No chance of us making the top 4, we'll probably finish 6th and will then face the never been done before scenario of winning a GF from such a lowly position

The CC is our most realistic aim of silverware this season, although some side will possibly win the GF from our current position eventually

For a side to win the GF from such a lowly position a number of factors needs to be in play.

They need to be in awesome form, have the ability to win it in the first place get some luck in the tight playoff games and have a few teams above them self destruct in some way.

When bradford won it in 2005, the only team to win from outside the top 2, they finished 3rd and they had everything going in their favour. They pretty much had a first choice 17 fully fit, all their key players were fireing, they had the coach and the players that had won it before, they had new players added to the team (an already strong squad) before the playoffs and the 2 teams above them self destructed. Both got injuries to key players - saints more than leeds, and leeds burnt out.

When you consider all the factors that fell into place it wasn't even a shock when you look back with hindsight.

And all this was in place for a team that finished 3rd and had made tghe previous 4 grand finals winning 2!!!!

Leeds have no chance of a grand final win this year because they aren't good enough, let alone having everything going in their favour at the right time.

I hope the teams finishing 1 and 2 always contest the Grand Final and then it's all on the night. If 1 or 2 fails to make the final I hope the other still takes out the prize over the team finishing third or lower.

Having a winner from outside the top two devalues the league campaign and harms the credibility of the comp IMO.

I see your point, but I think the play-off system has been quite successful in creating interest (and income) in the end of the season, sometimes long after the title would have been decided the old fashioned way, and for more teams. RL needs the money, in my opinion.

If nobody outside the top 2, or even 3, ever wins it, sooner or later it will dawn on the great unwashed below those positions that actually their season is over and the magic will be gone. A winner from 5th or 6th would do the play-off concept a world of good.

Still can't see it happening. There were times earlier this year when it looked like a 4 horse race, but I think we're down to 3 at best again now.

Hasn't the all conquering NRL had a winner from 8th before? Wests I think...

I think Bradford were found gulity of breaching the salary cap that year. Adrian Morley ??

Don't get me wrong I am 100% behind the play-off concept which has served the sport for the overwhelming majority of it's existence, it's just that I want to see the title earned and go to a team that deserves it from a season long campaign not just from a burst of form at the end. The play-offs need to be weighted in favour of the two teams finishing highest on the ladder and I'm not sure that is the case with the present format.



If it hasn't dawned on supporters by now it probably never will but the reality is there has yet to be a winner from below 3rd (and even that was a one-off (from 13 finals) attributable as much to the antics of one Wigan player as it was to Bradford busting the salary cap and bringing in a ringer in order to win it.



It has looked like a two horse race all season, still does. The only potential fly in that ointment remains the ridiculous placing of the Challenge Cup in the season. It's about as predictable an outcome as you will find in sport (outside of wrestling, cricket and snooker obviously) but there's always a chance of a genuine upset to cling onto even if deep down you know it's not going to happen.

I tell you this. If Leeds make the CCF and somehow finish 4th and have a reasonable run in the play offs. Some people are going to have a REALLY hard time with Ouzo and G1.

Where is Ouzo, in whichever guise he's currently adopting? G1 has written off this season (and this coach) just as much as the rest hasn't he?

That's the impression I've had anyway (and he'd be right to do so) and in anycase reaching the CC Final would be no great shakes given the draw, it's what Leeds tend to do.

He's been in Greece oddly enough. And G1 may have written the team, the coach and the season off. But if he's proved wrong he'll be back harangueing those whom dare to praise the team after having done the same. It's what he tends to do.

Still trying to re-float their economy? I seriously think that country would go bust without his and M's frequent visits.

__________

Such hypocrisy would deserve to be highlighted although I suspect the chances are (unlike me) pretty slim this year.

I agree that there isn't quite enough weighting towards the top team now. I wouldn't mind that being tweaked. In my ideal world I would say that the weighting should be such that you feel a team coming from outside the top 2 has such a lot to do that you'd feel they had earned their title. At the moment I think the only reason it's a herculean task is that they evidently weren't as good as teams above them, who therefore beat them. If teams were closer together in quality and the top 8 was very much bunched up I think it would be very possible.




Are you suggesting that 13 or 14 years is long enough for an average RL fan to learn anything? 5.47900390625:5