BILKO : Mon Oct 01, 2012 10:51 pm  

After reading your post on the front page, if you do decide not to bother continuing the site, I just wanted to be the first to say thanks for all your hard work over the past 11 years.

Re: BILKO : Mon Oct 01, 2012 10:54 pm  

Yeah well, I think its been clear for ages that my heart for it has been waning. Tough year and I'm very disillusioned with the game at the moment. But not saying anything solid on the future yet, just explaining why the site has holes and incompleteness left right and centre.

Re: BILKO : Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:13 pm  

"I'm very disillusioned with the game at the moment. "

Can i ask why that is?

No worries if you cba.

Re: BILKO : Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:33 pm  

I have to say I'm with him. For the first time in 12 years, I'm wondering if I should renew...

Re: BILKO : Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:39 pm  

Horatio Yed wrote:

"I'm very disillusioned with the game at the moment. "

Can i ask why that is?


No worries if you cba.

Oh I'd be all day but Just because really the whole regular season is a joke and I ask myself do I really want to pay for a season ticket on top of going away for 27 weeks when it means jack sh*t in reality. Nothing summed it up more for me that Huddersfield won I think 3 matches in the second half of the year yet not only made the top 8, but comfortably made the top 8. And Leeds have won only 58% of regular season matches under Brian McDermott (Wigan and Warrington for the record 78% last two years) yet could well wrap up back to back titles on Saturday.

Now don't get me wrong it's nothing against Leeds or anyone. I fully understand you've got to win when it matters an all that, and Leeds have done so in brilliant fashion, but the point I'm making is that the regular season doesn't matter. It's clear as day now and again I come back to the point of cost and also that as a writer for 11 years every week, I've increasingly found it difficult to find anything relevant to write about in recent times. The game has got to a point where as now we just fanny about for 27 weeks before anything really matters and that should not be how league titles are decided. I was happy with top 5 or top 6 personally but Top 8 isn't fair in my view and I still think the quality of the league has deterioated since we went to 14 teams.

Maybe I am just bitter but I'll make the point that I've been saying it for quite a long while now and I was glad to do so when we were champions or cup winners.

Re: BILKO : Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:55 pm  

I suppose i felt the same disappointment last year, finishing top to see it amount to nothing and this year play teams with half a squad knowing it doesn't matter.

I'm with you on the 14 teams too, i think a league of 10 is unfortunately the way to go, with a league that is half way between SL and NL being created.

To prevent the race to the bottom which some clubs are creating i think the criteria for binning the 4 teams should be can you spend to cap, if no drop down.

Wigan
Warrington
Leeds
Saints
Hudds
Hull FC
Widnes
London
Catalan

These are the teams i think are able to spend to cap and then an executive decision on the final team, either Bradford for size of numbers and potential (plus don't know how the new owners will spend) or Cas and Wakey merge to make Calder (can't see it) so i'll go Bradford

Salford
Wakefield
Castleford
Hull KR
Leigh
Featherstone
Halifax
Sheffield
Batley
Keighley

in the next league and enable P&R

Re: BILKO : Tue Oct 02, 2012 6:02 am  

I can't remember at this early hour was it a top 5 or top 6 before the top 8? But either way the point I want to make is that weeks rest, I suppose Bilko will be the best person to know how much of an advantage or not is it? In that if anybody has a week off they actually win the GF. This year both teams played every week, Leeds played every week last season we did in 2010 and the other one that I definately know off top of my head is Bradford in 2005.

Also Bilko will you still be on Twitter?

Re: BILKO : Tue Oct 02, 2012 6:37 am  

I think we need the playoffs but with the strength and quality of the Super League a top 8 play off is not what we need. The opening games of the play offs lacked intensity. We must revert to a top 5 or 6 play off for me.

Long term a top 8 should be the aim but only when the competition is of a competitive standard to sustain the concept.

Re: BILKO : Tue Oct 02, 2012 6:59 am  

fatbaztod100 wrote:

I can't remember at this early hour was it a top 5 or top 6 before the top 8? But either way the point I want to make is that weeks rest, I suppose Bilko will be the best person to know how much of an advantage or not is it? In that if anybody has a week off they actually win the GF. This year both teams played every week, Leeds played every week last season we did in 2010 and the other one that I definately know off top of my head is Bradford in 2005.

Also Bilko will you still be on Twitter?

Playoffs Key:
W: Win
L: Lose
-: Week off

5 Team playoffs:
SL3: Wigan win from -W-W
SL4: St Helens WLWW
SL5: St Helens WW-W
SL6: Bradford -W-W

50% 2 weeks off
25% 1 week off
25% 0 weeks off

6 Team:
SL7: St Helens -LWW
SL8: Bradford -W-W
SL9: Leeds -LWW
SL10: Bradford WWWW
SL11: St Helens -W-W
SL12: Leeds -LWW
SL13: Leeds -LWW

29% 2 weeks off (top 2 unbeaten)
57% 1 week off (all top 2, lost vs other top 2 finisher then beat them after their opposition had a week off)
14% 0 Weeks off (had to be 3rd or lower)

8 team:
SL14: Leeds W-WW
SL15: Wigan LWWW
SL16: Leeds WWWW
SL17: Leeds WWWW or Warrington LWWW

25% 1 Week off
75% 0 Weeks off

Total (ignoring playoff structure):
27% {2 weeks off (max of 11)}
40% {1 week off (max 15)}
33% {0 weeks off (max 15})

Kinda hard to compare properly because of all the changes.

Re: BILKO : Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:37 am  

Bilko has put into words most eloquently what I have been feeling for some time now. However, with crowds for the weekly rounds on the increase don't expect anything to improve any time soon. I was at the MOS dinner last night and it was backslapping all round.

How are attendances for CC and playoffs holding up? It's ironic that the hardest comp to win with growing attendances is the least appreciated.