I gave up on trying to understand the play off system when they introduced the 'Club Call' bollox.

I simply look on the website and see who we've got next.

Best way IMO.

Actually, before the group stage comes the qualifiers. You can even lose in the qualifiers, lose in the group stages and still be the World Cup Winners. If it's good enough for the biggest sporting tournament on the planet it ought to be good enough for Rugby league.

Leeds have won it losing en route, Leeds have won it undefeated en route. They key is to win the tournament within it's rules. That has been done.

I'd be quite happy to see the system you've outlined adopted. What I was questioning was whether the system being used currently in SL makes the game look silly. IMO it doesn't, any more than the system used for the football world cup makes that game look silly.

I think it's 1st v 4th, 2nd v 3rd - winners go to Play-off final.

How many teams are left when the clearly defined knock-out phase begins at the World Cup in football? Is it sixteen?

SL (RL) doesn't have sixteen teams of the required capacity to become Champions but if they're intent on sticking with eight the World Cup does offer a blue-print to follow and I agree with you if it's good enough for them, it ought to be good enough for us..... So why isn't it?



I believe the key to a sport's success is in it's ability to broaden it's appeal. How is that aim being helped by a needlessly complicated play-off format which on the evidence of the opening weekend isn't even fully understood by those tasked with advertising the sport to the great unwashed?

No idea. Just pointing out to you that there are two phases in that competition where teams can lose but still proceed.

SL has 14 teams who have the opportunity to be champions at the start of every season.

It's helped even less by a parochial, northern fan base that loves to moan about everything and shows great reluctance to get off it's arris and attend events.

How can you broaden the sports appeal when it's core support doesn't appear to value playoffs or even internationals?

By widening it's appeal to new generations and audiences. Over-complicating something tends to reduce it's accessability rather than increasing it.

I'm glad you introduced the Football World Cup as it appears a good example of using a simple to understand system with clearly defined qualification stage/s and most importantly a clearly defined straight knock-out format at the last sixteen stage where a defeat means you're done whether you were one of the favourites or not.

Each finalist will have had to play and won three games (in the knock-out stage) to get there and win again to become the eventual worthy Champions. None of this week off, second chance or coaches pick bollox in the play-off phase.

I didn't introduce it.

The playoffs in RL has a straight knock out phase.

Didn't you, oh OK. Well done to whoever it was who did.

When is it and is it clearly defined?

Be sure to email your answer to Sky, the BBC and Stobarts as they appear to need all the help they can get in understanding it.

I don't get why people don't understand it. ok, its not simple, or logical, but its not complicated

For teams finishing 5th to 8th in the league, it was last weekend.

Every fixture from now onwards is knockout.

Not that hard is it?

Neither do I but only because I'm interested enough to follow the complexity of the format and try hard to understand the possible permutations it throws up.

Take the two games involving Wigan and Leeds from week 1 as an example. A Wigan win means Leeds cannot go there in week 2, whereas a Wakefield win means they can't go anywhere else. However Barrie McDermott (a so called expert summariser for the Sports major broadcast partner) doesn't appear to understand that and sends the winner of Leeds V Wakefield to Les Catalans while more or less admitting he's not sure if that's right or not. So while you or I may well understand the format what chance is there for the partially interested viewer tuning into Sky listening to McDermott - and neither O'Connor or Carney were prepared to try and help out their flummoxed mate - probably because they were none the wiser either..

It's also complicated enough for the BBC graphic department to screw up, making a mockery of their valiant attempt to explain the format.

Top 7 system could work. A straight knockout but the LL get week 1 off rather than play 8th. 7 teams would still give poor teams the chance of grabbing a spot in the PO and the chances are you will have probably won more than you lost as well and eliminates the smallest chance of 8th place winning the GF I know 7th isnt much better but at least its the top half!! It also rewards top spot with a week off and there are no repeat games.

Wigan week off
Wire v Hudds
Saints v Hull
Catalan v Leeds

It is simple why the playoffs are poorly attended.

All pay games live on TV.

People too tight to fork out.

That would work much better for me. Gives a genuine benefit to the League Leaders and them alone of a bye in week 1. Get us back down to an intense three week - six match play-off series with no gimmicks.

Hang on .... what's the catch?