Hello, I am looking into writing a book about the idea of play-offs deciding the Champions in sport. I was wondering what the opinions are of fellow Rugby League fans on the play-offs. Do you think play-offs are the best way to decide the champions or do you prefer whoever finishes top being champions? And what do you think of the current format?
Personally I think play-offs are a great concept, sport is about peaking on the big occasion and beating your biggest rivals head to head when it matters.

Play offs generate the most income and prolong the season for many mid table clubs. So it's a yes from me.

IMO the league leaders shield should be more valued than the play-off title.
But yes the play-off's are a valued income stream, so there is a necessity for them.

Its a no from me as the winner at the end has not won over a level playing field.

Everyone should play each other home and away and whoever finished top after than is the winner, simples.

It merges cup and league formats.

It's a good idea but the current SL play off format is shockingly bad.

Second chances, getting to choose who you play next, quite ridiculous. It should be like a knockout competition. You lose, you're out.

I agree. Totally.

I don't agree. There as got to be some advantage given to those who finish higher in the league

As a concept I think it makes for a much more exciting end to the season and is no more unfair than the weekly rounds system where much depends on the fixture list, i.e. the relative form and injury situation of the respective teams at the time they meet. Some teams had an advantage playing Leeds at the start of the season or Huddersfield mid-season or Wakefield at the end (or 2nd 2/3)

The system over here is still developing and involved a cultural change, but I couldn't imagine going back to the old system.

I think the current top 8 is much better than the previous top 6 which was a little predictable and stop start; with the top 2 playing each other in the first week and, almost inevitably, again in the final. Now the top 2 only meet in the final, if they get there (and unless they're chosen on club call which seems to be the reason for having it).

The teams 5-8 get another fixture in which they have a good chance of progressing. At present this is no more than a financial bonus, but as the league evens out with the salary cap and smaller businesses developing it should become increasingly intense. I guess at this point it would go to a straight knock-out competition with highest v lowest arrangement. (as NRL?)

I still feel that the first round should be included on season tickets to boost attendances in the short term and raise the profile of these games. Although the way the fixtures have worked it shouldn't be a problem this year (other than Crusaders?)

For the majority of the history of this sport, the Champions have been decided by play-offs. Our only two titles came that way.

The Grand Final is a great event, reduce it to the old Premiership again and no-one will care about it.

PLay offs are a terrific idea; progressive in how it is arranged, helps to fund SL and develop the intensity and spectacle of RL, whilst also being traditionalist as this is how RL champions were decided many moons ago.

RL is all about intensity and its all about spectacle, that's why the rules of the game have evolved in the manner they have since the 1895 spilt, whereas RU remained more or less the same. The play offs therefore fit into this; it creates the most grandiose of platforms for the best clubs to perform on to show that they deserve the title by competing at the very highest level.

When the top eight format and club call was introduced I was very skeptical, but I really have grown to like the idea. I think the current format adds a bit more spice to the traditional top eight knock format of top vs eight, second vs seven etc. It provides fifth the eighth with a very real chance of progressing through the rounds and gives higher placed clubs a real advantage by being given a second chance. I also think the club call is a good, novel idea (though I hated it initially) as it spurs teams on to show theiy're not the weak link or to show that they are the best and chose the best team to play to prove it.

What I don't like about the play offs is that all the games are bunched together at the end of the season. A fan is expected to fork out for four games over four consequtive weekends if your team have a good run. Travel costs, admittance fees, food etc make it quite a pricy exercise and impinges on any pre-arranged personal plans outside of rugby. Its an added cost on top of things like going regularly to matches, Wembley, Quins away, Magic weekend, France away etc etc.

Voted No on the principal that if your team finish top of the league at the end of the season they you should be the champions.

It was suggested to me that it should be that the winners are the champions like the NFL, but in the NFL it is a totally different concept and teams don't play each other home and away or the course of a season.

When teams won the old top 8 premiership play offs they were never called the Champions so why should it apply now? I know times have changed but the concept still remains the same.

Everybody seems to think we adopted the aussie appoach... fraid not for it was they that copied us... the traditionalists... like me... will recognise that RL has for much of the games existence decided the champions by the end of season playoffs... it was in my time of being a fan that the system was changed to a soccer style league champions format... I was delighted when it changed back!

Yep, only 32 seasons since 1895 have been decided by top spot in the league.

I've always felt the team who wins the league should be champions, but recently started to favour the play-offs as it keeps the interest going for sides who have no chance of finishing top (like Wakefield), and reduces the amount of 'nothing' games at the end of the season. Bringing back relegation would reduce these even further. Also, I don't like the cencept of teams 'choosing' their opponents, as it devalues the competition.

And whilst I'm having a moan, the 'Magic' weekend is also a farce. It's great if you're drawn against Salford, but not so much if you get Leeds or Wigan, and makes the whole situation seem unfair. And finally, I also hate the Four Nations, and would love to see a return to the Tours/Test Series at the end of each season.

Moan over.

I think they are a great idea and I like how the teams at the top get additional options/chances BUT I think the competition is over valued. The 'Champions' should be the league winners. If we would have come 8th and then won the play offs we wouldn't have deserved the title and i'm not so sure Stevo would have called us 'The Champions' every five minutes on Sky either!