Orrell Lad wrote:
We played Saints 4 times, Leeds 4 times, Wire twice. That's 10 games for a start I got a buzz before. Certainly when the games kicked off, there was no shortage of passion or desire to win.
It is a spectator sport, it doesn't always have to 'mean' something - what about Widnes fans? Do they not enjoy the game because they know they can't win SL?
I got a buzz too - but you'd get a bigger buzz if the result impacted the entire season. Widnes games should matter because A. they want to avoid relegation and B. because that want to improve all the time to be involved in top of the table games and fight for championships.
Did you not think last season was the worst spectacle since SL began? Do you not think its more than a coincidence that it came immediately after Leeds won GF from 5th?
Fans aren't buzzing about reg season games and neither are the players so it was bound to happen. You can't expect to send players out on the pitch top get their bodies smashed, their bones broken and their teeth knocked out when it doesn't matter in the final reckoning?
Anyway i've done this subject to death before. Reduce number of teams in SL to 12, reduce number of teams in playoffs to 4 or 5 and introduce a P&R playoff between bottom team in SL and top team in Championship and it would improve the regular season no end, improve intensity and get more fans through the gates.