Good post.

In 2005, 2007 and 2008 the league was in much stronger than it is today in my opinion. At the time I thought that the Bulls team that won in 2005 was the worst team to ever be Champions. But looking back that team really got a run on and did have to bust a gut to win the league from third. A bit of Wigan thuggery help them out mind you, but you never thought that after that the value of a top two finish had been devalued. You cannot say the same about this year.

I do dislike the playoff system as I feel it does undermine a league campaign. Saying that there was a playoff system in the past is a bit out of context. As we also had a mega league 1 division in the past, and not all the teams played each other home and away. Also those you did play twice would depend on where you were in the league.

So a playoff has it's place, but the current system devalues the league to the point where clubs will throw games with little regard to the impact, we've done it in the past other teams do it now.

Whilst the playoffs may decide the honoury title of champions, the playoffs do not provide the life blood of the game. The life blood of the game is money and that comes from fans and advertisers who pay for week in week out RL.

If the clubs continue ever more with the lax attitude towards the league, then how long until fans start to turn away from season tickets and advertisers turn away from league games?

I'm not dogmatic about it, but there should be some difficulty for those who take that approach during the season, at the moment reward is given for too little effort. Imagine a top 3, 4 or top 5 playoffs and then imagine the intensity that teams like Leeds, Catalan, Saints would have to be playing at to be assured of their place.

At the moment 5th looks the best outcome for Saints this year in terms of a run at the playoffs, 4th and 3rd make it more difficult.

Fair enough we all hate or dislike whatever we choose, everyone has a choice, when and when not to raise their voice or hand. I have seen what real hate can do overseas and am now less likely to use it in regards sport , even in banter about something I am very passionate about. Back to RL good luck to the Saints, and if they get to the GF I hope they win this time, as long as it’s not against us!

In that case, you firmly belong on the same funny farm as the OP.

A Saints fan hoping Wigan win the GF, and a Wigan fan hoping we win it as long as it's not against them.....what on earth is going on??

I am sorry but you can't be very passionate about supporting either team if you hope that their deadliest rival wins the league. It really makes me angry. If you support Saints, you should hate Wigan, and vice versa. Simple as that.

Your not wrong had Sean Long been fit for the play offs I think we would have won the thing.

It's possible to be both passionate and rational.

I agree. And there is nothing irrational about my hatred of Wigan.

I'd go as far as saying that any Saints supporter who wants to see Wigan win the Grand Final is not a true supporter. Wigan are our rivals, that isn't optional.

I'm glad we didn't have Noel Cleal replace Neville Chamberlain instead of Churchill or we'd all be eating bratwurst and not cumberlands now. That's all I can say.

Unfortunately the druggie scum Newton put paid to that

My reasoning is neither irrational nor a ticket to the funny farm. Why would I give a flying sh*t who wins the GF if we weren’t involved? So if it were Saints, SO WHAT! I would sooner them than a Yorkshire club. I support my team as passionately as you yours, have no doubt about that, we just think of things in different ways. Some people write things beyond banter (as someone did to you, and to which you took offence, remember) which some would think is just posturing, and that kind of thing is irrational. I know you and some others would call my thoughts barmy, fine, I find yours OTT to say the least, bewareshadows has it right, or is he, like me, not a real fan? I think not, I just think some people should just keep RL and life, in prospective.

Funny Farm? I have not said I like Wigan, I have just said that they deserve to be Champions and the League is in need of "Real" Champions after all that has happened in the last 12 months. Come on, what are the options, I have a health dislike of the Wire Scum so I don't want them to win it. Leeds have had far more success than the ability of their squad warrants and their fans are perhaps the scummiest in the league outside of Humberside. We are hopeless and have no chance so we can count ourselves out.

Catalan are the only team that I like that has a shot at being champions, but even if they do, they have not really looked like champions this year and would not give the league the integrity boost it needs. So it has to be the Pies!!!

Don't forget Darren Albert he was also assaulted in that game.

Neville has been treated harsh by history. He had the countries interests at heart just had a bad PR guy. He was just trying to avoid Churchill’s war that cost this country so much and allowed Germany and the USA economies to overtake ours in the years since. Plus there is nothing wrong with Bratwurst, get yourself down to the Manchester Christmas markets and have one with a nice gluvine this December.

Weren't Germany forced to pay the other european countries monitary compensation following the war?

That was the first world war this resulted in a depression which resulted in the rise of fascism. After the second they were banned from having an army which has saved them huge amounts of money in the time since.

We, on the other hand, were still paying the USA for the weapons they sold us during WWII until about 10 years ago.