing that can be said it has made for a exciting climax to the season with all the teams bunched together. Without the bonus point the table would look different.

Halifax 33
Barrow 30
Widnes 30
Featherstone 30
Whitehaven 30
Toulouse 24
Batley 22
Sheffield 21
Leigh 21
Gatehead 19
Doncaster 3


I do agree that all levels of our sport should be playing under the same rules, either everybody adapt to the bonus point system or kick it into touch. The rugby league will be kicking themselves, without the bonus point toulouse would be in the top six, it still looks like a competitive league.

The day will come when someone finishes top having lost more games than those in second, but wins on bonus points

The table is not that much different in its 'closeness' though without the BP so I don't agree, in this one there are 4 teams on 30 points.
Its naff come on bin it.