That results in the same semi finals we have now but less games from revenue.

What is the point?

No i do not think thats the real reason most on here complain tbh. That's a rather simplistic view would have made no difference this season or last we were not good enough to get to the grand final. Look at the attendances for the playoffs Shocking tbh and that is a sure sign that supporters of most clubs view the present top 8 as a joke. System need to change and the chage needs to come sooner rather than later.

We need to go back to top 5 and have relegation if a team who meets SL criteria wins the Championship. Its that factor of no relegation that has caused SL to become very sterile at times in the past as teams in the bottom third of the league have nothing to play for. So to stop clubs from just not trying towards the end of the season they bring in the top 8. Unlike the NRL we have 5 good SL sides and the rest are very poor whilst most of the NRL sides are of a very good standard ours are not.

My preferred format is this. using this season table as my template and the results.

Week one League Leaders have the week off

1. Wire v Saints
2. Catalan v Leeds


Wigan V Saints Winners go to the GF
Wire V Leeds Winners play the losers of the above game for a shot at the GF.

We would get less games and more intensity than we had on the 1st week of the play offs.

That it not how a top 5 system works. I will assume all games go to form to make illustrating it easier.

Wk1,
1 gets a week off
2 v 3
4 v 5 -(loser eliminated)

Wk2 -

1 v 2 - (winner to GF)
3 v 4 - (loser eliminated)

Wk 3
1 has a week off
2 v 3 - (winner to GF loser eliminated)

Notice that in week 2 even though 2 lost they still get home advantage in week 3. Unlike Wire who in the current system lost in week 2 but are now away at a side who finished lower than them in the league which is stupid.

The top 5 system ensures a side who finishes lower is always at a disadvantage to one who finished above it as well as ensuring a side must beat [uall [/uthe sides above it to win the title (current system has some impossible fixture combinations). Not only is that fair it also means the league has a real value too it. The higher you finish the more chance you have to get to GF.

That is not true in the current system. In our current system you can argue finishing 5th is better than finishing 4th and there is no difference between finishing 1st and 2nd. None of this "lets rest the team" and win it from 5th rubbish.

Also restricting it to 5 as opposed to 8 also means the league games are much more important. Under the current system I think it is a minor miracle the league games have much quality at all.

Keep a top 8 but straight knock out.

1v8
3v6

2v7
4v5

Winners of match one plays the winner of match two, the winners of match 3 plays the winners of four. And the highest team who finishes in the regular season plays at home. So use this season final standings, if Wakey were to win all their matches they would play all their matches away.

No. A top 8 with straight play off is the same as the old Premiership! That would be a backwards step.

I always liked the top 5 system because I like the concept that to win it a team has to beat ALL the teams above them.

Initially I didn't like the top 6 format because it broke the top 5 principle of having to beat ALL the teams above you. However, what I did like about it was the first game between 1 and 2 with the winner going straight through to the GF. That game always had high intensity and was often better than the GF itself. The loser then maintained home advantage which was reward for finishing high in the table.

The current system is crazy in that teams 1 and 2 can lose home advantage if they lose the first game.

Despite thinking that the top system is the best, on balance I now prefer the top 6 because it also maintains interest down the table in the regular season.

I have no problem with the team finishing 5th going on to become Champions but my point is that it is easier to do it in the top 8 system vs top 5. This season Leeds would have to have beaten Catalan (done anyway), then Saints away, then Wire or Wigan away (done) then say Wire in the final (we will see next week). So if Leeds win next week then it would be easier than the top 5 system in that they wouldn't have had to have beaten Saints away as well.

I agree the current system needs streamlining it doesn't sit right with me that you can finish 8th out of 14 and still be crowned champions at the end !

We knew the rules when the season started.

We did and I didn't like them then either!

Me neither but it always sounds like sour grapes when you've lost.