It makes you wonder what Wakey fans would do if they were to finish top on the league one day. We (Tigers) have set an example that the so-called smaller and less fashionable clubs can actually win something as well as the teams like Wigan, Leeds, and Saints.

Your views are miles apart from your chairman Mick Carter who I had the pleasure of talking to after last Thursdays game. He was celebrating our win like he was one of our own.

Pull us down to your hearts content - it makes us stronger.

Thanks for your post.

I'm not a historian and may be drifting the thread here, but, what I was driving at, all be it not too well, was that those that repeat the 'fact' that we as a sport have employed the play off system to crown the Champions to dismiss the claims of the 'first past the posters', more than often fail to acknowledge that the league structure 'way back when' was skewed. The league was large, teams played along county lines, there wasn't a complete set of home and away fixtures.

In other words, pre sky and the M62, it could be argued that the play offs were a method of regularizing the inherent faults of an unbalanced fixture list and the difficulty in travelling from Liverpool to Hull for a game of rugby? As a random example take a look at the 1954 and 1955 seasons



Back on topic, well done Cas great achievement thus far and I hope that you win the GF

Well what Bren said is true, but it's not "pulling you down". If you opened your one eye, you'd see that Vastman aside Wakey fans have been congratulatory towards Cas.

Set an example? Huddersfield won it the other year but everybody forgets LLS winners because people regard it meaningless unless you win the grand final aswell. If Wakefield finished top of the league I'd be ecstatic and cas fans would be saying it means nothing, that's just how it is.
Wakefield Trinity have been champions twice, cas have been the best team this season so far, win the grand final and you'll be deserved champions and have a star on your shirt next season.
Up the Trin

That you've clearly forgotten Hudds winning the LLS only a few years back only goes to help the argument that people don't really remember who won the LLS.

Still a play-off system though whatever the reason or barometers you put upon it. Which has been used for the majority of our 122 years as a sport apart from a 25 year period where we tried to mimmick soccer.

But somehow this period gets used as our "original" and "proper" way to do it.

I didn't deny that we have used a play off system and I wasn't there that when the decision was made on why it was agreed to be used, I just gave an opinion as to why it might have been more appropriate then than it is now if you were looking to set up a competition.

As a supporter of a club that has had LLS success, but, failed to win the GF/Championship in my lifetime, yet managed to win a play off series under the first past the post system and 'only'won a Play Off, I can assure you that I am not bitter or in denial that the winners of this year's Grand Final will be crowned Champions, as it's what all the teams have signed up to at the start of the competition..I get that.

What I don't get is the lack of value placed on the LLS bordering on the dismissive by plenty and the, in my view, simplistic 'back stop' view that it must be right, or at least can't be challenged because that's how we have nearly always done it and we only had a change to the system to mimic soccer (what do they know about running a successful competition?).

The fact that you, and others can recall Huddersfield winning the LLS surely shows that people do remember who won the LLS!!

...and that is the crux of the argument. Hudds fans didn't think it was meaningless in 2013, Tigers fans certainly don't in 2017 (we are still celebrating this bank holiday Monday) but every one else regards it as meaningless. It reeks of envy.

Cas fans are celebrating success, surely that's a good enough reason?

Therein lies the problem; I haven't seen *anyone* dismiss Cas' achievement as meaningless - because that would be a ridiculous thing to do. I have seen most people say well done Cas, but with a non-fans perspective of the GF being the ultimate accolade; which I'm sure plenty of Cas fans have said in the past to Shudds and Wire fans.

I don't understand the chippy attitude - Cas have every chance of winning the GF - then you can really rub some folks noses in it; but it hasn't happened yet!

What do you mean Vastman aside, I've congratulated them in every post - I just think the GF is more important, am I not allowed an opinion?. Show some guts and don't try shipping your obvious unpopularity on these forums onto me, I can do that just fine by myself thanks.

Purely hypothetical, most of us will be dead before that happens - so you're well up on us there







PS: How exactly would you expect MC to behave exactly?

When have I ever said that you're not allowed an opinion?

When did I not praise Cas for their achievement?

The issue is whether the GF or the LLSis more important.

If anyone can find me a quote pre season where DP states he's after the LLS. Rather than finishing as high in the 8 to assure a good play off place like every other coach then I'll let him off his slightly daft comment.

I'd like someone to show me where Powell has stated the LLS is more important than the GF. He has said it is a great achievement and an historic one but he also said "we will celebrate this" (why wouldn't you ?) and followed that up by saying "we will move on to the next target".

You've just answered your own question. Wakey and Hudds have both won it - We (Tigers) haven't up 'till now.

Got to say I was a bit surprised you were "name dropped" in relation to this particular point & don't think the cap fits on this particular occasion. Whilst it's no secret you don't like Cas (totally understandable as we're local rivals) I think, generally speaking, you've been pretty gracious about our LLS achievement, I'm not sure others would have been so.

We were champions because we won the equivalent of the grand final winning the league didn't class you as champions even back then.
Up the Trin

Bearing in mind I didn't say anything about Tigers been "champions" - are you now you are claiming that Wakey (and Hudds) have never finished top of the table ?

Wakefield Trinity have only finished top of the League table once IIRC - in 1944.

Quote ="Tigerade"I'd like someone to show me where Powell has stated the LLS is more important than the GF. He has said it is a great achievement and an historic one but he also said "we will celebrate this" (why wouldn't you ?) and followed that up by saying "we will move on to the next target".'" https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/ ... rand-final

Quote ="Tigerade"I'd like someone to show me where Powell has stated the LLS is more important than the GF. He has said it is a great achievement and an historic one but he also said "we will celebrate this" (why wouldn't you ?) and followed that up by saying "we will move on to the next target".'" https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/ ... rand-final

This sums it up for me

Whilst I agree I don't go for the "other teams weren't targeting" line.....how exactly is it double standards wrt Leeds winning the treble?

Someone wins the LLS every year, when the 2018 season kicks off half of the teams involved will have won it in the last 6 years. A treble hadn't been done for a decade and might be that long or longer before it happens again. They are hardly comparable achievements, it'd be like saying Cas winning the LLS only is the same as if Cas win the LLS AND the GF, one scenario will be a greater achievement than the other.

Its not that other teams are not targeting it as every team wants to win every game, but if you were crowned champions from being league leaders the entire way teams approached the season would change, the early rounds would be ultra defensive as teams would be doing anything to scrap for points, squads would be more focused on depth and there would be even less superstar players in the SL etc.

IMO the LLS is not the achievement the RFL wants it to be (especially as we dont play everyone home and away once). For some reason SL seems to be the only league in the world that has a playoff system but still wants to make a big deal about the league leaders as well.

BTW Im not trying to slight Cas here as (unlike some league leaders before them) they have clearly been the best team this year so far