Do you mean prior to 1906 or maybe between 1974 and 1997?

For the other 82 years the rugby league champions have been determined via play offs.

Do you know why we had playoffs prior to 1973? What is the reason for having them now?

The first answer is necessity, the second is simply money making.


If in the workplace you worked better than anyone else for 11 months, but for one month a year someone worked better than you, and for that month that person got the years bonus and you didn't, then the business wouldn't last long.
So why does it happen in RL?

Leeds were true Champions in 2004 & 2009. Undisputed Champions.

You can't say that about the other years.

Really they have only been real Champions twice in the SL era yet some people try to make them the best ever? Anyway, its not Leeds fault, its the RFL's and it needs changing quick.

Nobody would complain if the team finishing top became Champions.

No. But winning five out of six grand finals is no mean feat, albeit that four of them were against us!

Leeds can't be a great side. They struggled to beat a very mediocre Wigan team in the semi-final and a team of talented but largely past it Wolfs in the grand final.

Best of a very uninispiring bunch? Certainly. As good as the Saints side of the mid-noughties or the Bradford side of the early noughties or the Wigan side of the early 90s? No way.

Which saints side, the team that won one GF?

i would say the Saints side that finished top 4 years in a row in 05, 06, 07, 08. An unbelievable feat. This Leeds side is no where near matching that relentless consistency. I would say that Saints side is arguably the 2nd best side of all time.

Yeh Leeds were no where near Saints consistency

2005 Saints won 23 games Leeds 22

2006 we finished a bit behind

2007 Leeds finished 1 Point behind in the League but ended up SL champions

2008 Again Leeds finished 1 point behind in the League and yet again won the SL championship

only one year were we more than one game behind Saints in the table....but you failed to mention 04 in which we destroyed the SL and won the GF & 2009 where again we finsished 1st and yet again followed it up with a dominant GF win

YES Saints were a great team in that period on of the best ever.....but Leeds have been more consistent in that period and clutch enough to win 6 GF in 7 finals in a 9 year period with the same nucleus in the team

the more and more I read your posts....I doubt your real RL knowledge and just see you as very Anti-Leeds, and not able to give a great team its dues

Wow, that's kinda sad. Your biterness over leeds has driven you to extraordinary depths.

You couldn't make this tripe up. This guy is brilliant.

nothing against Leeds, i would say the same if it was Wakefield, Swinton, Leigh or anyone. I think its a bit much to say the best ever when only twice in the last 10 years they have been the best team in the entire season.

I know if you're a Leeds fan you don't want to admit to yourself the truth but winning the playoffs is not much different to winning the CC really.

The GF is like a glam version of the CC. Its just that Sky have 'sexed it up'