Sorry but I think you're arguing the wrong point. It's nothing to do with the state of the game though I tend to agree it's not great. It's basically a clash of ideologies. The play off system is clearly an Aussie invention designed to keep the season exciting and level up the playing field allowing lesser teams a chance to win the comp if you get a run on at the right time. I get the reasoning but it was never the British way where consistency across a season was what mattered though tbf RL has always played around with that concept far more than say football.

I don't see a problem but some (not you) who are elitist by nature don't like the play offs when the party gets gatecrashed by a lower team - they just don't get it - they basically want their cake and eat it. You'll see all the idiots on the VT banging on about how they don't believe a team that gate crashes the top 8 is worthy of being called Champions and the game is a mess. Yet this is exactly what the play offs are for and I'd love it if a non fancied team timed it just right. It' stye same mentality that suggest Wakefield have only ever won awful games against injury riddled teams who played badly and were walloped by the ref.

Personally I'm more traditional like yourself but slowly the play off system is starting to add some end of season intensity to the games. And should another team do what we nearly did in 2004 I think SL will finally have cracked it - though the elitist bleating from Leeds , Warrington and Saints fans will be louder than ever as their god given right to win is removed.

The elitist bleating from the fans of the top teams about it's finishing top that counts never gets heard when they win the big trophy from 3rd or 5th or whatever. It usually only ever comes out when they win the hubcap but don't make the final. Wigan are champs at that, being all purist about finishing top, but the same ones are probably waffling on about being double winners last year.

I like the play-offs, Personally, I thought the top six was the best format, but next year might be more interesting (I haven't looked at the format too closely, as I was too busy working out which championship clubs we'd be playing and how!).

Its not that i'm against the play offs, far from it. But i remain a believer that teams that finish in the bottom half of the table shouldn't be qualifying for a play off series for a chance to win the comp. Top six would be a better format and maybe next years convoluted structure with a top 4 play off will actually achieve the aim that a team should earn the right to compete for a title over the entire season rather than just be able to put one decent run of a few games together at some point and sneak in. Others may disagree with my opinion on it and prefer to ensure more teams have more meaningful games come the end of the season and thats fair enough and i take their point. But a look at the table says there are 6 decent, consistent teams, plus Catalans who are a very good team at home and will always be competive because of that advantage. And then theres the rest. So for me whoever finishes in that 8th spot is only really the best of this seasons crap teams, which isn't much to shout about to me.

Again I get your point but not sure I agree.

Surely that last bit is dependent on how close in points the last 4 are. Also you're in danger of falling into the trap regarding perceived form. So say one team starts season like a house on fire and then slip down the league to say 6th. Then you get a team that starts poorly but gets a run on and finishes say 7th and 1 win behind the 6th place team. So which of those teams is crap. Most people would say the 7th placed team but IMHO that's flawed. They are perceived to have done better because they got their wins at the start of the season and have remained in the top 8 throughout. Yet in real terms they have only won one more game and have not played well for month.

My question to you is why are they any more deserving of a crack at the final than the other team. They haven't been more consistent, just more consistent at a more opportune time - hence the top 8 rectifies this anomaly.

That's how I see it.

I agree Vasty

One reason the Aussies brought their playoff in was to balance the "bye" round, which also applies to the on the road games or the Magic weekend. It isn't an absolute Home and Away level playing field so the playoff gives the chance for the team that finished 2 points behind their rival, but lost to say Wigan at Magic, to show they are as good as the other who beat say London at Magic. They got a free two points which the play off gives them in some part the chance to rectify

The biggest point to me though is that the title is decided on the last day.
I remember going to Widnes back in the day when they played Wigan in the league and the winner effectively won the title, just because of the way the fixtures landed. Was a great game and packed crowd. But equally Wigan went through a stage where they won the title a few games before the last one, which made the rest boring and poorly attended.

The Grand Final makes the Wigan v Widnes scenario happen every time. Much more exciting imo.

Lastly, and probably most important to the likes of MC. Extra gate receipts for the extra games in the playoffs are always vauable to the teams in 7 and 8.

IF (and it's a big if) we make the play offs, nobody will relish playing us.
We have already scalped Wigan, Warrington and Leeds and although Wigan were a depleted side, this form is as good as any of the teams in the top 8 and bearing in mind that, we would probably need to win a further 4 from 5, our confidence will be extremely high.
Fear nobody and lets see if we can cause an upset or two !

'Dreadnought' for the old timers

No matter what anyone says about when we've played teams if you look at the 7 games since Webster took charge we are top of the form table. From the last 14 points available:

Wakefield 11 Points
Huddersfield 10 Points
St Helens 10 Points
Warrington 10 Points
Leeds 9 Points
Castleford 8 Points
Catalans 8 Points
Salford 8 Points
Wigan 8 Points
Hull KR 6 Points
Hull FC 4 Points
Widnes 4 Points
Bradford 2 Points
London 0 Points

I'd hazard a guess that that is close to the best of any teams run of form this season.

It's in the tea leaves!! We will finish 8th and face Cas at the Bungle (or whatever it is called these days!). Cue the famous victory!!

After that.....who cares!!

Just checked

The only team besides us to beat Wigan, Warrington and Leeds (either home or away) is St Helens.
Each of Wigan, Warrington and Leeds have beaten each other

Ladies and Gentlemen, please meet our forum moderator KinleyCat. He's always happy to help. Here is an example of a friendly, useful reply to a fellow members question.... "honest question; has the recent upturn in performances anything to do with agars departure or webster taking charge?"

