I agree with that totally. The system should give a massive advantage to the team finishing 1st imo. We get past 5th place in super league and lets face it the teams are poor.

Yes but that was down to both teams being ultra consistent for the 25 games prior to that game at the HJ. Warrington lost the whole chamionship on one game to a team that finished 4 places and a lot of points behind them which is out of order imo.

Would you think it out of order if a team was knocked out of the football world cup by a side ranked below them?

That's not really the point. It appears to me most people are saying the top side are not rewarded enough for finishing top; taking it to the logical conclusion of why bother finishing top, when anything in the top 4 has the same advantages and with the only disadvantage 5 - 8 have is every game being a knock out.

1 and 2 should play for a place in the GF in week 1. The loser of the that game should play the remaining winner of the other however many times; similar (if we stuck with to the top 5 system.

As it is we have a system where you can only perform at the back of the league and become champions; not a slight on saints or leeds for doing that, as under this system it makes complete sense, but therein is the problem.

Thats is a knockout "CUP" competition like the challenge "CUP". A league format is totally different, its not a knockout.

What about the group stages that precede the knockout cup?

Would you say the Champions LEAGUE is a LEAGUE or CUP? It's both, like the Superleague. And it decides the champions of Europe.

That's different you're talking about seedings not an actual league competition over 27 games and them finishing lower.


The champions league is also different as you've not played every other team in the competition before the knockout part.

The group stage where teams play 3 games Hardly the same as a 27 game season is it? Stop being stupid and asking questions you already know the answer to.

Calling it the champions "LEAGUE" is just a token gesture anyway. Hence the reason there are constant discussions about forming a break away european super league.

Quit whining - most american sports adopt the same playoff style to determine 'champions' and they seem to do OK in terms of crowds, sponsorship and teams not complaining when they fall short.

As an example, and surely a more valid case for complaint than you lot losing 2 games in a row against Saints, look at the NE Patriots in 2007 - W16 L0 in the season until the Superbowl when they lost.

See now your being a tit trying to make out that we have only just started saying the structure is when in fact we said it before last season and after we won the league leaders and after we won the whole thing. Theres many posters on here who have said its not right all along.

Maybe the Maguire point is right maybe not but thats not the point we are discussing here.

The point is the team finishing top of the league should be champions or have a huge advantage. As it is now a team could win 28 consecutive games and then lose one and not be champions which is not only wrong but a farce.

We won from top last year so we would have been champions under either system so your argument is void.

It's a real shame. A real shame that this thread has even begun. A shame because we were fortunate enough to see two quite outstanding performances from two clearly champion sides. And that has been lost in translation. Lost because of some clowns masquerading around with a tenuous argument of "a return to common sense of top 2 or the highway".

Watching the game as a neutral allowed me to confirm to the enth degree that our sport is quite simply breathtaking. That Wigan and Wire weren't simply good enough is what sport at the highest level is all about. It's no more complicated than that and this bitter nonsense being espoused about changing what is a fundamentally successful system is toy throwing at best and a total smokescreen.

The caveat being, well done to Saints and Leeds for two outstanding performances. As for Wigan and Wire, deal with it.

Ok then lets follow the americans. If you dont like somebody shoot them We are our own country and can make our own decisions thanks.