This year and teams!

Over the course of Superleague 4 teams have won the grand final. Under anyone of the 3 different play off formats only 3 teams have won the grand final. Only 5 teams have contested a grand final and only 6 teams have finished top of the league.

Since 2007 Wigan, Warrington, Saints and Leeds have occupied 4 of the top 6 spots every year. Since 2010 they have occupied 4 of the top 5 (including this year). Three of those clubs have won the last 8 Grand Finals betwen them.

The only significant power shift in the last 8 years has been Bradford's decline and Leeds rise from "Big club that can't win diddly-squat" to Grand fFinal Powerhouse. Oh and Warrington having a resurgence off the back of a new stadium, an owner who has money coupled with financial self-reliance and hiring a coach who has consistently got players to play at the peak of their game (and still they haven't won the GF).

Even the Challenge Cup is in many ways more predictable now than it was when Wigan won 8 consecutive Cups. Prior to 1994 and 1995 against Leeds they played in 6 finals against 5 different opponents. This year will be the first time since 2007 that a "new" name will be in the final yet the other semi-fianl will be between 2 clubs that have 6 combined final appearances in the last 5 years.

In reality the league isn't getting more competitive. It's just that one or two clubs are in decline and some of the middle pack are being shuffled around. When Wigan, Warrington, Leeds and Saints are finishing in the bottom 4 we can talk about evening up of the league but the reality is that the top clubs play the season in third gear and then ratchet the intensity up a notch or two in the play offs and the middle teams (who are playing the season in 4th or 5th gear) just fall by the wayside.