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.

Play offs being changed is a MUST!

They've decended into a joke with this play the same team two weeks scenario. The only thing that would prevented us playing saints twice this year would have been a massive upset tonight (never going to happen), or an even bigger upset next week when wigan or saints will play probably Leeds or Catalan, if one of the lesser teams were to win.

Other than those two sunday is a dead rubber so no wonder weve only sold 10k home tickets!! will be the most poorly attended wigan saints game for years, but hopefully will send a powerful message to the RFL.

For me it should be back to the top 5 - if we have to have a play off system at least have proper teams in it, and some logic, in that to win the GF every team has to beat the teams above them in the league!

If sky are insistant on extra games ontop of this then red jims idea is the best, which is essentially the old top 5 but with a pre-play off round of games tagged on to decide the 4th and 5th teams. Super Sevens even has a good ring to it for the play off series and is at least a little more justifiable....at least with this format you HAVE to finish in the top half to get in the series which is better then the farce we currently have- FFS both Hull clubs only have a 50% win record and still have a chance to be champions!!

The play off system should be changed and back to 6 teams imo. It would ensure that only the cream of the crop have a chance of a place at Old Trafford.

Week 1-

3rd vs 6th
4th vs 5th

weeks 2-

1st vs 2nd- Winner through to the grand final
winners of the first weekends games play each

week 3-

Losers of 1st vs 2nd to play the remaining team from week 1.

Thats how it used to be done wasn't it? Miles better.

10298 as at 0930 today. I'm sticking with my "11500 home fans tops" prediction.

Allied to the lower crowd at the HJ last night, it just goes to show that charging full-price for round 1 of the playoffs was a massive own-goal by both the clubs and the RFL.

Yep, the pricing is clearly an issue tbh.

RL support is based around season tickets, and to suddenly expect a family of 4 to pay something like 65 quid for 2 hours worth of entertainment (even if it is the best sport in the world) is harsh, especially when some teams would have to win three games to even get to Old Trafford.

Add to the fact that every game is on sky and you can see why some are staying at home.

That said, the Wire crowd of just over 10k was positive (although looked poor on TV compared to recent fullish crowds) and your game tomorrow will probably have over 15k, so these crowds are not to be sniffed at.

Can't really blame price. United ticket would have cost £46 tomorrow, obviously had to turn it down. Wigan are doing an offer for a family of 4 for about this price. Amazing value compared to football. Its the aspect of RL fans I'll never understand,

Agreed, although I think they should have lowered the price because otherwise RL fans were never going to buy many for tomorrow, I can't understand why they wouldn't.

p.s. You coming to Sams bar tomorrow?

Yes mate, I'll be there for about half 11. Looks like we will have plenty room in the South Stand

Hopefully if there's a few sold today and a decent walk-up we can get 15,000 ish. Shame but the way the playoffs are its the best we could have really hoped for.

Football prices are insane though. Also - a Utd fan. Really? Ugh.

It's an issue for all fans. This should be a sell out, just like our game on thursday should be our biggest gate of the year, but won't be.

Maybe the clubs should charge £20 more for a season ticket at the start of the season, then honour that season ticket in the playoffs?

That is a great idea and would generate better crowds - however that is too easy for the RFL to take in.
The only problem I could see with it though is - what if teams fail to make the playoffs, fans would be mad at the thought of paying £20 extra for nothing. Although perhaps they could use it to attend another teams playoff games.

Put in it the season ticket, if they fail to make it give them a voucher for money off next seasons shirt.

Good idea, that or simply take the price of the next seasons ticket.

Something needs to be done as I think its unfair to expect fans to shell out for possibly 3 play off matches on the trot, then a grand final. Its getting embarrassing how sky build upto the play offs all year and then when it comes down to it, the matches are being played infront of smaller crowds than the regular season.

Cant look good to a new viewer can it?