So despite the team finishing top not being guaranteed to play the first SF, in the last 7 years, the team that finished top has played first.

Apart from this year of course.

Interesting....

But, its a conspiracy...

Well 5 not 7, there was no semi finals in 2019 with the top 5 playoffs.

Interesting that the only team to have finished top of the league, had the first semi final and won the grand final in the last 10+ years was Saints in 2014 (and that was only because Ben Flower gave you a helping hand

). So statistically the Wigan / /RFL / Sky conspiracy might actually be in your favour!

Yip
And in other years we've had different play off system and rules
Your point is?

Are you genuinely just trying to wind me up?

I’ve been told to stop moaning because apparently the team finishing top isn’t guaranteed to play first. However since 2015 the stats have shown that apart from 2019, the team that finished top actually did play first.

However this year this is not the case. I honestly can’t think why. Can you?

Coz Saints are boring bas*adds and Sky don’t want people cancelling subscriptions



Step up The Entertainers 2.0

Because there was never a rule, but because SKY had both semis they decided they'd do it this way (unless they didn't like in 2014).
There was Never a Rule

This year, unlike previous years, sky are sharing the rights with CH4 and Sky decide which game they want to show
There again isn't a Rule

So no, I'm not deliberately winding you up, unless you call responding to untruths and opinionated conspiracy theories with Facts as "deliberately winding you up"?

It couldn't literally be simpler

I didn’t once mention rules.

Anyway it’s all a moot point now as the 3 peat Champs will be shown free to air on terrestrial TV. No better way to entice new fans than watching the Champions.

Imploding? Behave

Have you been on red vomit.
You lot are so worried that your time at the top is coming to a finish that you are creating every scenario to explain the reason you could lose a game.

Saints are not as good as they think they are,if you get Salford in the semi you will sh*t yourself.

Wigan have been shown on tv for about 80 percent of the games! who needs to buy tickets or season tickets!

*sigh* No-one goes to games. The club dies. Wigan are shown on TV for 0% of games.

We're Wigan Rugby, we play when we're told

It is what it is.

I woud be very surprised if Sky hadn't been at least informed of the potential issues caused by not selecting Wigan.

I also think it is pretty obvious that playing on the day and time that you usually play your home games, and when you generate your biggest crowds, is an advantage from a preparation, perfromance and financial perspective.

But the bigger point is that if you want to be champions, playing on Saturday instead of Friday must surely rank as the most minor of challenges you are likely to face, so just get on with it. Or even better, use it.

Saints home games this season

Thursday 2
Friday 7
Saturday 1
Sunday 2
Monday 1

Saints games

Thursday 3
Friday 11
Saturday 10
Sunday 4
Monday 2

Yep.....moving from possibly Friday to definitely Saturday will screw them right up.

They haven't been penalised but they could have been and he's furious

So we've chosen to play all but two of our SL home games on a Friday.

Two have been moved to Thursday for Sky which would otherwise have been Friday, I think you've counted Magic as a home game (which if it was would have been on a Friday) and one was a double weekend fixture on a Monday (pretty hard to play twice on a Friday in those circumstances . . . . ).

The two Sunday games we do every now and again for families who can't do Friday nights but they have been a disappointment crowd wise.

So yes, we choose to play almost all our home games on a Friday and never choose to play at home on a Sarturday. Not sure whether that is what you were trying to say.

EDIT - maybe it's the Channel 4 game rather than Magic you have for the Saturday? Either way, Saints choose to play at home on a Friday night as that's the slot that works best.

All pointless anyway - we'll win on Saturday toolike we have done for the last three grand finals!

The home Channel 4 game was on a Sunday. Castleford.

OK, so one game on a Sunday vs Hull KR and every other on a Friday unless moved for TV.

Anyway, as I say it's not a big deal in the scheme of things but to say that playing in your normal/preferred slot in front of a bigger crowd isn't an advantage is a bit silly.

Nope. You play Toulouse tomorrow don't you? At home. On a Saturday. Given the disruption to your system I presume Toulouse will win.

Nobody mentioned when you CHOSE to play but when you played. You've played 53% on a Friday so for 47% of the time you've had to handle playing at a different time and have won all but 1 I believe so yours and Stu's comment about disruption is just b******* isn't it? One was also a Friday afternoon so you've actually played less than half of your home games on a Friday at 8pm. (Or 7.45 nowadays, whatever)

You keep telling us it doesn't matter at the end of a post in which you've got listed every possible reason why you may lose and how hard done to you are.


One of said Grand Finals was a Friday BTW

Looks like we have played 6 games on our "non-chosen" slot of Friday night, but haven't lost at home (yet) so maybe we are just that good.

Or maybe it means the square root of f*** all

You need to get used to it, there will be even more disruption when IMG settle in. I am sure that we are going to see more games on TV.

So basically you're saying you're happy to move them to meet Sky schedules? Right?

What you CHOOSE to do is immaterial.

If you can't see that playing in the slot that you play the majority of your home games in front of a bigger crowd is an advantage from a playing and financial pov then there is little point.

The other way to spin your stat is that we have played at home on a Friday three and a half times more often than any other day.

I'm not saying we will lose because of it, I still believe we will win four in a row. Like everything the truth lies in the middle - you think playing in a familiar slot in front of a bigger crowd means nothing, others think it is a disgrace. Like everything the truth lies in the middle but it is clearly a (minor) disadvantage.

Yes - I've said that already. I'm not whining about whether the move is fair or not (I've said it's not a big deal) I'm simply stating that I think that for any team to play in their usual slot in front of a larger crowd is an advantage. Can't see how that is controversial TBH.

It's a response to those who say it doesn't matter, not a claim that it is unfair.