Pile o so far.

Errors errors errors

lack of intensity in games

no upsets

Have to say im dissapointed so far

They have looked like early round games.

Don,t think the game has reached rock bottom just yet, we are saving that for the international games next month.

I'm just dissapointed so far. The playoffs normally produce some cracking games with a real rise in intensity.

Myabe having a top 8 has toned down the quality for the first few rounds while the cannon fodder get's eliminated?

The top 8 equals epic fail for producing two games this weekend where there was no real incentive to win (1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3) and two games featuring teams who would not previously been good enough fpr the playoffs.

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8255830.stmReally?[/url

I'd agree with that.

Hull kr and hudds played like teams who had a eye on the following week.

I really wouldn't class that as an upset to be honest.

Both of those teams are evenly matched but if anything i'd back cats in a game like that because they have the extra class over a team like wakefield.

You know, greenshields, mcguire mogg et al.

It was a bloody awful game as well.

I can understand the top 4 being low in value and incentive. But the 5 v 8 and 6 v 7 games should have been high intensity knock out games but failed, take note the RFL.

Did you really expect anything different from what the regular season has turned out?

Well its been blooming good in the Championships thats for sure

Before the season started i genuinely thought this was the best system to use but I think straight away next year we should go with the NRL system.
People criticise it because for example you lose in week one, you're playing away after that and the top 2 aren't theoretically as 'secure' but its much harder for the 7th or 8th placed team to do anything under that system and it doesnt throw up games like the first 2 this weekend.

I was going to join in with the general air of disappointment because the games have been pretty crap so far but then I remembered that Bradford beat Hull 71-0 in '05. Hardly intense then was it?

Not the greatest start but lets see what happens.

I wouldn't say that, i'd say the team selection by justin morgan was one looking to next week, because he said Briscoe, Webster & Galea could have played but they didn't. As for the game, put everything into the first half, just got well out-played in the second half.

Times man unimpressed with the play offs so far, see article timesonline.typepad.com/rugby_le ... pular.html

Times man unimpressed with the play offs so far, see article timesonline.typepad.com/rugby_le ... pular.html

Now its down to 6 hopefully shud improve

I thought the original top 5 set up was perfect.

TBH, standards have perhaps dropped this season, but i think the (apparent) larger number of young british lads getting a run out due to the increasing quota regs is encouraging, even if it means that it'll take us all a while to get coached up to previous playing standards.

The recent Saints - Wigan derby featured a much vaunted half back battle between rookies Eastmond and Tomkins, but also featured a high number of local youngsters, which for me gives the game extra value.

What can you expect when there are poor teams in their? I mean, teams finishing 6th, 7th and 8th are only average so you can't really expect special games.

Playoff are simply a joke, top 8 is a laugh. The only credible thing about them was that the level of play noticeably went up but if that is going now then their is no point in them. the playoffs are a way to make money yet loads on here are easily fooled in thinking it is the best way to determine a champions. Leeds are the best team, the champions, a couple of one off games don't change that.

Yes, definate gulf btwn the poor season Wigan have had and the poor season Catalans have had.

Yet a lot of the complaints have been about the games between the 1st & 4th team, and the 2nd & 3rd team.

Wrong, the Grand Final winners will be the champions, just as it should be. English RL used playoffs to determine the champion for 70 years before going away from them for some strange reason. Playoffs are the only way to go.

The play-offs are just another way that the RFL has come up with to reward mediocrity. A top four play-off on a knock-out basis has some merit but when HKR and Huddersfield were to be rewarded with a home game the week later for losing, then what do you think their directors were rubbing their hands for?

The matches between 5th placed down to 8th placed were non-events, so let's get back to what it always used to be with 1st plays 4th and 2nd plays 3rd with the two winners going to the Grand Final. Teams have all year to get into the top four just the same as they have to make the top 8 and maybe by making it the top four we might see more teams putting in that extra yard in some league fixtures.