Put it this way, if Huddersfield win on Sunday, all we have to do is win ourselves against cas and win our super8 game versus Huddersfield and we are suddenly two points behind them. And I can guarantee they will drop more points. We are not as far off as people make out, although this weekend will have a big effect.

It was a suggestion that's all Jesus H Christ

I posted we're in the position we deserve to be, I would say the same thing if we were in Leeds position

If you think 'Every Minute Matters' then so be it, but there will be some cricket scores in the last few games, especially with our squad 'possibly' preserving energy for a 'possible' Wembley trip

Some games will be a carbon copy of last night, and that is no advert for the 'Every Minute Matters' concept, when it quite clearly doesn't

What we have a problem with now is the number of superleague teams ,first past the post would see the season end this week. What has happened is the RFL & sky are padding the season out to give fans 3 or 4 more sl games on their season tickets which must be better value than having to pay for every play off round. With the new format there will only be 2 extra games to pay for ,the semi & the final. Unfortunately,other rival teams have been able cope with the new system better than us & have been able to hit the ground running from day 1 ,just like Leeds. As Saddened has pointed out, it is a difficult competition to play in when so many young players are having to be brought in. Keeping players fit & managing injuries is important & i'm sure with a bit more luck on that front we would have been better placed.

There can be absolutely no complaints about this, we are where we are because haven't played well enough. If we had played better none of us would even be questioning it.

If the Wire were to pull it off and win the big one this year after the season we've had so far, no one could even question it, it would mean a monumental effort from the team and that we've beaten the teams at the top - champion form - and a much bigger feat than winning from 5th in the previous format.

Others have answered the second point, with Catp's being the best in that this is year one and the situation could be totally different next year.

To avoid the dreaded Middle 8s is one answer to the first point.

Of course it's flawed and next season it with be flawed further still unless it's addressed...,

You will get 3/4/5 teams buying a marquee player. So from game one those rich teams that will always be in the top 6 mix will have an even bigger advantage and an even bigger gap come the super8s.

Plus the magic weekend. We beat Cas tomorrow great but we are still 2 points behind them because they get a gimme v Wakefield, we had to play The Gypies, how is that fare?

I don't care if wire finish top next year and win the friggin lot, it won't change my opinion of it.
A 4v5 play off is the only way to give the upper middle teams a fighting chance and back up every game matters.

Saddened is right.

This format isn't ideal, but no format ever is and it is better than the last one in terms of keeping more teams competing for something. Let's face it, those who want the play off format scrapped altogether and FPTP to decide the champions would now be looking at a three horse race between Saints, Leeds and Wigan if they had their way.

If Wires lose to Cas on Sunday we're out of it, but if we win then we've got a chance. It's a proverbial four pointer these weekend, because six points would be too much to make up on Cas in seven games, but two keeps us right in it with them and Huddersfield both to play again in the Eights. Yes it's unlikely, but who knows?

The best thing about the format though, is it means season ticket holders of all clubs continue to get into all home games until the semi final which should always be in high demand anyway. The biggest criticism of the play offs and RL fans in general has been low attendances. The reasons for that have been well documented - cost and short notice of fixtures being the main concerns. In this format we'll know all fixtures up until the semi as of next week and all season ticket holders can continue attending, so in theory even if a team is perceived as having nothing to play for, plenty of fans should still be inclined to turn up - especially for fixtures which are big in their own right such as derbies.

I don't think it's too bad at all.

I agree with you saddened it's all been in our hands and our position is our fault no one else's

There's no format in the world that could make every league game matter. It's as good as it can get on that front. There may be less than 5% of games with nothing really at stake. How many are there in the premier league?

Agreed and that can be said about 3 other clubs in the top 8 and 4 more next year..,

The question is...

What are we going to do about it?

What we should do about it is win more games in the regular season against our closest rivals. The home games v Castleford and Huddersfield this year could and probably will really cost us as they are in effect proper 4 pointers.

Yes, I liked your 4 v 5 jeopardy game idea to up the convolution factor on what is a convoluted system, but, it's not in play. I also flagged up the 'fairness' of playing Saints whilst Castleford got Wakefield in the extra game and questioned whether this is still valid? I don't think it is, more so than ever, imagine the furore if we missed the Super 8's on the basis of a defeat at magic.

I applaud the RFL for realising that the recent play off systems were flawed and the stagnant competition that denies the likes of Leigh, despite their giddy fans a chance of promotion and trying to come up with a solution.

It is us who have potentially failed not them or the system if we had won our home games against Hudd's and Cas and took our chances against Saints, the prospects would have been different....That's sport though

If we were nicely settled in one of the top 4 positions we wouldn't be moaning about the format. Posters here are just crying because we're unlikely to finish in one of those positions, if it was Huddersfied chasing us we wouldn't give a monkeys.

There's nothing wrong with the new system. I just think Magic Weekend should be seeded from the finishing positions the season before to square some games up a bit. It was 1st seed Saints v 5th seed Wire, 3rd seed Cas v 12th seed Wakey. That's not exactly fair on Leeds/Witan with re:Saints or Wire/Hudds with re:Cas. We could quite conceivably finish two, one or square points(worse points difference) with Cas come September just because of their easy fixture at Magic.

This marquee player lark ain't gonna happen , ingles,Cronk, thurston,slater,smith,Johnson ,are what I would call marquee players there's no way on this earth you could entice them over here they earn a very good wage, any signings made if any , are not what I would call marquee players just good players,

I don't deny wirex3 I'd probably be just as bolshy to the teams that can't make it, and laugh and wind them up, that is the privilege of finishing in the top 4.

And I would scrap the magic unless one team forfeits a home game for it. The extra game is unfair on the losing team especially where a position of relegation is at stake.

I don't deny that it's up to very team to win as many to have a chance but for every winner there is a loser. So are a teams that finishes in the 5/6/7/8 spots losers?
Well the split concept says no but it gives them absolutely nil chance of making the 4! So why on earth bother. Just give the four a play off and let us all book our holidays.

Magic Weekend, IMO, should be a regular round of games with teams giving up a home game every other year. However you dress it up playing an extra 'odd' fixture is always going to be unfair on some teams compared to others come the end of the season.

Four teams have four middle eight home games, four have three. Let's use the extra home game the top four have as Magic Weekend.

Easy solution.
Make the magic a regular round of games, the team that forfeits the home game gets 4 home and 3 away in the super 8s and middle 8s.

Bobs your uncle, Flo is your aunt.

Great minds ghf

I think you're wrong. The RFL has correctly weighted the super 8's so that the top 4 teams of the season get the best chance to get to O/T. However should any of the top 4 have a drop in form and one of the 5-8 placed go on a run of great results then places could be swapped around. This year the chance of winning it from 5th etc is small and the chances of winning to from 1-4 is good. This is the way it should be.

All our memories of 2011 & how unjust the end of season was. The new system reduces (but does not eradicate) the chances of that happening. No longer will a team win it from 5th.

I've never been a fan of the Magic Weekend, but if the RFL want a big 'showpiece' event, they should remove it from SL and use the Challenge Cup instead. All four quarter finals at one venue would be preferable, in my view, to the current situation of a daft extra fixture which inevitably skews the league table.

Even better idea, yeah. Just switch the team that loses a home game each year.

Don't need to do that Buckley mate.
Whoever forfeits the home game gets 4 home in the super8s and 3 away.

What happens if the four teams in the middle eight were in the six who forfeited home games?