It's a nice feather in the cap and yes it does get you a prize in the end of season awards, so yes I imagine he cares.

I never said his points in the middle 8 should count but then if we are saying that then I don't see how can you count the other EXTRA 7 games in a SL that is then reduced to 8 from 12 teams?

It seems to again be the RFL not thinking it through as they clearly never considered that someone could be top whose team then wouldn't make the super 8's. Just like the situation with the extra CC games when they didn't think any of the teams would make the QF's only for HKR and HFC to manage it.

Ask the bookies to pay out? It's not fair if they don't either include his points against the amateur sides or stop at the regular season-end.

Had a look into it for my own reasons, and Betfair sportsbook and Coral are the only ones that settle markets after 30 games. The rest settle all markets after 23 and he majority of firms now offer 'League Leaders Shield' after already settling the 'Regular Season' market.

Yeah I bet with coral was going to do it on my skybet account don't know whether it would have made a difference

It's interesting how the super 8s are treated, if they are an extension of the regular season or of the playoffs.
You hear the pre and post match interviews where players/coaches talk about "semi final footy" and sky seem to be showing almost every game in one form or another, thats more in line with how they treated the old playoffs than the regular season (be interesting to see what the tv deal says what they can/must do).
I'd have like to have seen them promoted as the playoffs, and the BBC to have picked up their national highlights program, because if they do that this year for the semi finals there will only be 2, half the coverage the game got in recent years.