I think we were top last year too. For one round?

round 1 presumably

As good as it is to be top, I really hope we lift a cup or trophy this year. Don't think anyone really cares about the big dinner platter compared to the other two.

Some would say that the RFL manipulated things so that the proper champions (being the best overall in a league season after playing everyone) have next to no reward/respect or fanfare.
In essence a mini knock out/cup competition constructed for the financial benefit of the broadcaster and governing body is now deemed to be decider as to whom are 'champions'.
I still think the current system is badly flawed, I'm all for a straight knock mini cup comp along the lines of the old premiership but not to decide whom gets the title and prestige.

If we were not a cash-strapped sport, then maybe. But at the end of the day, there's very little money being made in rugby league. There are very few opportunities for big club events that fans will turn up for in numbers.

The Premiership Final only got about 30-40k. The Grand Final gets 70k. The sport needs events like that.

Interesting fact - over the entire history of RL the Champions have been decided by a playoff system more often than by coming top of the league. It's actually the more 'traditional' method.

Very few sports decide the champions by a league system now. Domestic football being the exception, yet even that is now moving towards that with the league increasingly becoming a method of qualifying for the Champions league. The world cup, Euro championships are all leagues that head into a play off type competition. The vast majority of the rest of sport, RU, NRL, NFL (all american sports) etc are all decided on play offs.

I agree a bit more should be made of the hub cap and to the winners it will be rightly lauded but it is often derided by the rest of the league. No one really cared when Hudds won it but I bet Hudds did.

im sure another team, possibly leeds/wigan or saints demanded some kind of recognition for finishing top after the regular season finished and along came the hubcap, so its obvious they cared

The team that wins it will care and as I said there should be a level of recognition but it is pretty much ignored and unremembered unless you go on and win the GF. I'd bet you'd gladly take 4th and a GF win over the hub cap and out in the first eliminator.

No chance.






4th, GF win and CC win please

Unfortunately this ^^^^^^^^

whilst he may have a point, finishing top could be financially beneficial

a game vs the aussies in the WCS

I don;t want us to finish top. 2nd would do just fine. Winning the hub cap is a means to an end, not the end itself and we could easily blow up in the play offs like hudds did when they finished top. Anyway, I expect wigan or wire to finish top

i think there maybe a bit of gamesmanship come the end of the 8s, if its the same top four now, will some teams 'play' so they avoid another team in the semi finals?