We need to thank Halifax for putting this information on their webpage:

from how they have approached the whole issue of the ridiculous (in my opinion) extra bonus point, I feel they are not entirely convinced as to the efficacy of this system for all three leagues>

Anyway judge for yourself just google Halifax RLFC official web site:

Here is a taster of their findings, interestingly Leeds will leapfrog Saints at the top of the league whilst winning less game..a sure fire indictment of it's ridiculousness>


They have done a complete league table of how it has affected the Championship.

However: When they did a comparison of how it would have affected SL if it had been in force for 2014.

Leeds would be top, after winning less than Saints and Hull would replace Salford in eleventh place, and Salford would be third bottom.
So let's make sure the RFL don't get their way and slip this system into the equation for 2015..

I'm 100% against it, unfortunately I think the numpties at red hall have already made their mind up.

Sounds like a fat Nigel idea. He really earns that £300k a year salary doesn't he?

Except they can of course do no such thing; since IF you accept that the existence of a bonus point makes a material difference to the way the players play out the games, then it must follow that the scores would have been different had there been no bonus points. Otherwise, there is no point to the bonus point, obviously.

You cannot draw a league table and say "look, that is how it would have ended up" unless you at the same time argue that the existence of a bonus point would have made no difference whatsoever to any of the final scores.

The point is not lost, but it should be??

For the sake of clarity let me paste the info. (excluding the actual impact it has had pre relegation, to the Championship over the season from 2010 see the charts on their web page)

>There is no significant difference to any of the league tables in those years, although the first round of the play-offs in 2009 would have been the other way round, though neither of those four teams progressed to the Grand Final anyway.
Looking at the 2014 Super League season, it is hard to say explicitly what impact the bonus point would have had by simply looking at the results, because the idea is that the bonus point system pushes teams to fight harder when they are behind in games.
Hull have been the team to lose most often by 12 points or less, something they've done six times, followed by Wigan on five, and Castleford, Leeds and Widnes on four.
Converting the league table to the bonus points system, it would mean Leeds displacing St Helens at the top of the table, and Hull leapfrogging Salford in to 11th.<

I am merely the messenger: You make up your own mind, are you for it or against it and the reasons for either.
Someone of greater ability than me, could run a straw poll, for a bit of fun??

I don't think it's a good idea personally but if the RFL is going to use "Every Minute Matters" as a slogan then it seems logical to keep bonus points.

Personally, I'm against pointless [ha ha see what I did there?? changes to the rules, of which bonus points is a perfect example. Like three points for a win, which only entered British sport due to soccer authorities wanting to see more teams going for the win and fewer sides just holding out for the draw [a situation which has no parallel whatsoever in RL, so totally unnecessary.

As far as the league format goes though, the one really important thing for me, is that once implemented, it doesn't change mid season. Before we start, if nothing else, we need to know what the rules are, how they are to be 'interpreted', and that they are fixed. I'm not even holding my breath on that simple requirement.

The promotion/relegation system is already too complicated (I’ve only just grasped how it works) so having bonus points just makes worse. Such developments only disillusion the casual fan IMO. Why the eff can’t we keep things simple???

But it isn't just up to them is it?

Here's another reason that the Bonus Point is patently unfair:
looking at the Championship table Whitehaven and Batley were both on 39 points (Batley in relegation zone due to 3 points deduction for fielding ineligible player) but Whitehaven had won 11 games to Batley's 10 however Batley were above them because they had an extra bonus point (for losing) and a drawn game.
Remember the points are 3 for a win 2 for a draw, and 1 if lost by 12 or less..

So let's compare a hypothetical club result to emphasise how wrong it could be..let's use Haven and Batley as the example...

Both teams are at 39 points with either being relegation candidates in the battle to stay above 10th in the table, which this year will see them go into the conference league.

Lets suppose that each have two more games to play?
Haven have the easiest run in and Batley the hardest:
Haven are 9th and Batley are 8th (because Batley have a better points difference, even though they have lost one game more than Haven).

So when they play the two games Haven results are (this is now hypothetical, as they are fictitious games) one game won 3 points and one game lost by over 12 points (no bonus point)> Total points to add to the 39 points makes it 42 but scoring ave is still below Batley:
Batley now: Results from their two games: Draw and a loss by 12 points points awarded 2 for a draw and 1 Bonus point = 3 or 42.
The actual games won by Whitehaven would be 12 (see actual results to date in LE) and points 42 Batley actual games won is 10 points 42>> Batley though have the better points average for and against..so Whitehaven finish 10th and are relegated and Batley stay up..
Apologies to fans of either team, I am only using your teams as an example as you are the nearest to the unjust system of the Bonus point ?

