Quote ="SEB"I disagree. There are more teams at the top competing for the trophies (which is actually the real reason a team can win from 5th - because there are more teams capable of winning). There are more competitive teams in the middle of the table. And the teams at the bottom are slightly better than they were too, think back to the likes of the hopeless Halifax and Leigh teams.
For example, compare 2012 to 2005.
2005 Leigh finished bottom with 2 wins and an average score of 16-43 compared to
2012 Widnes with 6 wins and av of 20-40.
2005 3 teams score more than 1000 points with Leeds averaging 41 compared to
2012 2 teams scoring 900+ with Wigan averaging 36.
In 2005, only the top 3 teams we really any good (until Andrew Johns gave us some late hope) compared to
2012 a pretty strong top 6 plus Huddersfield in 7th strong earlier in the season.
I would like to see better rewards for league position, but I disagree the product is poorer or that the team are weaker or that games don't mean anything.'"
I see what you're saying but do you not think coaches/ players think a loss in the regular season is less damaging now than what it was before the 8 tier play off was brought in. Are you still in close contact with Briers? Would be interesting to hear his/ the players point of view on it.
FWIW, I think Leeds are and would be better than 5th if the old PO system was still in place. Meaning that altho it looks like a team from 5th is good enough to win in the current system but it was un heard of to win it like that from the old PO format.
I think it was Jones-Bucanan who admitted they go through the motions most of the year and only 'get going once they can smell autumn'.
