But yet look at how many people, even in this country, watch the superbowl... People may be confused by the play-off system, but if it's exciting, they'll watch. I don't think these people have a problem with RL simply because they play-offs are a 'joke', more that we are portrayed as unimportant by the media.
I think they play offs are a must, especially since there is no relegation... Otherwise how boring would this season have been? It was obvious from very early on that Wigan and Wire would dominate.

I haven't read the whole thread but a skim over one post said something about being embarrassing if the eighth placed team are crowned champions.

Does anyone REALLY think Hull FC are gonna win the Grand Final?!

Technically I suppose they can though, so IF they do - meaning they will have beaten four teams that finished above them in the league in consecutive weeks, three away from home - would that in itself not be an incredible achievement that would deserve great reward?

The play offs are fine, and comparing it to football isn't a valid argument in my opinion.

That's a valid argument. I do wonder though what the reaction would be from the people in this country if the PL suggested having an end of season playoffs to decide the champions to stop teams with enough players for 3 squads such as Utd/Chelsea/etc running away with the title every year I'm afraid the way RL is presented in the media is a chicken and egg situation, until we have more people turning up to games, we'll find it harder to bring in bigger name sponsors, and until we have that, we'll find it difficult to get better exposure in the national media... And when it comes to generating interest, the national media is incredibly useful. I'm damned if I know the answer, if I did I'd be working at the RFL already.

I dont think anybody has a problem with the ply-off compeition and I dont think anybody has a problem with the Grand Final. Where I think people have a problem (and it happened last year as well) is that the current structure does not reward the most consistent teams. SuperLeague is effectively a two part competition.

Storm the first part and you can still walk away with nothing, whether it be due to "choking", the luck of a bounce or a single bad referring decision, whereas a "medicore team" can raise their game for 4 matches and be "the best in the country".

All I have been advocating (this year and last, so its not just because of where we are) is that the team that wins the league element get the credit it deserves rather than just some token acknowledgement from the RFL/Sky.

Wigan Warriors -- Challenge Cup Final winners
Warrington Wolves --"League" champions
Grand Final Winners and SUPERLeague champions......to be decided

Seems to me the majority of this argument is down to wording and people misunderstanding what each other mean.

I think that the fact that RL has traditionally decided its annual champions by a knock-out competition [iis a very good reason[/i for keeping a play-off format. Tradition is at the heart of the success of long-term major sports, and ditching tradition quite often looks just 'gimmicky'. There are many major wordwide sports that use a play-off system so I do not believe ours needs defending. The sort of people who '[ithink Super League is a joke[/i' probably think that anyway because they don't like our sport. No amount of tinkering will persuade them.

Mid 80s to mid 90s when we had the champions decided by league position was an era where ALL the glamour, focus and media coverage for RL was on the Challenge Cup Final. How many times does the media refer to the many championships that the Pies won in that period, compared to the frequent recall of / references to the eight Challenge Cups? Whilst the game has a higher profile now I reckon the champions tag [isans [/iplay-offs would be devalued in the media again. The old 'Premiership' end-of-season knock-out comp was fun but would look redundant, too, nowadays.

Leave well alone, I say.

I just dont like the system we have atm. Think its unfair on Wire if you lose as we did last season and then have to go away for technically a semi final. Rather see the old system where Wigan and Wire play eachother as HJ with the winner going through and then have the other sides play eachother to face the loser.

Finishing top 4 is more important than finishing top spot as in football for champions league i feel its the same for SL. As if the Giants beat you then you face going away if you win the next game. Sorry its not enough reward for finishing top.

I for one in my post am not suggesting we ditch the Play Offs, its a great concept, great money generator etc. and it should deffo stay, it's part of the fabric and traditions of RL. and has grown incredibly during the Super League era.
and its success is largely due to very good Marketing.

So all I'm saying is the same can be done for the League itself. So there are 2 very prestigious parts to the end of season and the play offs.

And part of the marketing of League competition should be that real recognition is given to the winners.

That would be by A bye straight through to the Grand Final, a real and just reward for being the best team over the full season and finishing first.
Prize money that makes it a financial attraction.
And finally the The RFL/Super League ensuring that promotion of the contest matches that of the Grand Final and Challenge Cup and that winners are given the due accolades of , visible presentations of the trophy, ample TV exposure etc. To ensure that the League winners are really seen as doing something and winning something special.

all this discussion will go out the window if we win the GF on the 8th oct!

I think whom ever wins the league are league champions and whomever wins the grand final is play off champions ! From my point of view winning the league is a greater feat best after 27 rounds winning grand final you only have to win 3-4 games depending on where you finish

Who ever wins the leauge should be champs.
And the play offs should be a seperate comp like the cc.

I like the playoff format and have no problem as such with the champions being the team that wins the grand final.

Even so, it does bother me that, however unlikely it is to happen, it is possible that a team could start the season and win 29 league/playoff games on the run, lose the 30th game and win nothing, but another team could limp into the playoffs losing more games than they win, then win their last four games and be crowned champions

Exactly what i posted earlier ....... and it's wrong ..... and 'SLIMply winning' -I'll say the same again on the 8th October whether we win the GF or not.

I never understand how the play offs can be compared to winning the regular league. The play offs can be won by winning 4 or so games whilst the regular season takes a massive effort over a couple of dozen games. No brainer.The play offs are fun but it aint no league shield.

Since the play-off system was introduced in professional RU (admittedly not a very long time ago), Wasps have been crowned "champions" on four occasions, despite not having finished top in any of those years. Gloucester have finished top three times, yet have never been "champions"- though they did win the play-offs in 02, when it was deemed that the team finishing top were the champions
If the RL play-offs are a joke, then so too are the RU ones.