i know what you mean fatbelly, but the playoffs are here to stay until SL and the RFL can fund itself without it.
If we want to skew the concept more in favour of the top side, we don't have to reduce the number of teams in the playoffs. There is a ready made system in Oz that gives an advantage to the top sides.
It's still not a league system , but even a league system has flaws in it. ie at the start of a year, lets say Warrington play widnes, widnes with renewed optimism may be strong, warrington may have injuries and they may pull off what would be an upset. Towards the end of the year Wigan may play Widnes when they are already consigned to the bottom of the league and may hammer them 80 - 0.
I do prefer a league but I also understand that a pure league takes away insentive for lower teams to try harder the longer the season progresses, where as the playoffs still makes them motivated to play harder than they would if middle table mediocraty set in.
I don't know if there is a perfect answer, maybe there is not one, and change lets us see that. I'm happy to change the system, but I would prefer to keep the interest in playing hard all year high for teams around 10, 9 and 8, makes the league more competitive over all.