I didn't know that we had a new playoff system:

Week 1
Qualifying play-offs
1st-placed club v 4th-placed club (winner advances to Week 3, loser home in Week 2)
2nd-placed club v 3rd-placed club (winner advances to Week 3, loser home in Week 2)
Elimination play-offs
5th-placed club v 8th-placed club (winner away in Week 2, loser eliminated)
6th-placed club v 7th-placed club (winner away in Week 2, loser eliminated)

Week 2
Preliminary semi-finals
Highest ranked Qualifying play-off losing club (1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th) v Lowest-ranked Elimination play-off winning club (5th, 6th, 7th or 8th) (winner away in Week 3, loser eliminated)
Lowest ranked Qualifying play-off losing club (1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th) v Highest-ranked Elimination play-off winning club (5th, 6th, 7th or 8th) (winner away in Week 3, loser eliminated)

Week 3
Qualifying semi-final 1
Highest-ranked Qualifying play-off winning club v Lowest-ranked Preliminary semi-final winning club (Winner to Grand Final, loser eliminated)
Qualifying semi-final 2
Lowest-ranked Qualifying play-off winning club v Highest-ranked Preliminary semi-final winning club (Winner to Grand Final, loser eliminated)

Week 4
Kingstone Press Championship Grand Final
Winner Qualifying semi-final 1 v Winner Qualifying semi-final 2


Maybe the poor results of late is some weird master plan to approach the finals by stealth and then BOOOOM!!!!

I can't make my mind up if this system has any more advantages/disadvantages than the old one?

Basically the same as $uperleague, without Clubcall. Grammatically incorrect, of course.

No, it's just as bad. Rewards mediocrity. I'd go for a top four, played over two weeks.

The gates at play-off games just don't justify all the play-off games we have. Partly because most of them are played on Thursdays and Fridays.

But your club/ sponsors prefer weekday home games, bu..er the spectators, to you they are not important.

Au contraire. Read my posts on the subject.

Apologise, should have made it clearer, to your club supporters are irrelevant.

Apology accepted.

OK.... So, I think i've created a semi interactive play off guide.

It allows for you to change the league postions to suit and also allows you to put the scores for the play off games. It's a quick effort so not too pretty, but will give you an idea of the road to the final.

Hopefully this works, and can be found below

[urlhttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Api_RqDQEXjMdEVzcWpEZXROdmV6eHU4UldRdUhLUGc#gid=0[/url

Pretty realistic as well because no matter what I did I couldnt get Leigh or Batley to finish above us.

Thanks, just noticed you can't edit it. oh well. no idea how to publish it so that you can.

It killed an hour or two working out the permitations though.. Bottom line, it's a sheffield, Fev final

I don't know if this is correct but could this format possibly lead to sheff v leigh and Fev v Fax in week 1 and then again in week 3?

Yes, if the home teams win, then that's exactly what will happen

Think of a number, multiply it by 7, divide by 3, add 26, subtract 53, multiply by 4 and divide by 2,
The answer Fax v Leigh.

Totally agree John , a Fax v Leigh GF , is the RFLs dream crowd wise , can you imagine a seagulls v bullfrogs GF , it wouldn't be held at the LSV though

, it would be held on "Fantasy Island ",

A plane , A plane .Charlie knows .

Charlie if Seagulls get there it could be held in a telephone box.

That's the likely outcome. I don't like all these repeat fixtures.

So if we or Leigh win the first game will we/Leythers be at home or away in the next match?
I assume the winners take priority and get the home draw but this id the RFL.

Week three is not higher placed team at home, which is what it's been in the past. It's Week one winners at home.

So if Fax play at Fev in week one and win, they get week two off and a home game in week three.

Don't worry my Fax friends , Charlie knows

the outcome is inevitable to confuse the layman , and my friends like Bentleyman , the opportunity to esculate and advance will be obviously in an attempt to show what must be done to get to the GF , but I feel we could see a change in teams competing for the Final .