oops

Just a thought. But how about this. Whoever finishes top, is properly crowned champions, you know, like every other sport does.

If the clowns at red hall want to promote the grand final, play it out as a superleague top team knockout cup. You can still have the big build up but the main prize is the league.

Old fashioned perhaps, but it's a thought that might stop some of this squad "rotation" rubbish.

That's not the best argument, plenty of sports have playoffs to decide their champions.

But most of those sports have uneven seasons where they do not play everyone, or they play some teams 4 or 5 times but only play some teams once. our season is pretty balanced other than the magic weekend.

there are very few sports that have play offs after having a fair regular season.

Sorry should I write " tongue in cheek "

Point taken, but basically I stand by that suggestion. The playoff system ruins the league race to finish top.

You play best and most consistent all year, finish top, and they give you a hub cap and patronising pat on the head.
You play crap all year, but scrape into the playoffs, have three or four good games from rested squads and you are the "champions".

Something needs to change

For the 500th time. Lockers and Sam are carrying injuries. We aren't "resting" anyone.

by every other sport do you mean football??

Rugby Union has play offs
NFL has the superbowl
NHL has the stanley cup
NBA has play offs
AFL has play offs
MLB has the world series
...

do you need me to carry on?? worst comment ever haha "every other sport"

And if the "Champions" were the team that finished top of the league table? Would they have been sat on the bench then?

If you take another perspective on this - Man of steel is based on the performances of the regular season, why? Clearly teams are not performing at their best in theregular league matches. Also national squads are based on the same league performances (in theory, although we know mcbanana has his reputational favourites). So what has this current structure achieved? Its a facade on every level. We are all scratching our heads to think "why should I part with £20+ per match to watch this 3?

Yes.

You really believe that?

100% Yes.

Fair enough, you are entitled to your opinion.

I am 99% certain that they would have played if winning the league was the goal of the season.

I agree. The playoffs do my nut as a season tickets holder. Sam and Lockers have barely played together in the league for months. But they've been fit for the cup games. I would do the same if I was Wane. But the coaches should be put in that position.

As a ST holder I want to win as many games as possible and see the best possible team everyone but ironically that would hinder our chances of winning the playoffs that my ST doesn't cover. Very annoying.

I'm with you. If that Hudds fixture was the GF Sam and SOL would have played.

Almost as certain as Hanley was gonna pass the on-field 'fitness test' on the wembley pitch all those years ago!

He knows it, trust me.

Yes they probably would but that's not the point. That would be the last game of the season, and they would need "help" to play.

What injury was he carrying when he missed the play off semi last year? I'm guessing it must have been more serious?