Final league placings and play-offs : Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:58 am  

5 games to go and I expect the top eight to be (but I wouldn't put any money on it):

1. Wigan 44 points
2. St Helens 38 points
3. Catalan 38 points
4. Warrington 37 points
5. Leeds 34 points
6. Hull 26 points
7. Huddersfield 24 points
8 Hull K R 23 points

Play-offs:
Wigan v Warrington
Saints v Catalan
Leeds v Hull K R
Hull v Huddersfield

Re: Final league placings and play-offs : Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:33 am  

Salty wrote:

5 games to go and I expect the top eight to be (but I wouldn't put any money on it):

1. Wigan 44 points
2. St Helens 38 points
3. Catalan 38 points
4. Warrington 37 points
5. Leeds 34 points
6. Hull 26 points
7. Huddersfield 24 points
8 Hull K R 23 points

Play-offs:
Wigan v Warrington
Saints v Catalan
Leeds v Hull K R
Hull v Huddersfield

This is entirely feasible. The top 4 knock 7 shades out of each other whilst 2 lower teams cruise into the next round. Another reason why I'm going off RL....

Re: Final league placings and play-offs : Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:39 am  

The top 4 knock 7 shades out of each other whilst 2 lower teams cruise into the next round.

Yes this is something RFL need to look at and IMO should change to the 1v8, 2v7 etc. same as NRL for play offs giving teams in 1 and 2 a proper advantage rather than a week off which actually can be a disadvantage.

Re: Final league placings and play-offs : Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:09 am  

Yes, strong top 5 and weak 6,7 and 8 gives 5th placed team an advantage.

Re: Final league placings and play-offs : Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:44 am  

jinkin jimmy wrote:

This is entirely feasible. The top 4 knock 7 shades out of each other whilst 2 lower teams cruise into the next round. Another reason why I'm going off RL....

Ditto.

Re: Final league placings and play-offs : Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:52 am  

Salty wrote:

5 games to go and I expect the top eight to be (but I wouldn't put any money on it):

1. Wigan 44 points
2. St Helens 38 points
3. Catalan 38 points
4. Warrington 37 points
5. Leeds 34 points
6. Hull 26 points
7. Huddersfield 24 points
8 Hull K R 23 points

Play-offs:
Wigan v Warrington
Saints v Catalan
Leeds v Hull K R
Hull v Huddersfield

you are saying hull fc are not going to win any of their last 5 games that include fixtures against widnes, bradford and castleford!? wigan away granted we will lose, catalan at home is 50/50 depending on which catalan team turn up

have you even looked at the last 5 round of fixtures for all the teams involved?

Re: Final league placings and play-offs : Mon Jul 30, 2012 12:20 pm  

Bearpit wrote:

The top 4 knock 7 shades out of each other whilst 2 lower teams cruise into the next round.

Yes this is something RFL need to look at and IMO should change to the 1v8, 2v7 etc. same as NRL for play offs giving teams in 1 and 2 a proper advantage rather than a week off which actually can be a disadvantage.

This year the aussies have changed their playoff format to one that is pretty similar to the one we use over here.

Re: Final league placings and play-offs : Mon Jul 30, 2012 12:23 pm  

Bearpit wrote:

The top 4 knock 7 shades out of each other whilst 2 lower teams cruise into the next round.

Yes this is something RFL need to look at and IMO should change to the 1v8, 2v7 etc. same as NRL for play offs giving teams in 1 and 2 a proper advantage rather than a week off which actually can be a disadvantage.

NRL are using the same system as Super League this year, minus the Club Call element, I think?

Personally don't think there's a lot wrong with the system, if we have to have a Top 8. The only thing that's an issue for me is that we could quite easily end up with a three consecutive match series against St Helens to finish our season off, with only the third game really counting for anything.

Some folk complained that Leeds had an 'easy' path to the trophy from 5th last year, but they still had to beat Huddersfield away (4th), Warrington away (1st) and St Helens (3rd) to win the Grand Final. Granted, by that stage, the Giants were a spent force, much as they seem to be this year, but there's no way to account for that. They finished 4th on merit across the 27-game season, even if they were out of form by September.

There are plus points and flaws to any system you can conceive, but I can't think of many ways to improve what we have at the moment, assuming there has to be eight clubs involved.

Re: Final league placings and play-offs : Mon Jul 30, 2012 12:46 pm  

I think Wire will finish first or second.

Re: Final league placings and play-offs : Mon Jul 30, 2012 12:48 pm  

millfan wrote:

NRL are using the same system as Super League this year, minus the Club Call element, I think?

Personally don't think there's a lot wrong with the system, if we have to have a Top 8. The only thing that's an issue for me is that we could quite easily end up with a three consecutive match series against St Helens to finish our season off, with only the third game really counting for anything.

Some folk complained that Leeds had an 'easy' path to the trophy from 5th last year, but they still had to beat Huddersfield away (4th), Warrington away (1st) and St Helens (3rd) to win the Grand Final. Granted, by that stage, the Giants were a spent force, much as they seem to be this year, but there's no way to account for that. They finished 4th on merit across the 27-game season, even if they were out of form by September.

There are plus points and flaws to any system you can conceive, but I can't think of many ways to improve what we have at the moment, assuming there has to be eight clubs involved.

only improvement would be for highest placed team in each match to get home advantage if they so wish in all rounds