I know they used to gone off football a bit so I can only assume they still do haha.

But I think it would be superb and a lot better than now where the league champions have got nothing to do with consistency. I mean the team that finishes 4th can win the league by playing the same amount of games 1st place would have needed to or 8th place can win by playing 1 more. Its not really a fair system to the most consistent team in the league all year.

Btw centralparkforever. Wire are not inconsistent they have had what are called drops in form they just bounce back a week later. Think of us with the Cas game.

It's going to be interesting to compare the games played by whoever wins the GF in the playoffs to those we had to play to win the cup.

If it's us or Wire you can guarantee it won't be as hard a path to the GF then we faced to get Wembley.

Of course that is the reward you get for a good season in the league but it also means winning the cup should not be by any means a second string competition in terms of merit.

It certainly isn't financially as you get more money from a cup final appearance than that of GF one.

The current play-off system also needs to be scrapped. Top 8 is rubbish and the best of the lot is top 5 because that does give THE most direct link to league performance and the advantage you get for finishing higher up the table.

As to which is best league winners or GF winners I have always thought the league but acknowledge the sport has chosen a different way to crown the champions.

But you watch, I expect Wire tyo get the shield by beating Hull and when they do look at the headlines. They will read Wire's first championship since 1955 regardless of the fact the sport deems the GF winners the champions. That is because in our country compared to OZ the concept of playoffs are still not part of the sporting psyche.

Yes, I well remember your signature on RSRL for a long time, wasn't it something like: "Wigan Warriors - 1998 Champions (oh and we won the Grand Final as well)" ?

Sadly, I suspect that prediction (IF we beat Hull tonight, it's not a given) is going to be proven accurate. And it will be pretty embarrassing.

I think there SHOULD be a lot more recognition given for finishing top, but there just isn't.
I know that personally, winning the LLS in 05, 07 and 08 were of no consolation to me when we didn't win the grand final, it still felt like a bad season.

Sky are this weekend concentrating on whish team will finish 8th! ffs its not even the top half! I could just about stomach top 6 but top 8 when not even all the teams are top half is an absolute farce! It hurts to think they prob will never go back to first past the post.
People will argue that we have had playoffs to decide the Championship for the majority of RL history but there were clear reasons for that prior to 1973.
Wire should be crowned champions should they win tonight and they should be taking about 6,000 fans over to Hull to celebrate the fact. Even though i'm still convinced we wouldn't have had last weeks scoreline had the title been effectively on the line.

Would be a bitter pill to swallow especially after 3 times. I will defend Saints though i bet they never went above their station and thought they were nailed one to win the GF. Class teams dont (which you were then) and us now. We always take one game at a time.

Really ??? thought you were already nailed on to win the GF

Cheers

Nice to see a decent post about us.

Agree with most of this post. I had a laugh last night when HKR were having their celebration. The prize for winning is a trip to Catalans with very little notice. All in all a recipe for a good hiding. Top 8 is rewarding mediocrity.

They did it 2 weeks ago.

Sure they will take confidence from that.

They had 9 months to plan that visit. This one is far more of a rush job. I can only see one winner.

So was ours in 2008 and we hammered them

I wonder now if you Dire fans class winning the shield as being successful. I doubt it. Never mind big clubs manage to win both titles in the same season.