Don't know if this is right with the way the play offs now work but why would you risk picking you closest rival when you could pick, say 8th if the 8th placed team made it, and have a better chance of making the final and beating your closest rival in a one off game? Surely from a finacial point of view its better to lose at OT than the game before. And if thats how it works ill be amazed if the team with the choice picks anybody than the lowest placed team at that time.

No Stains can not choose Leeds if they BOTH win in week 1! They can of course choose us if we lose in week 1 and come the long way round... so it could still happen!

Trust me on this, I have done my homework on this one - firstly see this thread where I just mainly talked to myself but hey ho!

rlhttp://forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?t

Ok, play-off system below!

The highest placed of the two teams straight though to the QSF gets to pick their opponent form the two PSF winners only!!!

Both the teams through to the QSF get a home draw you see, so Saints can not deprive us of a home draw.

Week One:
Qualifying play-off (QPO) one - 1st v 4th (winner receives a bye to week three)
Qualifying play-off two - 2nd v 3rd (winner receives a bye to week three)
Elimination play-off (EPO) one - 5th v 8th (loser goes out)
Elimination play-off two - 6th v 7th (loser goes out)

Week Two:
Preliminary semi-final (PSF)one - QPO one loser v EPO one winner
Preliminary semi-final two - QPO 2 loser v EPO 2 winner

Week Three:
*Qualifying semi-final one - QPO one winner v PSF one winner
*Qualifying semi-final two - QPO two winner v PSF two winner

Week Four:
Grand Final - QSF one winner v QSF two winner

* subject to choice of highest placed winner in week one

I was on with Flipper on the Real Radio phone-in the other week going through this.

It is still rubbish though, as you are very likley to have exactly the same matches in week 3 as you had in week 1, if the home sides draws all win... which is hihly likley!

Loop -


1) Can the top ranked side pick the second placed side should they both win. IN WEEK 1

No

Of course if either lose then they might be the ones getting picked!

2) Should the higher placed side lose to a lower placed side, and they meet again later in the play-offs, will home advantage be determined by the league position or who has come from the highest ranking tie?

In Week 2 yes.

In Week 3 no, as the two clubs that win in the top 4 and miss week 2 get a home advantage in the QSF's in Week 3.

So if we lose in Week 1 (assuming we finish in 1st or 2nd) we will be home in Week 2 and away in week 3.

Spot on!

cheers

Come back Kenny McIntyre ... All is forgiven