it must be great to own your own ground and be able to play when you want if only wigan still had uncle dave as chairman

i put this reply on the wigan site and it was removed within 2 mins

What did you expect ,after 7.15pm the site belongs to Wigan Athletic FC!

Wigan Warriors are no more than part time tennants

As a side issue to this it just highlights for me what a terrible play-off system this one is.

27 rounds of collective effort thrown down the toilet over one 80 minute game. It's not over yet for the team finishing 2nd (just as it wasn't for them from 1st last season) but it's just become a whole load more difficult now.

The extra game (albeit at home) before (if they come through that) an away semi-final. Shocking format.

Should be top 6 with 1 & 2 getting the first week off, 3 playing 6 and 4 playing 5 in knockout games. The winners then play 1 or 2 depending on where they finished in the table, with the winners of those two games contesting the final.

Current "reward" for finishing 1 or 2 is the thankless gimmick of "clubcall". If Wigan and Huddersfield win next weekend, we will simply see a repeat of the first round games with the 4 teams left...

I understand the games were supposed to be Friday (Wigan v Catalans) and Saturday (Hudds v Leeds), but both home teams are playing second fiddle to football fixtures

If the designated home teams can't provide a suitable venue on the allocated nights then they should jolly well give up their right to stage the fixtures.

It's absolute garbage.

Especially when Wigan haven't had a week off, what with their cup run and World Club Challenge, so the extra rest would've really done them good, because they haven't had a week off, what with their cup run and World Club Challenge.

Perhaps the system should give the top two an automatic week off, because you see Wigan haven't had a week off, what with their cup run and World Club Challenge, so they could definitely do with a bit of a rest. Mainly because they haven't had a week off, what with their cup run and World Club Challenge.

They've worked hard all season, and now if they're going to win it, they're going to have to do it without a week off, because you see they haven't had a week off, what with their cup run and World Club Challenge.

Have I mentioned that Wigan haven't had a week off, what with their cup run and World Club Challenge?

Regards,

Eddie Hemmings.

Uncanny.

Yes Stan (I mean Loretta) I agree it's been a tough road and Wigan will just have to suck it up and get on with it but it still highlights how little reward there can be in the present format.

For example Leeds in 5th get a far easier asignment in round one than the team finishing directly above them and now get to take all that momentum in to week two.

I seriously would rather be in Les Catalans and Leeds' shoes this morning rather than Wigan and Huddersfields (despite the shorter turnaround and having to travel.)

The Play-Offs should be designed to deliver an energised 1 V 2 at Old Trafford to give the sport the spectacle it derserves and I'm far from convinced this present system does that.

While not being a fan of the current play off format I do not follow your logic with regard to your comments regarding Wigan. They finished 2nd which gave them a home tie. They were well beaten by the 3rd placed side yet still have a second chance with another home tie next week. So how does this equate to a 27 round effort being down the toilet after the first round of playoffs?

The play offs are a separate knock out competition with a big handicap advantage firstly to teams 1 & 2 and secondly to 3 & 4. Last year Wigan won their away semi - "but of course you knew that!"

The "hub cap" IMO should have more status than it does.

The logic is evidenced by Wigan's experience in 2010 and 2011.

Yes 1 and 2 have an advantage and yes they have a second chance but if either lose in week one (not forgetting they are facing a fellow top 4 side and not some dross making up the numbers finishing in 7th and 8th) they surrender home advantage in the Elimination Semi-Final that decides the Grand Finalists.

Time will tell. But even in the top 5 format of a few years ago (the best version we've had yet in my view) the loser of 1st v 2nd had to then beat a team that was generally higher placed than fifth (where Leeds finished this year) if they were to reach the final. I'd agree the current system isn't particularly geared towards producing a 1st v 2nd final. You state that it should be - but that strikes me as a bit pointless. If that is the main aim - and I've yet to hear anything from the powers that be to suggest that it is - then the only way to do this in a pure form is to hold a final between 1st and 2nd. Anything less than this will always present a team finishing lower with the chance of an upset. But I doubt whether there's any chance of a straight play off between 1st and 2nd finding favour with the majority of fans, however much they may resent the iniquities within whatever system the RFL goes with.