Hello, I am looking into writing a book about the idea of play-offs deciding the Champions in sport. I was wondering what the opinions are of fellow Rugby League fans on the play-offs. Do you think play-offs are the best way to decide the champions or do you prefer whoever finishes top being champions? And what do you think of the current format?
Personally I think play-offs are a great concept, sport is about peaking on the big occasion and beating your biggest rivals head to head when it matters.

Though a playoff series is the accepted method in pretty much every other team sport on the planet.

And it was for RL for the vast majority of its life.

Only soccer hasnt been down that route.

In the current circumstances it does not follow that the team finishing top of the table are the best, because the top teams know that they need to peak in the playoffs.

Consequently teams balance qualification with freshness - look at the team Warrington put out at Harlequins, that suggests that Tony Smith was prepared to sacrifice league position for freshness/preparation.

Finishing top is a fine achievement but due to the play offs it is not the be all and end all.

Are the playoffs good? Professional sports need drama, in my mind play offs are much more dramatic/compelling, so yes they are a good thing.

personally,i prefer it if the champions are the ones who have finished top of a league ladder and retain the play offs as a seperate competition.
to all new/young fans this used to happen,it was called the premiership play offs and the final was at old trafford! dont see why we couldn't go down that route again though?
but obviously we have to play by our paymasters wishes

I'm a massive fan of the playoffs.

It brings the season to an exciting end and means that the season remains meaningful for at least 8 clubs until the last week of the season.

Teams who have performed are rewarded by an easier path to the final.

It is modelled on the NRL who came up with it first (They modelled it on the NFL)

Under the old system, many clubs had no realistic chance of winning the title from half way through the season. The old premiership competition meanwhile was absolute pants. A real mickey mouse event. i went to a few finals, even at Old trafford and the atmosphere was flat. That's why in my opinion the Challenge cup was so important to the average fan and so well attended. Now the CC is just a sideshowuntil the SF.

of them. The top 4 played off because they hadn't everone else.

Also to disagree that every other sport on the planet has play offs: soccer? cricket? tennis? squash? badminton?