Whoever decided there is a need for a play off series needs to put there head into a toilet and flush it

There is definitely an issue with the playoff structure yes. I dont mind the splitting the top 8 in to 2 4s but then the fact the same two teams from the top 4 can end up playing each other twice in 3 weeks is just stupid.

Got to remember the business side of things as well. If you take 14k at an average price of £15 that's £210000. 20k at an average of £8 is £160000.

Agreed, i havent even thought about the game this week, its just been any other week in work. Normally im looking forward to Derby at the end of a week, but no this time. Its becoming to regular.

It's the 2nd chance rubbish that gets me, it should just be a straight knock out with the only benifit of finishing top being a week off and favourable draw.

I'd go with
A. 2v5
B. 3v4
C. 6v7
winner misses this out all losers eliminated
A winner plays B winner
C. Winner plays league leaders

winning teams in the GF

i know it looks like 6&7 get a better deal than 5 but the winner of that then has to play theoretically the hardest team. Only other way is

2v7
3v6
4v5
Top club then gets club call on the winners

Personally I'm finding the play offs a bit of a slog now and the cup being so late in the year is a big part of that.

I think the Top 8 is garbage as well and hasn't worked, despite the guff Sky like to come out with about "the race for the top 8".

Here's some facts on this season:

7 of the eventual top 8 have been in the play off positions since Easter (16 matches in total)!

In all those 16 games the teams within the top 4 didn't change (even though Huddersfield lost 7 of their last 10 games) and the only side to break into positions 5 to 8 was Hull KR with 2 games to go.

Castleford who spent 25 of the 27 rounds in the top 8 missed out to Hull KR who spent just 6 of the 27 rounds in the top 8!

Another idea

top 4 go into a mini league

1st place team gets 3 home games
2nd 1 away 2 home
3rd 2 away 1 home
4th 3 away

Top 2 in the GF

Beauty of this is we don't see 5th being rewarded, teams in the 4 are rewarded on position, points difference could be a factor meaning teams have to look to battering teams to make sure, high intensity games.

NO clubcall
All teams in the 4 play same amount of games
You only play the same team twice in a GF.

It should be a straightforward knock-out competition.

1 v 8
2 v 7
3 v 6
4 v 5

etc

I like the NRL format, bit confusing on first viewing but makes a lot of sense overall.

1v8
2v7
3v6
4v5

The two highest winners of week 1 get the week off, the two lowest losers go out.

Then from each round onwards its highest ranked team at home vs the lowest ranked team remaining and so on and so forth.

The thing I don't like about the Australian system is that you can leave a game and not know whether you are still in the comp or out.

At least in ours we kniow which games are knockouts.

is that the "mcintyer system" ?.........if so, i understand it, and its far better than what we have at the moment.

imo we should go back to top 5........but sky want to show extra games, even though the fans cba turning up on week 1

Another reason why the "League Leaders Shield" is NOT a real trophy. If you are having a League then each side HAS to play each other the same amount of times. Not doing so makes it uneven and a joke.

Thats the best system ive seen. Sky still get plenty games to cover and we dont get crap teams in making up the numbers so the potential is there for every game to be a classic.