Quote ="Bonzo"The playoffs serve to increase competitiveness in the game and despite many people's assumptions that they're a fabrication of the summer era, they've been part and parcel of rugby league for many many years. In the days where the top flight consisted of 30-odd teams, playing an unbalanced number of fixtures, and perhaps making limited journeys across the Pennines each year, the playoffs were essential in fairly determining the champions.
It could be argued that with a more balanced fixture list, there is no longer any need for this, however we still have an uneven number of games in Super League and play against some teams more than others. The teams finishing higher up the table earn home advantage for playoff games, whilst those finishing further down have a much harder path to success. It can, however be slightly unnerving to think that a team that doesn't finish in the top half of the table might walk away with the league title. You could argue, however, that such an achievement would reward good coaching, conditioning, player pride and ultimately consistency towards the end of the season, when it's widely acknowledged that it matters most.'"
Quote ="Bonzo"The playoffs serve to increase competitiveness in the game and despite many people's assumptions that they're a fabrication of the summer era, they've been part and parcel of rugby league for many many years. In the days where the top flight consisted of 30-odd teams, playing an unbalanced number of fixtures, and perhaps making limited journeys across the Pennines each year, the playoffs were essential in fairly determining the champions.
It could be argued that with a more balanced fixture list, there is no longer any need for this, however we still have an uneven number of games in Super League and play against some teams more than others. The teams finishing higher up the table earn home advantage for playoff games, whilst those finishing further down have a much harder path to success. It can, however be slightly unnerving to think that a team that doesn't finish in the top half of the table might walk away with the league title. You could argue, however, that such an achievement would reward good coaching, conditioning, player pride and ultimately consistency towards the end of the season, when it's widely acknowledged that it matters most.'"
I agree that the play offs are a good money spinner and add to the excitement for the end of season fixtures but to say the team that wins the play off's are the champions is absolutely ridiculous. That was ok when the teams were never playing the same opposition over the season but now we have a balanced league the champions should be the team that has been the best team throughout the whole season.
How can anyone say that Leeds have been the best team if they win the Grand Final again when they have finished the season 9 points behind Wigan. I also think that the play off's should revert back to the old system of 1 playing 8, 2 playing 7 and so on and it should be a straight knock out tournament with no second chances. It has ben stated that teams playing the best at the end of the season should be rewarded but if they have been defeated in the play off they cannot be playing the best and so should not get a second chance. I also think that the system whereby a team gets to choose their opponents is among the daftest ideas we have ever had, if a team has several injuries or players suspended then obviously they are going to be the choice to play. This is about as level a playing field as the teams getting promoted without earning the right and being allowed 17 foreigners in the squad. It is high time that the competition was played at the same criteria for everyone without exception and my own opinion is do away with the Magic Weekend as thie figures for attendance or below normal league figures for the same games and these are highly inflated due to the give away prices of the tickets.
