Hello I know we covered this last year but I am still looking into writing a book about the idea of play-offs deciding the Champions in sport. I was wondering what the opinions are of fellow Rugby League fans on the play-offs. Do you think play-offs are the best way to decide the champions or do you prefer whoever finishes top being champions? And what do you think of the current format? So feel free to voice your opinion again, say whether it has changed or if you missed the post last time, take this opportunity to give your opinion. Personally I think play-offs are a great concept, sport is about peaking on the big occasion and beating your biggest rivals head to head when it matters. fantastic music, thought provoking lyrics and great merchandise from singer/song writer Sandi Thom: tiny.cc/loveablelyrics

Hello I know we covered this last year but I am still looking into writing a book about the idea of play-offs deciding the Champions in sport. I was wondering what the opinions are of fellow Rugby League fans on the play-offs. Do you think play-offs are the best way to decide the champions or do you prefer whoever finishes top being champions? And what do you think of the current format? So feel free to voice your opinion again, say whether it has changed or if you missed the post last time, take this opportunity to give your opinion. Personally I think play-offs are a great concept, sport is about peaking on the big occasion and beating your biggest rivals head to head when it matters. fantastic music, thought provoking lyrics and great merchandise from singer/song writer Sandi Thom: tiny.cc/loveablelyrics

Play-off games are very exciting to watch and even more exciting to play in. By getting rid of the play-offs you would be getting rid of the thrill of not only play-off games, but also the Grand Final at Old Trafford. The current play-off system may seem complicated to some, but I cannot think of a better alternative.

Don't have an issue with the playoffs as a competition, but it should not be considered a superior title to winning the league over 27 games.

Sadly it is Red - Warrington were hardly celebrating on Fri

why not just call it the minor premiership title likme the aussie

The play off system is over complicated it should be top 6 not top 8 and keep it simple

however, the play offs are a brilliant concept and you just have to look at old trafford to see it is the one to win and has surpassed the challenge cup

Play offs, as they are called over where you guys and gals are, are a very exciting end to a season and the Grand Final is a fantastic and well rounded off ending to a season.

The biggest disadvantage of not having a play offs system is if the champions of any particular year is decided by who finished on top of the ladder after the season, crowds and interest in the a competition can go down as soon as it becomes impossible or unlikely that any particular team has of winning it. Similar to the how interest in a certain clubs games goes down when one club can no longer make the plays offs. This will happen more quickly without play offs as it becomes impossible for teams to finish on top of the ladder, a play off system always has the best team of the year taking out the title in my opinion anyway.

Yes of course the play off's are exciting and seem more successful now than The Challenge Cup but why devalue the League and winning week in and week out, that is what is The Champions!

The format also is stupid, second chances if you lose?? then a team who finishes eight could possibly be the Champions? sums up rugby league currently!

Much as though I like the playoffs I do think the idea of a second chance for a losing team is ridiculous!
Just out of curiosity does anyone know who were the lowest finishing team over the course of a regular season to win the Grand Final?

Bradford, 2005. Finished 3rd. That's in the Super League era of course.

I say no. Sure, they were exciting at first, but for me it drags on the season for far too long and is unnecessary. First placed should be Champions. Though I'd rather have the top 4 placed teams rewarded by playing the NRL top 4, and the 5-8 play the 5-8 NRL teams or something like that.

I don't like Top 6 or even Top 5. Top 3 would be good.

But it is more popular than The Challenge Cup when it comes to attendances and I think the Final at Old Trafford is a good end to the season! but the format has to change to make it fewer teams qualifying.

It's effectively superseded the Challenge Cup, as the bigger clubs are more interested in it than in the Challenge Cup, and it comes as a climax to the season.

I feel the Challenge Cup has become a poor competition, partly as a result of the play-offs but also because of bad planning and poor scheduling with some rounds very close together in the calendar and long gaps between others. I would question whether Superleague clubs even need both. I've never been a fan of the play offs but accept they're here to stay. We've got more of a chance of winning the CC but I don't feel excited about the matches any more, and probably won't do so again unless we reach a semi final.

Returning to the play offs, it's ridiculous that a team finishing in the bottom half of the table after a seven and a half month long season can theoretically be crowned "champions". Even with only six in the play offs you sometimes had teams with more defeats than wins getting in. I think it needs to revert to no more than six, preferably fewer.