Yeah spot on. The play offs is a fantastic and exciting end to the season. I’d maybe revert to the old top 5 method though as I thought that rewarded clubs for a decent level of consistency throughout the year. I wouldn’t want to be without the play off system now. If nothing else, it’s the one time of year when our sport gets any half decent publicity as the media seem to like the concept too.

The play off system is also the way in which our sport has chosen its champions for the vast majority of its history. We had an interlude between the 70-90’s but prior to that it was a top 16 system I think?

I’d be interested to hear how many of Wigan’s 19 title successes came from a situation where we didn’t finish top of the league after the regular round of matches? Bilko !!!

Would be alot more fair. Switching to a top 5 system would force teams to improve as well! They can't just sneak into the 8 by having a less than average season.

But seeing as we have got rid of P&R a top 8 is seen as a must to keep all the teams in the competition for as long as possible.

I much enjoy the play off system and the Grand Final, and when footballers disagree with the play off system, a hell of a lot more sports use play offs than first realised. Also If you were to come third in a league why is it ok for someone to finish eighth and go up instead of them. A lot of footballing hypocrites.

Does anyone else agree that we don't get enough out of the play-offs?

In aus they are played infront of sell-out crowds and are the best games of the year by some distance.

One of the semi-finals last year got nearly 80k! Now obviously we cannot compete with that but we need to be getting better crowds to show off the best our game has to offer!

People dont remember who finished top, but they remember who won the Grand Final.

Totally agree I think more should be made of winning the league thou like a massive trophy £100k prize etc rather than a posh wheel trim and 50k

The play off's are way more exciting than just finishing the regular season with top team being champions, though I do think the team that comes out on top after the regular rounds should get more recognition for doing so.



from Bilko's site; 4 times as best as I can make out:
1921-22 from 2nd
1933-34 from 2nd
1951-52 from 2nd
1959-60 from 4th

should be league leaders who are crowned champions, sadly it not, due to sky wanting to milk it.
so ive gone grand final.....thats where the championship is won and lost

Never underestimate the miserableness of the RL supporter, "I paid for a season ticket, if I have to pay again (to see the one of the best games of the season) then i'm not going."

I voted in reponse to your question i.e. which SHOULD be most important and therefore league leaders. I think if you rephrased the question to should you be called champions for topping the league or winning the play-offs you might see a different result.

Which is more important at the minute - obviously the grand final as you get the right to call yourselves champions no matter how unfair people think the system is.

Never has there been something so great and so flawed in equal measures lol

Where's the option for 'equally important'????

I enjoy both aspects of the present format and think our game would be the poorer for not having the playoffs. That said, a lot more credence should be given to the team that finishes top than is currently given. The playoffs should be almost an extra, post season competition, in much the same way that the WCC is. I would love the RFL to maybe reinstate the original trophy for the team that wins the league. I reckon that (along with other benefits like increased prize money etc.) would go a long way to giving the title credibility.

+1

Under the present set up, which all teams sign up to, it's the winners of the Grand Final who are rightly acclaimed as top dogs.

And it is a great feeling at Old Trafford if you take home the spoils!

I an ideal world the league should be a league. Play every team home and away and whoever finishes top wins.

However i understand the financial situation of the game and the need for the play off and final revenue alongside events such as MM to try and raise the profile of the game. For those reasons i support the current system.

For the long term future of the game i would prefer MM and the play offs to be dropped, this would create 5 free weeks during the season to hold a '5 nations' style international tournement every year.