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.

The problem with that is you could get completely meaningless games in the last round. Say for example 1 and 2 both play 3 and 4 in the first two rounds and both win each game, the 1 v 2 and 3 v 4 games in the 3rd week mean nothing.

That'd be the price you pay for finish lower down the league though.

IMO that would add to the tension of the playoffs for all involved, which isn't a bad thing in my view.

I like this one but as said, the danger of dead runners would be a factor.

Still not convinced tbh mate. You could leave the match on Friday and not know until two days later if you are in or out. Hardly gripping or fan-friendly. If the games were all kicking off at the same time, it could work well, but obviously that won't happen.

I don't mind our playoff too much tbh.

the problem with our system is that it rewards mediocrity. You can finish less than half way down the table and make the playoffs, it should have stayed the top 6 when we went to 14 teams.

We could have a top 7 play-off. At least a team would have to finish in the top half of the table to qualify for the play-offs. This year, of course, Hull would miss out.

week one...Top team gets a week off as a reward for finishing first.
2 v 7
3 v 6
4 v 5
semi...top plays lowest place winners from week one
other two teams play each other.

This year it could work like this:

week one
Warrington get a week off.
Wigan beat Hull K R
St Helens beat Catalans
Huddersfield lose to Leeds Rhinos

semis
Warrington v Leeds
Wigan v Saints

I can't stand it. The team choice is ridiculous. And its set up so that if it all goes to form (i.e. highest place always wins) then the Semi's will be exactly the same as the first round games.

The playoff format at the moment is wrong, I tried to explain to a colleague at work that Wigan and saints play each other at the weekend and will probably play each other again in a fortnight......

it needs a total rethink, and has been commented on Wigan v saints 6 times a season its nearly as bad as Scottish football

Game 1, 1v2 winner to GF

Game 2, 3V8
Game 3, 4V7
Game 4, 5V6

Loser game 1 v lowest placed Club winner from 2,3 or 4
Other 2 teams from games 2,3 or 4 play each other


2 winners play semi final to see who plays in GF against winner Game 1

This rewards teams for finishing 1st or 2nd (especially the team that finishes 1st in the regular season)

Bloody hell that was hard work

I posted this same concept last year and still stand by it. I liked the old top 5 system as this meant to win the grand final you had to beat every team above you in the comp, therefore the higher you finished the better. However the muppets from sky like to think that we need more teams in the playoffs so how about

Mid week Fixture
4v7
5v6
Loosers eliminted

Week 1
Winner of midweek fixture play each other (looser elminated winner to week 2 call this team A)
2v3
1 has weekend off

Week 2
looser of 2v3 V team A (loser eliminated winner to week 3)
Winner of 2v3 V 1( winner to grand final loser to week 3)

Week 3
see teams above winner to grand final

I apreciate that winning teams from 4,5,6,7 all have to back up but they will be only backing up against other teams that played midweek and should also have a penalty for finishing lower.
this system also rewards the team finishing top as it will only need to win one game to reach the grand final.