Someone has just told me that they heard a rumour on Touchline (RIP) on Sunday that the highest placed side through to the QSF, who gets to pick their opponents, will not be allowed to play the side they played in week 1, thus stopping a repeat fixture? Is this rubbish... well I know if it is true it is rubbish... is it true?

If so, this is even more b0ll0cks and a good reason not to finish top! I am also not sure what would happen if you were not highest... could you or could you not play the same side twice???

Senario (based on current positions) - Saints play HKR and Leeds play Hudds. Saints and Leeds go through to week 3. HKR get knocked out but Hudds go through. Leeds can not play Hudds again so Saints are forced to play Hudds and Leeds get the lower placed side by default... how rubbish is that?

Someone tell this is indeed rubbish???

I have given up attempting to understand the play off system. I'll just wait for a thread to appear on here in the build up to the game to let me know who we are playing.

Hear, hear.
Someone at work asked me to explain the new play-off system.
I couldn't without lots of "No, no ... that can't be right ... hang on ... "

When I got to "[iand they can pick who they play[/i" the bloke thought I was taking the mick.

Like G1, I'll just wait until that Puig-Aubert rings me to see if I'm going down the pub to watch the next round with him, I won't know who we're playing until the teams run out.

Then I'll wait for him to ring me at 3pm on the day of the GF to say he's snaffled some tickets for us.

I had a go at explaining it to the missus...
(Back when I thought Wigan would finish 4th and we may only be 2nd

.. not to mention my slightly off 6,7 and 8th predictions... )

Play-off Schedule Example
Based on:
1. Saints 2. Leeds 3. Giants 4. Wigan 5. Hull KR 6. Warrington 7. Wakefield 8. Cas


Bold teams indicated to have won their match (obviously, just as an example)
=blueBlue have lost but remain in competition
=redRed are out


Week One, w/c 19/09, Qualifying and Elimination Play-Offs. (QPO/EPO)

Qualifying play-off one - 1st v 4th (winner through to week three)
Saints vs =blueWigan

Qualifying play-off two - 2nd v 3rd (winner through to week three)
Leeds vs =blueGiants

Elimination play-off one - 5th v 8th (loser goes out)
Hull KR vs =redCas

Elimination play-off two - 6th v 7th (loser goes out)
Warrington vs =redWakefield


Week Two, w/c 26/09 Preliminary Semi-Finals (PSF)

Preliminary semi-final one - highest placed QPO loser v lowest placed EPO winner (loser goes out)
=redGiants vs Warrington

Preliminary semi-final two - lowest placed QPO loser v highest placed EPO winner (loser goes out)
Wigan vs =redHull KR


Week Three, w/c 03/10 Qualifying Semi-Finals (QSF)

Qualifying semi-final one - highest placed side v chosen opponent (Saints choose Warrington?)
Saints vs =redWarrington

Qualifying semi-final two - highest placed side not chosen v lowest placed side not chosen
Leeds vs =redWigan


Week Four, 10th October, engage Super League Grand Final

Grand Final - QSF one winner v QSF two winner
=redSaints vs Leeds

Are you all too thick to understand it

Not sure if this helps much? viewtopic.php? ... highlight=

Not sure if this helps much? viewtopic.php? ... highlight=

I read that post and my head hurt half way through.

I'll just treat it as a nice surprise when I turn up at Headingley,

I have neither the will nor stamina to devote a portion of my head to the subject - I've been wrestling with RSS Feeds all day...

That's how it should be for everyone, including players and coaching staff.

2009 Superleague play-off series, Royal Rumble style.

Southstand Dave has explained it much clearer

What...the players turn up at the pub to see who they are playing on sky?

www.superleague.co.uk/page.php?id=360 As far as I understand the highest placed team winning in week 1 can choose to play either of the winners from week 2 in the week 3 semi final.

www.superleague.co.uk/page.php?id=360 As far as I understand the highest placed team winning in week 1 can choose to play either of the winners from week 2 in the week 3 semi final.

Andy Gregory and Garry Schofield to act as master of ceremonies for the draw.

Ah! It's completely clear now

What th..?

picking who you play is a godamn stupid rule why did the rfl do this


f*CKING MADNESS

What next, you draw all your playoff oponents out of the hat?

DAYEM

also it throws up loads of irritating scenarios

like in the exmaple on the 1st page leeds have to beat wigan twice to get to the final.

whoever designed this should be shot dead.

i hope we're at home then

It is reasonably likely that the week 1 fixtures will be exactly the same as the week 3 fixtures and even more likely that at least one of the week 3 fixtures will be the same. This is why this rumour may have started and even (shudder) might be true!

Unless any of the final top fours form takes a real nose dive just prior to the play-offs then given the higher league placed teams always getting a home draw in weeks 1 and 2 you would expect (and I am almost certain the bookies will agree and also just on past form of the winner coming from the top two sides) home wins up to week 3. Which means that the top four sides will be the teams through to week 3 and the QSF's.

Given that the top placed side can choose it is likely, if this is the case, they will choose the side who finished in fourth (IMO) and they have already beaten at home just 14 days ago, leaving the 2nd and 3rd placed sides to also play exactly the same fixture they played 14 days ago as well!

If one of the top 4 sides does slip up in week 2 and lose away from home then it is likely that the top placed side would pick the lowest placed team for their semi-final, and the distinct possibility that the other sides who met in week 1 meet again in week 3.

The real issue for Leeds and Saints (who look very likely to finish in the top two positions) is making sure you win at home in week 1. If you don't you really loose all advantage and you have to play away in week 3!

That WOULD be a surprise for me wouldn't it

The highest place winner from Week 1 cannot pick the other team that wins on that weekend. EG Saints and Leeds winning, because the other team would lose their right of a home tie.

(say top 4 is how it is, Saints, Leeds, Huddersfield, Hull KR)

If this happens what you are saying then basically, if the top 4 all get through to the final stages of the SL play offs, then there will only be one team that the highest placed team can choose (Saints would have to play Huddersfield and Leeds would have to play Hull KR) Thus not choosing who they get to play, but being forced to play that team.

God my head hurts now figuering all this out, why couldnt they have made it easy

1st v 8th 2nd v 7th 3rd v 6th etc etc nice and simple

I think the top 8 coaches should go to Red Hall on the monday morning and play off ground tig to see who they play.

Good job Salford are out then... can you imagine McRea playing off groung tig!!

Be careful what you say, he may sue you.