Please feel free to ask him any questions, as he's shown he's clearly approachable.

No here's an example of him having to reiterate his point to a poster that couldn't understand.
If you are unhappy at the service I give as a mod, feel free to follow the appropriate channels available to you.
Derailing threads as you are doing now will result in one of the moderating team issuing you with a warning if you intend carrying on that is.

Kinley, let's make it simple. I'm not here to "derail" threads, I've come on here, read that and seen yet again how you conduct yourself as a mod. Going back further I see you call another member a Simpleton and I know you're gonna come out with some rubbish about not calling him a Simpleton but I know what you meant.

Make love not war my friend, there's a picnic basket in the pantry so grab a blanket and we can all be friends instead of these little digs. We are all Wakefield so less of the in fighting eh?

12 posts so far, all either criticising or having a go at someone?

Are you Multiple Miggs?

I come on regular to read about the club and find you and the rest of your mates criticising others if they don't agree with your views. I bite my tongue but at times (13 times now if we're playing the counting game) I decide to log in and have my say. Surely a forum is a forum for debate and not an extension of the playground where you and the clique can bully us for being different.

Going back to what you highlighted, we are all Wakefield. Stop being silly.

Oh and I'm the milkybarkid.

Hi Milkybarkid I can see this getting out of hand and ending up in a ban, which I'm thinking is not your intention. Like all walks of life there are rules. You may not like them but to stay on here you have to follow them. AUP is an important document to read before you post so you don't make a mistake. This section is important to you: 2.2. Public criticism of the moderation process is prohibited. *If you have a question about the decision of a moderator, you should ask them via the private message system. * If you are dissatisfied with their response, then you should contact the admin team, via support.rlfans.com/. The vast majority of people posting on here, whether quietly reading or passionately posting manage to follow the rules without too much fuss. Please try and do the same. It's your choice, but there is little room for me (or any other mod) to be patient on this one.

Hi Milkybarkid I can see this getting out of hand and ending up in a ban, which I'm thinking is not your intention. Like all walks of life there are rules. You may not like them but to stay on here you have to follow them. AUP is an important document to read before you post so you don't make a mistake. This section is important to you: 2.2. Public criticism of the moderation process is prohibited. *If you have a question about the decision of a moderator, you should ask them via the private message system. * If you are dissatisfied with their response, then you should contact the admin team, via support.rlfans.com/. The vast majority of people posting on here, whether quietly reading or passionately posting manage to follow the rules without too much fuss. Please try and do the same. It's your choice, but there is little room for me (or any other mod) to be patient on this one.

Then you've not done your research very well, I don't have a go at anyone unless it's blatantly obvious that they're here to cause trouble or they've had a go first, Try Scorer is probably the only one who's fit either or both categories IMO. Feel free to to check my posts on here and see for yourself.

I'm certainly not in any clique, I barely know any of the posters on here, and who's this "us" you refer to?

I'm happy to debate the price of cabbages with anyone, I'll make my point without disrespecting theirs right up to the stage where we agree to differ and then part ways without falling out, that's what adults do!

In this one quoted post alone you've accused me of being the catalyst for argument, being part of a clique, being silly, being immature and being a bully. Not bad for one post where you're trying to claim the moral high ground and playing the victim.

Why not just debate your point without being accusational or insulting

Poptart,

I appreciate your reply but I fear you've missed the point of my posts. I'm not trying to create problems or gain a ban but I am highlighting issues between long term and new members. I like to view this forum as a place for debate but its rapidly becoming just a place for mates to chat and heaven forbid someone new stepping in.

I understand the rule not criticising a mod but its a little one sided when mods can criticise us members (being called simpletons or banging a head on the wall). Perhaps reigning your boys in will prevent you having to do the same to me.

If the forums rules state I must PM the person I have an issue with I will happily do so.

I'll PM you because I'll end up getting banned but I will say you have proved my point perfectly. I was speaking to someone else and you stepped in.

I am sat here reading the last few posts quite bemused

It is obvious from Avengers quote above, that he purpously went out of his way to read "milkybarkids" last 12 posts, so he could then post on here to critisize him

This is better than Eastenders

Or maybe I went out of my way to look so that I didn't get it wrong and I didn't did I!

I've no idea Avenger i've not looked back at "Milkybarkids" last 12 posts

I cant think of a reason why i would want to, the same as i have no reason to want to go back and check your last 12 posts

Just a reminder to add. We can also see which posters have the same I.P address.

Now lets stay on topic eh? - its a good one as well. Concerns Trinity and the Top 8!

You can check my last 12 posts and you'll find that they are all of superfluous quality, with liberal use of long words, a smattering of semi-colons, and a generous soupcon of edgy humour; I enjoyed reading them again!

Back to the OP; technically, we could crash the top 8 party, if the stars continue to align and Tim Smith doesn't have another Catalans day - he's clearly what makes us tick and the players around him spark off his organisation skills and his moments of genius. Personally however, I can't see it - teams like Leeds, Wigan and Wire know how to tough out the arris-end of the season to get where they need to be, and I'm just not sure that we're quite there.

It will be good to end the season on a high though - who'd a thunk it?

Certainly Smith is a key part of the top 8 push but we'll know on Sunday I reckon.
If we don't beat Giants we will find it hard