Thanks to Craig Spence of the RFL, we've got this one all tied up

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Hi David,

We have a press release on the very subject due out next week.

The two winners in Week 1 cannot play each other in Week 3. Therefore Saints would not be able to choose Leeds proving both win in Week 1. The winning team from Week 1 with the highest league ranking can only choose from the winners of week 2.

If Saints were to win in week 1 and Leeds lose, then Saints could decide to pick them.

On current league placings if HKR were to beat Saints and then play each other in Week 3 then HKR would have home advantage.

Hope this helps

Craig

So the highest placed winner in Week 1 gets to chose who to play.

If HKR win at Saints, but Saints win in Week 2- do Saints lose the advantage of who to play?

Yes, highest placed winners from week 1 so Saints would lose the advantage if they lost in Week 1.

I hope Eamonn McManus realises now we couldn't pick Leeds if they won in Week 1

Does anyone else think this system is a bit... stupid?



Just seems odd that people can pick who they want to play.

yes the nrl would never do this

I thought I had it right but I'm totally baffled by this system. It's making a simple system unnecessarily complicated if you ask me.

Trying to get this right for me website. Is this correct....





Typical RFL though this to explain months and months after the top 8 system was introduced. I still don't have a clue if this is happening a Reserve & Academy level either - i've just guessed it is doing?

Fantastic, exactly as i said it should be, you lose in weel one, you dont get home ad in week 3!

still think this is an unnecessarily complex idea, and I've still not seen them confirm how long after the game the highest placed team will get to choose their opponent.

Seems straightforward to me what dont you understand about it?

It will take a year or two to bed in like the top 5/6 started off but give it two years and lets see.

it wont get two ears it'll change before then

I haven't heard anyone from any clubs publicly supporting the idea of teams picking who they want to play. The RFL wanted it so probably made it an unconditional part of expanding the playoffs to eight teams, knowing full well that the clubs wouldn't reject that.

Don't know it until it happens if you ask me. Could be a winner. Innovation and all that. People don't seem to like change, so you'll see very little support for it.

That is a fair point. You'd assume that it would happen the same day, as the choosing team will have a week off to think about who they would rather play out of the four possible contenders, etc.

Do Week 1 losers keep home advantage for finishing higher (as I assumed) if they make week 3?
John Kear was going on Sky last night about Saints maybe picking Leeds as their chosen opponent in Week 3 because they may prefer to play at Knowsley Road rather than Old Trafford but unless Leeds lose in Week 1 they can't pick them?

It doesnt matter how many times people explain it to me I still dont have a clue how it works



Is it just me?

Week 1:
a) 1st vs 4th
b) 2nd vs 3rd
---
c) 5th vs 8th
d) 6th vs 7th

Week 2:
e) Highest ranked loser of a/b vs lowest ranked winner of c/d
f) Lowest ranked loser of a/b vs highest ranked winner of c/d

Week 3:
g) Highest ranked winner of a/b vs winning team of their choice from e/f
h) Lowest ranked winner from a/b vs remaining winning team from e/f

Week 4:
i) Winner of g vs winner of h (Grand Final)

HTH

Reading D.D.'s post it would appear not it all depends if they win in week 1.
If I read it right and we go with the current positions and we (HKR) '4th' win at Saints '1st' then saints lose that right and the winner of '2nd' v's '3rd' would get that privilige.
It would also mean that we would get home advantage unless the winner of '2nd' vs '3rd' picked us.

Well I think I get it but it's an amazingly complicated way of doing things in Week 3. Apparently the pick the opponent announcement will be done Live on Sky (think they said on Sky Sports News). When that decision has to be made though who knows.

No its definately not just you. Think they came up with the idea whilst very drunk.

Cheers i HTH too

It's not really very complicated at all.
I think the vast majority of RL fans are probably cabbies/factory workers/some other northern stereotype and arent too intelligent.
I fail to see what's complicated, it's the best system out there on a par with the NRL top 8 system which is better but easier to win it from lower down

This explains the system perfectly well, I dont know how some people can still not understand how it works.
I like it, its better than the old top 6 which had 1st playing 2nd who went straight into the final to play each other again.
I like the idea of teams choosing who they play as well, form teams are not always the highest ranked.

I know the big debate is about week 3 and "oh god how complicated they get a choice!" but what I find odd is that a LOSING team get home advantage in week 2.
I know it's a reward for table ranking, but that rewrd is already factored in by the second chance round for the top 4. I think maybe a neutral venue for week 2 might be an idea - could make it a double header as well.