Speaking to a few mates the other day at the CC Final and they said that they didn't really understand the SL play off system so I've done this so people understand. I'll keep it filled in throughout the play offs so everyone understands it

Qualifying Play Off 1
1 v 4

Qualifying Play Off 2
2 v 3

=#FF0000Winners through to QSF. Loosers to play in PSF.


Elimination Play Off 1
5 v 8

Elimination Play Off 2
6 v 7

=#FF0000Winners through to PSF. Loosers out of competition.


Preliminary Semi Final 1
QPO 1 Loser v EPO 1 Winner

Preliminary Semi Final 2
QPO 2 Loser v EPO 2 Winner

=#FF0000Winners through to QSF. Loosers out of competition.

Club call
Highest ranked QPO winner gets to choose their opponent but may not choose the other QPO winner. Both QPO winners get home advantage.

Qualifying Semi final 1
Highest ranked QPO winner v Club call choice

Qualifying Semi final 2
Lowest ranked QPO winner v club not chosen in Club Call

=#FF0000Winners through to GF. Loosers out of competition.

Grand Final
QSF1 Winner v QSF2 Winner

=#FF0000Winner wins competition. Looser is runner up.

Absolutely ridiculous that a club can have a negative league season and still qualify for the play offs

This is getting weird Starbug, i'm agreeing with you again. Should be top 5 in the playoffs for me.

True. It would be better suited to have the top 6 in the play offs.

If the sport wasn't motivated by money we could just crown the league leaders as the champions so it's fairer. It's a shame if a team goes unbeaten all year and then looses at the GF.

Then again the GF is a great day out

I like the grand final. I think you generally get the best team winning it anyway and it's a great end to the season. I just think the playoffs were better as a top 5, 6 at a push maybe.

I think Top 5 was the best system, but at the most Top 7, so you actually have to finish in the top half to get to the final.

Now that is an 8 team playoff they will be no way back to a 5 team playoff (unfortunately) then this is how it should look like IMO.

Week One

Qualifying Playoffs
1 v 4
2 v 3
Elimination Playoffs
5 v 8
6 v 7

Week Two

Elimination Semi Finals
Highest ranked QP loser v Lowest ranked EP winner
Lowest ranked QP loser v Highest ranked EP winner

Week Three

This is where it differs from the system that is being used now as the winners of the qualifying playoffs play each other for a place in the Grand Final while the loser will get a second bite of the cherry against the winners of the game between the two week two winners in week four.

Qualifying Final
Highest ranked QP winner v Second ranked QP winner
Elimination Final
Highest ranked ESF winner v Lowest ranked ESF winner

Week Four

Preliminary Final
Loser QF v Winner EF

Grand Final
Winner QF v Winner PF

It does last five weeks but all of the top 4 get two chances to reach the final and removes the need for the clubcall. There is an issue of a team having two weeks off but that happened with the top 5 and 6 systems.

The OP nearly got the system right but not quite. It's like this:

Week 1
Qualifying playoffs
1st v 4th
2nd v 3rd

Elimination playoffs - losers eliminated
5th v 8th
6th v 7th

Week 2 -
Preliminary semi final 1 - losers eliminated
Highest ranked QPO loser v lowest ranked EPO winner

Preliminary semi final 2 - losers eliminated
Lowest ranked QPO loser v highest ranked EPO winner

Week 3
Club call
Highest ranked QPO winner gets to choose their opponent but may not choose the other QPO winner. Both QPO winners get home advantage.

Qualifying Semi final 1
Highest ranked QPO winner v Club call choice

Qualifying Semi final 2
Lowest ranked QPO winner v club not chosen in Club Call

Week 4
Grand Final
Winner QSF1 v Winner QSF2

I like this. Nice system.

But the existing system fits your bill! The team that finishes league leaders can indeed be regarded as champions, by anyone who thinks that is a better measure. They get a trophy and everything. Then again, the team that wins the playoffs can be regarded as the champions by those who agree with the playoff system.

Whether you regard one or other as the champions makes no odds, they will be either league leaders, or Grand Final winners, whether you accept it or not. Both efforts will forever go down in the record books. So what's your problem?

It surely can't be with which team gets the right to call themselves the Super League Champions, though. Because the ground rules for that title are decided on by the clubs, which voted unanimously to have a league/playoff system, and to win that title you have to win the playoffs.

As for "sport motivated by money" - you don't say. I hadn't noticed. Are there any other pro sports leagues where money is a big factor, do you think?

Should be top 6. How you can finish 8th and be in the playoffs is pure nonsense

Edited now. Wasn't sure how to explain the club call bit properly so I went for what was written on the Super League site

But it all comes down to which is regarded as more significant by the majority. And that would be the grand final. So a team could win every game in the regular season but then loose by a point at the grand final and not be classed as champions.

Or the other way, a club could just scrape the play offs having played awful all season but then have a good run in the play offs and win the GF.

The sport is obviously motivated by money but you'd hope that the RFL have some balls to stand up to Sky every time they try to change everything. Games moved back and forward which may mean someone who has bought a ticket can't attend.

It's nowhere near as bad in many other sports. And in the Premiership, the team who finish top of the table are crowned champions. I live the grand final but it doesn't seem the fairest way of ending the season

Should be the same as the NRL, we try and imitate everything else they do.

It would probably be too complicated for Red Hall to implement and some fans to comprehend.

Not really, it's actually a lot LESS complicated than our system, with club call etc.

The top 6 was a farce, with the big qualifying game being bigged up which was a non event because you knew, barring one year out of how many, it was just a dress rehearsal. Top 7 would be the best system with straight knockout and 1st place achieving a bye in round one to reward finishing first.

Agreed, I think that 1 and 2 should be kept apart till the final moment. If top 6 had to be enforced, then for me its a bye for 1 and 2, and 3 plays 6 and 4 plays 5, lowest ranked winner players 1, highest plays 2. Winners meet in final.

[uI know[/u it’s less complicated, however, I have also seen the calamity crew at Red Hall in action.

I also read the comments of ‘some fans’ who would frankly find it hard to understand if just the top two played off.

Probably true to be honest.

Top 5 or 6 play-off system IMO.

The current play-offs will have some poor sides in it.

Wouldn't even mind a top 3 really. 1st goes to the final. 2v3 mid-week. Makes the season shorter giving more time for internationals. Allows us to start a little later as well.

It is shocking that you can finish below half way and still get a shot at the GF. We are rewarding mediocracy.

It should only be the top four. Maybe have a two legged fixture Home and away then who ever wins on aggregate goes into the final. Teams outside 4 just are never going to win it. Then again six because the likes of Catalan and Hudderfield have improved loads this year.

Ref the bit in bold - there are many supporters of a team who up until last season hadn't finished top, that regarded finishing top as worthless as all that was received was a hubcap. Seems some of those supporters are changing their tune, particularly as they should end up with a 2nd this year

I think the team that finishes 1st in the league should go directly to the Final.

2nd plays 5th & 3rd play 4th.

Winner’s playoff at which ever team finished highest in league.

Would you want 2 weeks off between winning the league and the final though?

I personally wouldn’t mind sitting back with a beer, watching the other four knock hell out of each other. Although I’m sure you’re right, the two weeks off wouldn’t be palatable to the coaching regimes.

I just feel the team that wins the league should be greater rewarded, other than a third rate trophy. People seem to remember who won the C.C more than the L.L.S.

Anyhow, I’m sure the paymasters wouldn’t like a slimmed down version, nearly as sure as I am that my team will never have such a dilemma.