Hello I know we covered this last year but I am still looking into writing a book about the idea of play-offs deciding the Champions in sport. I was wondering what the opinions are of fellow Rugby League fans on the play-offs. Do you think play-offs are the best way to decide the champions or do you prefer whoever finishes top being champions? And what do you think of the current format? So feel free to voice your opinion again, say whether it has changed or if you missed the post last time, take this opportunity to give your opinion.
Personally I think play-offs are a great concept, sport is about peaking on the big occasion and beating your biggest rivals head to head when it matters.

We benefited from the play-offs, didn't finish 1st or 2nd and still won the comp, of all the titles we have won - this one stands out the most as we hit a bit of momentum at just the right time!

We had a really bad start to the season and most pundits were writing us off.

I love the play-offs, just we were involved now and again!!

We have of course lost out to the playoffs as well - finishing top in '99 and ending the season as the first team to do so to come away empty handed - in the Super League era anyway. I never felt a sense of injustice even in that early stage in the life of the playoffs that we had finished top and as such we were the [ireal[/i champs in '99 (there were a couple of injustices, but not through the fault of the playoffs ) - other people may have, but I think that speaks volumes about how quickly this concept stuck.

I always think it is a particularly English and footballing obsession that the team who finish top are champs. Yes there is a lot of merit to it, but plenty of sports have the playoff system and I think the sport ensure that the end of the season is the business end where you have to win to prove your quality, rather than scraping a draw with your reserve side as you wrapped the title up weeks ago.

If the sport went back to first past the post, I'd understand - but it would be a lot poorer for it. Apart from a few dyed in the wool traditionalists I'd say there wasn't much appetite there for it to change.

do or die rugby league is often the best to watch. I love the playoffs, shame we aren't involved this year.

The playoffs really bring the passion and the pride, lets be honest in the league half the time it looks like the team cant be d, or are just plain poor. See 1st half of 2005. Then bang when it matters everythings there, 2005 GF. Also if a team goes out of playoffs you can see the guttedness on their faces. It means a lot to the players and should mean a lot to the fans.

A bit of an over simplistic view IMO, something was obviously not working at the start of that season. Probably the fact that we signed Ryan Hudson and he never played due to drug suspension and the half back pairings not clicking. The introduction of Ian Henderson mid season steadied the ship at acting half and allowed us to maximise the Hape- Vainikolo partnership which reached its height in the playoffs that year.

I think we had some really bad injuries that year also, luckily all first team players made a recovery towards the end of the season and they started to find some form.

I agree with your point - very simplistic view - was a year that really stands out for me!

Never been a fan myself.

I've always believed that the most consistantly good team over the course of a season should win the ultimate price rather than the rather feeble League Leaders shield.

I can see the attraction for an end of season competition but we had that before with the Premiership, to then decide have this as our 'main' trophy is pretty contrived.

We now have the situation where a team can be head and shoulders above the competition at the end of the regular season but then lose in the GF due to a dodgy referee decision or a bit of bad luck to a team who potentially finished 8th. Due to this idea that the GF is now the be all and end all the records show that the winner of that competition is the best team in SL rather than the team who got more league points.

Still, we only have ourselves to blame for being so bloody good in '97.

Playoffs are an invention to keep people interested throughout the season. If there was no playoffs when would our interest in the season have finished. Basically once we were knocked out of the cup.
Now if you look at the winners of the GF I still think we are the only team that have won from third. So in all the other years the winners finished either first or second in the regular season. So bit of a ramble but if you don't finish first or second history shows you won't win the GF.

I wish football did Play offs as well(Premiership) This would make it so much better towards the season.

You said
Followed by So bit of a ramble but if you don't finish first or second history shows you won't win the GF.'"

Which is why the Champions League is both effective, a huge revenue raiser and a bloody good advert for the sport.

I see no downsides to any play-off system = The best v the best.