Who would put their mortgage on one of those teams to win it? Nobody, because it could be any one of them. In recent years we've had a choice of two clubs - now we have four. That, coupled with the OP's point about point difference between top and bottom (and he forgot about the docked points for Crusaders and Wakefield this year, meaning the gap in win-draw-lose points was actually 4 points smaller this season) indicate the league is getting more competitive.

More competitive? Possibly. Improving? No

Wigan?

No I didn’t

No, it isnt.

SL needs fundamental changes to how teams are put together to even the league out. The SC doesnt do that job, its supposed to but we are a decade down the line, without it going up a penny, and still in the same position. We are in danger of being left behind in a position we cant catch up to either RU or the NRL.

So, on the one hand we have the evidence of the league table suggesting that the SL is getting closer in areas such as the points differences between the top and bottom clubs and the top and 8th place clubs

And on the other hand we have “No, it isn’t”

In my opinion the game is more competitive at the expense of quality and intensity. The Bradford, St Helens, Leeds and Hull of 2002 to 2007 were much better quality than the St Helens, Leeds, Wigan and Warrington of 2008 to 2011. But this competitive improvement in superleague doesn't migrate into the international game though, due to the amount of overseas players.

Is it more competitive? I aint so certain. There are too many blowouts in SL and games lacking the intensity required. The defences are not up to scratch and too often the top sides are not made to work hard to score tries.

I suppose one of the main differences with the NRL is year on year you see different teams in the Grand Final.

2010 St. George Illawarra beat Sydney Roosters
2009 Melbourne beat Parramatta
2008 Manly beat Melbourne
2007 Melbourne beat Manly
2006 Brisbane beat Melbourne
2005 Wests beat Nth Queensland

Superleague

2010 Wigan Warriors beat St Helens
2009 Leeds Rhinos beat St Helens
2008 Leeds Rhinos beat St Helens
2007 Leeds Rhinos beat St Helens
2006 St Helens beat Hull
2005 Bradford Bulls beat Leeds Rhinos

It isnt more competitive, you have shown evidence of this yourself. There is other evidence, such as having 6 clubs concede over 800 points, the 100 points conceded gap between those who made the 8 and those who didnt, the fact the top teams win pretty similar amounts of points over the course of a season.

Are you now in the 2x10 format Smokey, central contracts and central academy contracts?

I agree, I quoted some evidence to suggest that the league was becoming more competitive and some that it is less so. I am certainly in the ‘floating’ group when it comes to making a final decision. I just wanted a slightly more reasoned debate than “no it isn’t”

If I had the time, I would look at the scorelines in the first, second and third thirds of the season to see if the wider scorelines came when the teams with the deeper squads started to dominate

I think next year instead of having 2 or 3 teams clearly ahead. This year Wire and Wigan, previously Saints, Bradford and Leeds. Next year I reckon a strong Wire, Wigan, Saints, Catalans, Huddersfield, Leeds and Hull with competive Cas, Hull KR, Bradford and Salford. I reckon Widnes, London Broncos and Wakey will get smashed though.

With regard to the OP's suggestion that the competition's becoming more competitive I'd suggest that the evidence for this is very flimsy. If you look at the number of points won by the top four in regular rounds over the last 5 years the figures are as follows:

2011: 156
2010: 159
2009: 151
2008: 148
2007: 138

This suggests that, barring a tiny increase this year, teams outside the top four have taken fewer points in recent years, not more as you'd expect were the competition becoming more even.

Apologies, I got broken off between reading your post and responding to it - losing the thread a little in the process.