Another misnomer is the 2 points for a draw, it used to be a drawn game shared the points equally ie 1 point in SL... this is ok for the two teams concerned, but as the example shows patently unfair for other teams in the competition, if they haven't had any draws or a low bonus point reading..
You might prefer to stick pins up your cuticles, and I'll forgive you if you just say rubbish. and don't bother to read it.

Not liking a system isn't the same is it being unfair. In your case both teams know how to score league points and the table is decided accordingly. Whether you agree that it is a good system is another question

Two points for the draw is:
One point each for the draw.
One point each for not losing by 12 points.

I personally don't think bonus points should be introduced / continued in the revised structure.

Would I like the system for all the 3 leagues is the question..I never liked it when it was first brought about for championship clubs..so nothing changes my thoughts on it's merit.
Are you sitting on the fence? Or is it that we don't know that much about it as we (Bulls) were in SL and it didn't really affect us? However I feel that if we don't make our voices heard it will be a cross we have to bear, and another thing foisted on our sport that we as supporters,have had no say in.
Giving an advantage for losing a game is not a good idea,(IMO) as I hope you will see from the rather complex example..It's simple to give 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and the deciding factor if two teams are at the same league points is the points difference at the end of the season, surely this is the incentive for teams to score as many points as possible whilst minimising the points scored against them?
My case rests.

I'm not sitting on the fence - I personally don't like it

Having said that, its not that I think it is unfair, just overly complicated

What I do think is that having said "Every Minute Matters", it would seem logical to keep it so the RFL can say that even when you know you are going to lose, every minute matters as there is still a bonus point to be won

And that differs from every other sport how?

Maybe the RFL are considering awarding a bonus point for beating particular teams??icon_smile.gif

The bonus point system is brilliant, ask anybody who was at the Cougars v North Wales match on sunday about the post final hooter drama

Everyone except the team that was relegated I assume???

Cheering ecstatically when you have lost is a sad time for the sport. We'll be giving medals to teams for "taking part" next. Be like a school sports day.

interesting to see how the bonus points impact the current Championship table. Several teams are placed above teams with more wins thanks to the bonus points, and while I can appreciate Fax being above Doncaster as they have a far superior points difference the placing of Workington and Keighley stands out, the Cougars have won a game more, have scored more points 551 v 432 and have a better points difference - nil against Towns -66 - Yet Town are 2 points above the Cougars thanks to the bonus points. So not easy to understand the positive opinion on bonus points of our Cougar friend above?

I can't be doing with the bonus point, there should be no reward for losing, and situations like in the Championship now, where teams winning more games are lower in the table is ridiculous - a team could be relegated having won more games than a team that survives, how can that be right? (i know it could happen with draws, but that "not losing and earning a point" seems fairer than a point for not losing too badly)

But I suspect it will be brought in across the leagues for next season.

I think its a great idea, but they should go further.

* Pre-match they should announce 5 Magic Numbers - e.g. 5, 17, 18 and 33. Any team' s score "landing" on any magic Number gets them variable extra points, being 80 divided by the minute in which the event occurs, eg if in 25th minute the team gets (80/25) = 3.2 points. Plus a bonus of 20 points if you land on all 4

* They should bury a sensor somewhere on the pitch. Any player with the ball landing on the sensor gets awarded a "bonus try"

* Install a "Clapometer". When taking a kick at goal, the kicker only has until the Clapometer reaches 120 decibels and if it does, and he hasn't already taken the kick, he is not allowed to kick.

* The "backheel" drop goal, worth 3 points.

* A panel of 4 judges to be picked before the match, and they award extra "style" points, toi a maximum of 5 each, by holding up a board with the number on, for technical difficulty and for artistic merit for each try scored.

* Each team captain is given a Joker. This can be played at any time, and when it is, the opposition player of his choice has his feet hobbled for 10 minutes.

I have spent many months finalising these suggestions to make every minute and every play count, and these are just some of them. But I am not perfect and so I hope you can come up with some more, just as good.

If I could catch my breath, still not. Magic Numbers my pick [deldespite[/del including the indiscriminate rounding.

FA is Nigel Wood and I claim my £5.