Come on Jeff haha

When making comparisons, it always makes sense to compare like-for-like situations.

The 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons weren't like-for-like play-off situations because the NRL employed a different system during those seasons... 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6 and 4 v 5... which is more likely to produce blowout scorelines. This is the reason that SL wouldn't dare adopt that system for fear of 70 or 80 point hammerings.

Therefore, the only like-for-like comparison to be made (notwithstanding the ridiculous club call) is in 2012. The data from this year is incomplete so far, but the latest figures are as follows...

2012 Playoffs
SL - Winning team avg. score - 37.8........Losing team avg. score - 12.6........Difference 25.2 pts
NRL - Winning team avg. score - 29.6.......Losing team avg. score - 12.6........Difference 17.0 pts

HTH

But SL have had these 'meaningless' loser gets a 2nd chance games where 1 team usually doesn't bother (probably the reason why SL is 2.2 pts higher and not lower than the NRL) so in a way the SL's system is more of a disadvantage to its own figures than the NRL's.

No amount of posturing by yourself will change the fact that you're making a non like-for-like comparison between two very different play-off systems... though I will credit you with the bold attempt... unlike Mr Paradise who is well known for establishing the crudest of comparisons from the most limited of data sets. Perhaps he'll employ you on minimum wage or workfare at his ailing company instead?

HTH

I see the NRL keeping up the tradition of having close semi's and GF's after today's 32-8 win for Canterbury. Massive congratulations to the NRL for adopting the SL system though as it's given them only their third 1st v 2nd GF in the last 8 years (hence rewarding the more consistant teams like SL usually does), but when you consider that the previous 2 were won by scorelines of 40-0 and 34-8 then perhaps that isn't a good thing.

The average points difference in NRL semi's and GF's has now jumped up to 16.7 compared to SL's 10.7

Feel free to keep me entertained with your non like-for-like comparisons

And congratulations to Canterbury on reaching the Grand Final after several seasons of not even finishing in the Top 8... they finished bottom in 2008... such is the unpredictability of that competition. Good effort from Souths too given they won a qualifying final for the first time since 1987. I considered them the only whipping boy NRL rabble club but not any longer.

I do believe the SL season finally kicks off next week. Oh, it'll be Wigan, Saints, Warrington and Leeds again

Good for you mate. If I was younger, I might have been interested myself... quite familiar with relational database design, theory and normal forms. Hope you find someone suitable, that's the primary key.


Yet still played at a level of skill and intensity that SL can only dream of.


Bulldogs got battered during that first half hour. Souths lost their influential halfback to injury and Sam Burgess played like an indisciplined meathead. Game turned just before half time and it was all over. All good for me because I had a couple of punts on Canterbury to win, and to win by 13+... happy days

Hope you enjoy Warrington disposing of the remaining whipping boy SL rabble team later this evening.

Will, why do you let them wind you up so easily? It seems anyone just has to mention anything approaching derogatory about the NRL, and you're off.

2012 Playoffs....
SL - Winning team avg. score - 32.3......Losing team avg. score - 12.3.......Difference - 20 points
NRL - Winning team avg. score - 29.9....Losing team avg. score - 12..........Difference - 17.9 points

The semis/GF over 4 years of top 8 playoffs now stands at
SL - Difference - 9.7
NRL - Difference - 16.7

Yep those Bulldogs - Rabbitohs and Storm - Sea Eagles games were real close on the edge of your seat type games.....