I agree with most of this. Except the last part. You won't do it with that attitude!

Actually though, I think the level of grand final success Leeds have had over the past 9 years will be increasingly hard to emulate as more teams come up to the standard required. That's why it's hard to compare across eras. Huddersfield are clearly travelling in the right direction though.

The first past the post vs Grand Final debate will no doubt never be settled. For me the Grand Final is the most intense, exhilerating occasion we have and it has to be to decide the Champions to achieve that, otherwise we either lose it or go back to the old afterthought of the Premiership. The current format of the play-offs isn't quite right, I preferred the 5 team version, where the weighting in favour of higher league positions was a bit better. But I think the top 8 system is just commercial pragmatism - until we have a second tier strong enough to make promotion and relegation viable (I've said elsewhere you need to be running about 20 clubs at something approaching SL standard for that, we're barely running 14) it's probably something we have to live with.

We have won all 7 of our league titles through play-offs. We may have finished top of the league for some of them but we still won them through play-offs. I don't think we have a leg to stand on trying to claim Leeds aren't the champions.

Leeds are champions. Worthy champions and a top side. RL as a sport would be better if we all gave credit to each other for our quality rather than talk the opposition down.

The champions are the team that does what the RFL say you have to do to be called that - At the moment that is Leeds, doesnt mean its the best or right way, we saw yesterday how fast hard and excting RL can be when something is riding on it.....not many regular SL games can match what we were treated to yesterday simply because the players and clubs dont need to be that intense. Leeds have mastered the art of winning certain games at certain times of the year.

It will be settled when the Sky muppets give the League Leaders Trophy the recognition and kudos that it deserves - if you look at how it was done pre-SL and at the trophies that were awarded you'd believe that equal status was given to those teams who won the league season and those who won through the play-offs, the RFL in their wisdom decided right from the start of SL that this was no longer necessary and only later introduced the plate in a begrudging concession to the fact that it might mean something to finish at the top of a league table after a full season of competition - Sky have barely mentioned the fact ever since.

the players wives may have to take a pay cut now to work in the club shop

Two Questions:

1) Have you ever been in the Leeds club shop?
2) What are you insinuating?

Quote: brearley84 "the players wives may have to take a pay cut now to work in the club shop'" Quite a successful club is the Rhinos when you look at the turn over/ profits www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-5517372 The Rhinos will now have to do without a trip to Wembley for the first time in 4 years Don't suppose you could enlighten us all as to how much Wonga Ken is keeping your lot a float to is there? By the way is it true that your club only produces merchandise that has to be pre -ordered as the manufacturers have to make more than 10?

Quote: brearley84 "the players wives may have to take a pay cut now to work in the club shop'" Quite a successful club is the Rhinos when you look at the turn over/ profits www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... -1-5517372 The Rhinos will now have to do without a trip to Wembley for the first time in 4 years Don't suppose you could enlighten us all as to how much Wonga Ken is keeping your lot a float to is there? By the way is it true that your club only produces merchandise that has to be pre -ordered as the manufacturers have to make more than 10?

Wow, touched a nerve here haven't you brearley! Talk about over-sensitive, it's almost like they've something to hide...

Or a bit of banter...

Some folk (mostly Wigan fans) get obsessed with commentators calling Leeds Super League Champions or World Club Champions......well what's the point of the competitions if you then can't be called champions. I think it'd be dafter if commentators went around either calling Wigan Champions or not describing anyone as champions.

To be champions you have to win the grand final, to win the grand final you have to finiish in the play offs, the higher you finiish the better chance ( supposedly) you have of going all the way.finishing first gives you a home draw and a choice, that is the game..give yourself a shot at being champions by winning the league, it would be nice to see a charity shield style game played between champs annd league leaders at the end of pre season..another trophy,day out,tv appearance ..failing that split into 36 groups of 3 and the top 2 go into a super super league etc :*)