So you are suggesting we should not change the ways things have been done in the past ? , no doubt you disagree with franchising then ?

You really are a muppet at times

I have suggested this where exactly ?

It really is immensley childish to take an opinion on one smallish part of the game and try to somehow suggest something totally different

For me either top 5/6 would be best.
When the play-offs started when it was the top 5 it worked quite well.

Anything more than the top 40 % is a joke really

Have to agree with you on this one Starbug.


For me the top 8 at the moment is at least two too many.

Top 3 for me, 1st goes straight to final, 2nd v 3rd to join them. There not enough intensity in games anymore, what with no relegation and most clubs in no rush to target the top places because in theory top 8 is easy achievable.

At the end of the day its not what rugby league wants its sky wanting to see a lot of play off games.

yes,but it does keep the competition more interesting towards the end of the season with still something for the teams & fans to play for at least - the down side is of course if eighth placed team wins the Grand Final !
Without the relegation many of the fixtures in the final weeks will be completely meaningless IMO

Just dont go there ,

Its about balancing the correct number of teams with the correct system.
Sadly the top 5/6 systems were a joke with dress rehearsal games, and did anyone ever end up considering it a benefit to play only two games in a month?
Introduce that now and based on last year Saints' players would have had 2/3 games in 6 weeks at the 'business end of the season'.

Top 7 for me, 1st through to semi final to give more reward for topping the league. Then 2nd v 7th etc resulting in 1st vs lowest placed winner the week after

Top 5. This year the last week of the season would have had Leeds, Hull and Huddersfield going for 4th and 5th with one of them missing out. As great as beating Hull in the playoffs was 8 from 14 is too many. In 1999 Super League had 14 teams and there was nothing wrong with a 5 team playoff then so why now?

i'tll have to come back sooner or later,probably in about ten years when the domestic game will really be on it's knees...we're all DOOMED.....................

I think 5 is the best by a mile and I reckon most people agree. I can only assume the bigger playoff system is finacially motivated.

If it was on this season, the Play-Off Games would have been;

Week One:
Warrington at Saints - Saints won this game in the Top 8 System, would say 15,000.
Huddersfield at Leeds - Don't know about this game, but because I'm blatantly biased, I'll go Huddersfield to win this. I would say 15,500

Both Game would be local games, Saints at near Rivals Wire, and Huddersfield vs Leeds, which I am 100% sure would have seen about the same turnout from Away fans that the Saints Game, even more. Both would have got 15,000 cause they would have been bigger games.

Week Two:
Saints at Wigan - speaks for itself, got 20,000 in the regular season game, for a place in the Grand Final and KC's potential last Derby, it would be huge. Gonna say Saints to win this.

Huddersfield at Warrington - would probably get 8,000-9,000, Huddersfield won in Play offs. Huddersfield to progress.

Week two provides another two good games, Saints Wigan would probably be Saturday Night or Sunday Night. Huddersfield Warrington Friday.

Week Three:
Huddersfield at Wigan - will get about 13-15,000, but after the whole 'kill the wigan players' speech by NB, it'll at least be an exciting game. If game would be played on Saturday, you're looking at a good Away turnout. Calling Wigan though.

Week Three has a one game, but a good game.

Grand Final
Saints/Wigan - explains itself.

I never know to be honest.
I love the idea of a grand final, and some sort of playoff system to ensure the best on form teams make it.
I don't like the idea of the playoffs lasting as long as they do now.
I don't like having so many teams included, over half is just absurd.
(However I wouldn't be heartbroken if an underdog got to the final).
I don't like the idea of teams missing a week (especially before the final), it strikes me as a disadvantage.
I certainly don't like teams having to choose their opponents.
I don't like pointless position-switching matches. I'd prefer sudden death, they're always more intense.
I obviously like increasing rewards for higher positions.

So this rule me out of:
SL Current System
NRL Current System
Top 5 System
Top 6 System
Top 3 System

So I'm not sure. If we had a conference structure (2 leagues, play everyone in their own league H/A and the other league just once) I would probably support a top 4 system; 1 vs 2 from opposite leagues to reach the final.

But seeing as we don't have this... I don't know, I'll just get on with whatever is given. It's always going to be the final that interests me the most anyway.

Sounds like you'd love my top 7 system

Can't argue with any of your comments.
Perhaps the RFL should reconsider P&R and reduce the play-offs ,just a thought.

Any playoff to decide the champions is a joke. Why have a league that is decided by a cup comp? thats what the challenge cup is for.

If you finish top over 8 months, played every team home and away, you're the best, so you should be champions, you put the hard yards in week in week out, every single minute of every single game matters to the outcome of the season - that what a league is all about. At the mo, you can win 29 straight games, lose the 30th and you are not champions!

I honestly don't know why clubs don't treat the first half of the seaosn as pre season, then half way throught, start playing your strongest side, peaking perfectly for the playoffs.

And thats another phrase i detest 'peaking for the playoffs'



Its the league! Every game and every month of the season should matter! not just one!

Didn't Wire walk the league that season but lost one playoff game and so wasn't champions? At least there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for a playoff in them days.

Warrington came top of the regular season, two points clear of Fev, then lost at home to Dewsbury in the championship play-off semi-final. First season of six tackles. And as you say, all 30 professional clubs were in the same division, so an unequal fixture list.

top 5.

If there HAS to be one then top 5 for me.

There HAS to be one

What about splitting the league into 2 bits at the 13 game mark, into 7 and 7 and have the teams play each other once, with the Top 7 working toward the Minor Premiership, and Play-Off Position, and the Bottom 7 working towards a final, play-off place. The First Week in the Play-Offs will be the Wildcard vs the #7 team, and then a Top 7 system outlined will come into practice.