3rd and 5th in Grand Final

Quote: Jukesays "I know I've cut a very long post into a small section but here goes!

The Grand Final doesn't take place in February, if it did it probalably wouldn't have been Harlequins & Hudds.
Main reason
The Grand Final is in October and them's the rules, if it was I'm sure Wigan/Wire/Saints/Leeds and all the other clubs would play the game to those rules!

Your scenario although fooling a few doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

"If" Harlequins & Hudds had made the GF this year in October they would have deserved it no matter how they did it because they would have playes the current rules and won the games that mattered, when it mattered and Won them!
Wheter there would have been 25k at Old Trafford or not is one of the most disrespectful commetns I've heard, "If" they had have been there next week they'd have deserved it just as Leeds & Saints do for next week.

Wigan made a target of the CC this year and maybe (Not saying it did) that had an effect on their end of season but you know what? Them's the rules!
If you want to throw all your eggs into the GF basket then Madge could have put the kids out for the Challenge cup and not bothered with it?
We didn't, we wnated to win it and I for one wouldn't swap that memory this year for anything!

We could start complaining aboput moving the CC to another time of the year etc etc but at the start of the year every club knew how the fixture list panned out and each club had their injury situations, form, squad and Goals/Focus for the year.

In terms of finishing the year as SL Champions, Leeds & Saints have got their shot at it because they deserved it and won the right games at the right times!'"

Your right in what you say, the grand final doesnt take place in february, but my point about huds and quins was a purposfully absurd one to show up the grand final series for what it is, which is essentially a form competition for 3-4 weeks, which in its current set up, demeans the league far too much IMO.

Your also right in that these are the rules and everyone knows and plays to them, and so fair play to saints and leeds for playing to these rules, and whoever wins next week will be champions. but it doesn't mean that we cant critisise the rules, due to the fact that you end up with absurdities such as next weekend's 'Grand' final, where due to the current emphasis placed on form, it is all too easy for average teams to get a shot at becoming the 'champions', which IMO is wrong!

Just because these are the rules doesn't mean the rules shouldnt be looked at, because in mine, and many other fans opinions, they do not adequately place credit on the teams performance for 6 months in the league, and make the last 6 months of little point.

What IF for example the RFL said that from next year we have a top 12 play off, with the top 4 from NL1, where there would be no seeding but just a straight draw like the challenge cup, to decide the champions at the end of the season. Daft but not beyond the realms of possibility with the prats we currently have running our game!!! You could then end up with Quins coming 12th, playing Leigh, Bradford & Featherstone to make the Grand Final, before beating Huddersfield in the Grand final to become champions. Would they have deserved it = Yes because they had played to the rules and won the required games - However, would this necessarily make this fair, give fair credit to the league, and not undermine our game? No IMO, yet this is only a couple of steps away from where we are currently!

Lets go back to the top 5, cut out the reward for medicoricy, and give the play offs a little more credibility. At least then, if Leeds did win if from 5th, it would surely feel a little more justified and earned to them, by the fact that though they had an indifferent season, they proved their 'champion' worth by beating every team above them away from home, rather than in its present guise, where they have only needed to beat a couple of also rans and one top team to possibly end up as champions!