Unless they win the competition?

What you fail to realise is that the competition doesn't end at the end of the league stage. Next you'll be saying that the Tour de France should be won by the person who finishes the first stage first, or that the person who wins the qualifying in an F1 race should win the race. Both those are ludicrous, just as ludicrous as thinking the person that heads the league after the league rounds should be champions.

Enough with the ludicrous analogies.

As I suspect you and SBR both know very well, no-one, with the possible exception of Damo in a thread a few weeks ago which bordered on the surreal, is suggesting that the league leaders should be champions this season, or 'under the current rules'.

Rather that the rules should be changed.

Not that I necessarily agree, you understand.

Not very.

So how come they dont use this system in Championship 1 ?

I don't know, maybe because it's 'two up-two down' and it would nullify the occasion?

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You mean like the Championship GF where both clubs will have already ' Qualified ' to apply for SL in 2012 when they get to the GF

Effectively making winning the semi final more important than winning the final ?

My God, you really do post some misinformed rubbish at times

The play-off system serves, and has done for the majority of RL's existence, served the game perfectly well.

The first-past-the-post system only works in an even fixture list, which Super League isn't.

The league is effectively a qualifying stage. Those who meet the qualifying criteria should compete in the play-offs (although I believe that eight is too high). What happens in the play-off stage will ultimately decide the champions. Should Greece not have been crowned European Football Champions in 2004? After all, they finished second behind Portugal in the "league" system.

Ah, the annual "Saints fan posts a thread about the Grand Final not being the best way to decide the champions, unless, of course, its' Saints that win it from a position other than 1st, as has happened thread".

Must be getting near playoff time.

Using a playoff system to determine the champions is the traditional way in RL and is used in all the main RL playing nations.

One of the main complaints about Super League is that there aren't enough high intensity matches and the playoffs and Grand Final provide that. The best players and teams are able to win when there is no next week to rectify losing a game and when the stakes are at their highest, as well as being consistent in the league.

Spot on.

That was one of the main arguments for keeping promotion & relegation. If were were to do away with the play offs as well, then my god we would have a boring season.

I love the play offs, a proper knockout comp and a good way to finish the season.

Even if my lot seem to be scared of it

It's embarrassing continually bringing this up.

The only thing I'd change about the current system is that finishing top should give you a distict advantage over finishing second to ensure that everyone fights to finish top. The top 5 system did this perfectly and is still the best system we've used IMO.

Also even the great sssociation football uses finals after leagues for the major events such as the World Cup, European Champs, Champions League etc