Saints, Hudds and Leeds. There may well be a big gap in terms of the points in the final league table but that counts for diddly squat in the play-offs as we all know. Wigan and Wire will be the bookies pick for the GF but those other three teams will all have a say in it

ONLY 5 teams with a realistic chance? I'd say thats a high number. Compare that to the super dooper NRL and i'd say only 1 team looks like winning it at the moment. Yes the gap between the top and bottom is big. But that happens in every league in every sport in the world.

There's a distinct lack of competition between the top team and the bottom 13

Well, 5 teams in with a chance? Now I'm no sucker of Super League's cock but that's a vast improvement from the dominant days of Wigan and lately, Leeds. Now, Wigan are still there obviously but Leeds are now lost around 8th spot wondering where the frig they are. Catalans in third? Merde. That's refreshing aint it? Warrington have begun their annual kamikazi dive - this time into the Humber Harbour. So, it's all in the melting pot.



And the crowning pair of turds in this thread's pipe comes from Widnes. The first log - they didn't concede thirty points. But the second is a u-bend filler. They won!!!! Beat Huddersfield!!!

This thread should be thrown out of court.

Aye, too many blow out scores this weekend. These teams shouldn't be in Super League.
It has to have been the most unpredictable weekend in SL history.
Well done to Widnes and Salford and of course the Mighty Trin.
It will probably be business as usual next weekend, but there will have been a few handicap coupons struggling this weekend.

Competitions good in SL compared to other leagues/sports. But I'd like to see less blow out games. Too many high scoring games over course of season, one team seems to be able to dominate the ruck and blast the other team away in a lot of games. Not sure if it's the quality of reffing or defending that's the problem.

There is a distint lack of consistency and intensity in superleague. Quite a few teams winning by up to 30 pts then losing by up to 30 points a week or two after.
Wigan are the best this year because they are maintaining consistent form similar to Warrington last year. If we had quite a few more teams holding form over a longer period then games would become more intense, this would mean more competition and perhaps less match points difference between top and bottom.

Wasn't the Warrington excuse for failing last year that they'd won too many easy games and therefore lost in the playoffs because another team unfairly played well? Maybe HKR decided to employ similarly underhand tactics this year, only earlier!!!.... tut, tut

Same clubs currently occupy the Top 8 play-off places who finished there last season, though that could temporarily change this evening if Bradford win - but they won't maintain that position.

It'll be the same Top 8 clubs in the play-offs as last season. Aside from a few minor differences in placings between clubs within the Top 8 compared to last season, it'll still be similar. At least 3 of last season's Top 4 will again finish in the Top 4 and similarly at least 3 of last season's 5th to 8th placed clubs will finish between 5th and 8th... again!

So yes - the lack of genuine competition in Super League continues unabated.

We need not bother with regular round fixtures which are a waste of time. 27 rounds of bollox to determine the 8 clubs we all know are going to qualify for the Top 8.

The nature of RL is that there is always going to be blow out scores especially when facing teams such as Wigan and Warrington who may out skill you as well as out power you.

RL isn't like football where you can just put 10 men behind the ball and hope for the best.. Having to defend on your line is tiring and a good team will always find away through. 5 teams in with a chance of winning SL surely that's great news.

This to me is the biggest problem. Year on year I don't think the teams outside the top 8 are getting stronger. The gap between top and bottom doesn't seem to be decreasing so something isn't working.

That's an opinion I hear a lot, but I just don't think it's true. There's no reason why both sides can't be fit, strong and disciplined enough to defend well for 80 minutes. Both at holding their line and at the ruck / marker.

You mean like the permier league where the top two will be the Manchester clubs. Chelsea Tottenham Arsenal will come next. With the rest following. Why would anybody watch a league so preidctable. Think the rest should just give up and call it the Manchester league.

Name me a league where the bottom team aren't that far off the top teams.

The NRL.

Not quite true, but good try.

Wigan - 1.625 points per game
london - 0.25 points per game
difference - 1.375 points per game

storm - 2 points per game
eels 0.5 - points per game
difference - 1.5 points per game

Although the NRL award points for 'bye' weeks, the difference remains the same when you take the points awarded for a bye away. It's also worth considering the team second bottom beat the team top of the league in Super League.