I think Saints would be able to chose leeds!

What if Saints and Leeds lose their first week games, who do third pick to play?

I think that is spot on.

If 4th loses against 1st and 3rd against 2nd in 1st week, and then 4th and 3rd win next round to get through to final eliminator, the team finishing 1st can only pick one of those.

1st posters thoughts wont happen though. Can see Leeds finishing 1st.

On the superleague website [urlhttp://www.superleague.co.uk/page.php?id=360[/url there is no mention of any restrictions in who you can choose.

[i"In week three, the winners of the two Qualifying Play-Offs will play the winners from week two.

Significantly, the winning team from week one with the highest League placing will be allowed to select their opponents at this stage, thus adding a further element to this phase of the competition."[/i

It's a bit of a joke we can get this close to the playoffs without being explained the exact rules.

Above the bit you've quoted above it states:-
[iIn week three, the winners of the two Qualifying Play-Offs will play the winners from week two. [/i

That's the bit I've gone on to make my guess.

As you say though, it's silly we don't know exactly what's going on.

If in the case of 3 and 4 winning then team 3 will get their choice of opponent at that stage.

Simples

If 3 and 4 win in week one, then 1 and 2 win in week two, where are the qualifying games held? That's another one I'm not sure on, in previous years it was always highest placed finisher, but is that still the case?

Teams 3 and 4 would be at home regardless.

You win in Week One, your prize is a home game.

You know, I havent even bothered thinking about how this works until now and I didnt understand it when I started reading the thread and understand it even less now.

wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=878 knock yourselves out!! the highest ranked team can choose who they like

wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=878 knock yourselves out!! the highest ranked team can choose who they like

That's how I understand it, the highest ranked winning team from week one can choose who they like, at home, in week 3. So, as the original post speculates, if it is Sts and Leeds 1 and 2 and they both win in week 1, (which isnt beyond the realms of possibility), then I can definitely see Sts picking Leeds so they play us at KR instead of Old Trafford, making that game the Grand Final!!!

That also states 'Home Advantage is always determined by highest league finishing position.' Which sounds to fly in the face of week one winners gaining home advatage in week three if they finished three or four?

I think I'll just wait for the play offs to begin but give me the old top five everyday of the week.

I see what your saying but the highest ranked team not picked get home advantage. If you get picked you lose that right!! That's added power to the pick!! But Im still thinking it poisoned chalice!

With due respect, this a fans site. I know Bilko seems privy to info regarding TV fixtures but I'm not sure on official RL stuff.

The two grey areas for me are

1) Can the top ranked side pick the second placed side should they both win.
2) Should the higher placed side lose to a lower placed side, and they meet again later in the play-offs, will home advantage be determined by the league position or who has come from the highest ranking tie?

They're the 2 questions I've emailed to the RFL but I'm not holding out for a reply, that's if anyone there actually knows

I know someone who does. I'll have a word.

Its not rocket science is it?

This is a very tricky one in my opinion because IF Saints did choose to take a chance and play the Rhinos at their place in the semi's and subsequently lost the game,then how much revenue would the club lose from not making it to the grand final?
surely any club that makes it to old trafford for the grand final would expect to make big money just from merchandise sales alone?
i would like also to know, who from the highest ranked club is going to pick its chosen semi final oponents,i would make the chief executives do it,hopefully it wont be down to the coaches to make the choice.
whoever makes that choice of semi-final oponent will leave their club in the firing line should they be knocked out!

Don't know if this is right with the way the play offs now work but why would you risk picking you closest rival when you could pick, say 8th if the 8th placed team made it, and have a better chance of making the final and beating your closest rival in a one off game? Surely from a finacial point of view its better to lose at OT than the game before. And if thats how it works ill be amazed if the team with the choice picks anybody than the lowest placed team at that time.

Don't think you'd get many Saints fans agreeing with that after the last 2 seasons events.

If you can knock out what is 'perceived' to be your strongest challenger for a title before the final then that is the surely the best option?

Recent results would seem to back up the perception that Saints stand a much better chance of beating us at home rather than at OLd Trafford.

If the shoe was on the other foot and we'd finished top the last 4 seasons but got beat twice on the trot by Saints in the GF having beaten them at home in the Qualifying final both times then if I had the choice I'd rather try and knoch that team out earlier with home advantage

That's the point i'm trying to make, not getting rid of your closest competitor, which i'm sure is what the money men will be looking. Also you have to be at OT for a chance of winnig the big one which again must be more of a risk if you play a higher placed team. What happened last year and the year before does not mean anything in this years play offs.

No Stains can not choose Leeds if they BOTH win in week 1! They can of course choose us if we lose in week 1 and come the long way round... so it could still happen!

Trust me on this, I have done my homework on this one - firstly see this thread where I just mainly talked to myself but hey ho!

[urlhttp://viewtopic.php?t=418236&highlight=[/url

Ok, play-off system below!

The highest placed of the two teams straight though to the QSF gets to pick their opponent form the two PSF winners only!!!

Both the teams through to the QSF get a home draw you see, so Saints can not deprive us of a home draw.

Week One:
Qualifying play-off (QPO) one - 1st v 4th (winner receives a bye to week three)
Qualifying play-off two - 2nd v 3rd (winner receives a bye to week three)
Elimination play-off (EPO) one - 5th v 8th (loser goes out)
Elimination play-off two - 6th v 7th (loser goes out)

Week Two:
Preliminary semi-final (PSF)one - QPO one loser v EPO one winner
Preliminary semi-final two - QPO 2 loser v EPO 2 winner

Week Three:
*Qualifying semi-final one - QPO one winner v PSF one winner
*Qualifying semi-final two - QPO two winner v PSF two winner

Week Four:
Grand Final - QSF one winner v QSF two winner

* subject to choice of highest placed winner in week one

I was on with Flipper on the Real Radio phone-in the other week going through this.

It is still rubbish though, as you are very likley to have exactly the same matches in week 3 as you had in week 1, if the home sides draws all win... which is hihly likley!

Loop -


1) Can the top ranked side pick the second placed side should they both win. IN WEEK 1

No

Of course if either lose then they might be the ones getting picked!

2) Should the higher placed side lose to a lower placed side, and they meet again later in the play-offs, will home advantage be determined by the league position or who has come from the highest ranking tie?

In Week 2 yes.

In Week 3 no, as the two clubs that win in the top 4 and miss week 2 get a home advantage in the QSF's in Week 3.

So if we lose in Week 1 (assuming we finish in 1st or 2nd) we will be home in Week 2 and away in week 3.

Spot on!

cheers

Come back Kenny McIntyre ... All is forgiven