So it's

Leeds v Hull KR Friday - Sat 7:30pm
St Helens v Huddersfield - Sat 6pm
Wakefield v Catalans - Sat 8pm
Wigan v Castleford - Sun 7pm

Leeds + Huddersfield to make it to week 3, Wigan and Wakefield to go through to week 2, Saints to play Wigan, Hull KR to play Wakefield. Original top 4 to make it to the semis, Leeds v Saints grand final.

I've got an idea!Why don't we start another play off thread!

Fri 18 Leeds v Hull KR (8.00pm) 7.30pm Super League qualifying play-off
Sat 19 St Helens v Huddersfield (6.00pm) 6.00pm Super League qualifying play-off
Sat 19 Wakefield v Catalans Dragons (8.00pm) 8.00pm Super League elimination play-off
Sun 20 Wigan v Castleford (7.00pm) 7.00pm Super League elimination play-off

It's quite possible that we play Hull KR twice. Win against them puts us through to week 3. If they were to win their week 2 game and Saints were the other team we could pick, I'm sure we'd pick Hull KR, it'd be possible we'd pick them if Hudds/Wigan were the other team. I'm sure we'd pick the other 3 over Hull KR.

One thing is for certain. The playoff format is fookin stupid.

To be honest, I've no problem with the format itself in that it rewards higher league finishing positions with home ties/second bites at the cherry. I'd still prefer to be operating under the old top 5 playoffs mind.

It's the "pick your opponent" thing that makes the sport a laughing stock IMO.

What's wrong with the Mcintyre system?

It works just fine down under.

It's Australian.

I think that system is a farce as 3rd place out of 8 can go out in the first round.

The McIntyre system rewards teams who have form coming into the finals rather than during the year. In 2008, the first week of the NRL finals saw the reigning champions and minor premiers the Melbourne Storm lose to the 8th placed New Zealand Warriors. Granted a home final as a week 1 winner, the Warriors defeated the Sydney Roosters in the second week and proceeded to the final 4, the first team ever to make it that far from 8th position, whereas the Storm had to travel to Brisbane and win away to continue on. The advantages given to a victor in the first week of the finals, even if that team comes 6th to 8th, including a home final against a team coming off a loss are significant compared to the alternate final 8 system used by the AFL, which protects teams coming 1st to 4th and never give 7th or 8th placed teams home finals.

Another criticism is that, like many other top-8 systems, there is the possibility of games in the first week that are effectively meaningless, where teams have no risk of elimination and results only determine respective opponents in the second week. In the MacIntyre system if first-week results go as planned, then first defeats eighth and second defeats seventh. This leaves the teams who finished from third to sixth effectively playing "dead rubbers" in the first week, with the results merely reshuffling the order of these four teams.

It also possible that in week two, a first week loser may play an (on paper) easier opponent than the team that defeated them in week one, as happened in 2000

Another anomaly of scheduling is that in the second week a team may play higher ranked opponents than the team they defeated. For example the third highest winner (ie the strongest winner of those playing) plays the highest ranked loser rather than the second highest loser (ie the weakest loser). This may ensure no repetition of games in the second week, but it means higher ranked teams end up with more difficult opponents simply for the sake of more interesting scheduling.

I'm slighty worried that many of our fans are getting over confident and we're setting ourselves up for a fall, last 2 years we have been underdogs going in to the play offs and it's worked out for us.

This time it seems just about everyone has already given us the trophy, would hurt like hell if we blew it.

Ive not seen anyone talking about winnning the GF to be fair. Which is quite suprising as it willl be truly remarkable to go on and win it again!

This year it takes 3 or 4 games (For Leeds) to win the GF, whereas previous years its been 2 or 3 games. Its naturally harder so people should be taking it one step at a time...buts its hard not to think about the history that will be created if the boys go onto win the playoff series. But like i said one step at a time!

We have to be different dont we

Tonight -
Saints v Huddersfield
Wakefield v Catalans

I'd back Huddersfield and Wakefield. Saints to play Wigan in week 2.

It's something we have to deal with. We have won back to back titles and are entering the playoffs on form, so of course we are gong to be hot favourites.

St Helens 6
Huddersfield 0
T: Tony Puletua
G: Kyle Eastmond (1/1)

ST HELENS 10 HUDDERSFIELD 2
T: Leon Pryce

saints 14 hudds 2
Try Meli

as well as saints have played the giants have been gash. dropped balls all over the place

It still suprises me how people can still suggest Shudds are serious GF contenders.

Tonight,Stains are proving me right!

you think saints have been that good?

i dont see anything in this game that will worry Leeds

Quite the opposite Tad my old,2 very poor sides IMO.

Hardly a good advert for the play-offs.

Saints 15 - 2 Hudds
Drop Goal Long.

Only one point scored in the second half. Poor game.

the giants have been fking rubbish. no other way to describe them tonight. and saints have only got a drop goal in the second half