wow, just wow.

i wonder if we'd have had a similar thread to this in 2007 had Wigan reached the GF.

As regular as clock work eh plop joe?

Don't recall many wigan or warrington fans saying the playoff system is wrong as Leeds twice beat St helens when they were no where as good as Saints throughout the season.

I didn't experience the previous playoff system and was brought up on the champions being those who won most league games. Like most things, what you experience first will always be the one that seems the best or most fitting. I prefer the league leaders to be champs (work hard over the season, each match counts, teams have more options to build towards future seasons) but as a Saints fan who has sucked it up in recent years, am looking forward to yet another visit to Old Trafford..... hopefully we will continue to play well and win this time.

We knew what the system was at the start of the season and so from that point of view I don't have a problem with it. Good luck to Leeds and Saints in the GF.

The current system is designed is maintain interest throughout the season but if we are to have a play-off system then I prefer the original top 5 system. If a team wins it from 5th then they deserve it under that system as they will have to beat all 4 teams above them and all away from home. Under that system Warrington would have had a 2nd bite of the cherry which I think they would have taken.

A majority of posts from Wigan fans in this thread reeks of ‘we didn’t make the final so how do we lobby the RFL to make it easier for us next time’.

If you can’t beat St Helens on equal terms then you want to put as many barriers as it takes until Wigan can beat them. So some of you probably want to bring in a system where Saints would have to play Wigan until Saints lose.

Finally Wigan had a fantastic cup run prior to the final and we don’t see you moaning about the randomness of that competition like some of you are with the play offs. I’m sure that Wigan have had easy cup runs before and doubt you moaned about them then as your moaning about the super league play offs now.

If you are going to change things, then surely a starting point is to ensure that each team plays each of the other teams twice (home and away).

Then again as that has little impact on the playoffs, then who cares?

Aye, funny that! If either of them had said anything about the system in 2009 or 2010 I might have a modicum of sympathy. The fact that they didn't only makes it sound like a case of sour grapes. See you next week!

'au contraire' Damo

The Wigan fans want to make it harder for themselves by aspiring to be the most consistent top team over the season, they have seen how Warrington have done it this year and they want to aspire to that level. This is the kind of attitude that should be encouraged in RL, the top teams inspire the lesser ones. They aren't looking for the easy way out saying we will go for 6th and win it from the playoffs.

To win the league you need to have fitness, desire and be coached well so you have a top defensive structure and can score points at will - look at the league table, Warrington most points scored, fewest conceded, best attack, best defence. That's the level you have to be at. I know its an overused phrase but "thats why we're champions".

Warrington 24-26 Leeds



St Helens 26-18 Wigan

He meant in the regular rounds.

You don't understand the difference between a play off and a knock out competition. Knock out competitions are random by design and its why they never had the kudos of the league title decided on a home and away basis. Play off systems are supposed to be just that, competitions where teams play off against each other. As to the play-off format I was moaning about the top 8 format the day it was introduced because it is rubbish. I bet a fair few Leeds fans were as well.

Unless you are a bit dim you will know the top 5 system would make it far harder to get to the final from 5th than the current system. You would have to play off against [uall[/uthe teams above you and so you should. Not be able miss a game against the team finishing second. Or in Saints case a game against the team finishing first.

The current format is a triumph of marketing over common sense and even the marketing failed given the crowds.