I've devised an alternative super league table in an attempt to more accurately predict a teams final position better than the actual super league table by recognising that some teams are 'better' than others.

I've done this by separating the teams into two groups. Group A teams I would regard as the top sides in the league which are highly likely to get a play off spot. Group B teams are the other sides which will be scrapping it out for the last couple of play off spots.

Group A is Warrington, Wigan, Saints, Leeds, Huddersfield, Catalans
Group B is Bradford, Castleford, Wakefield, Salford, Hull FC, Hull KR, London, Widnes

The scoring works like this: every point a team wins against a group A team gets added to their score (+2 for a win, +1 for a draw). Against a group B team, they lose points (-1 for a draw, -2 for a loss). Finally group A teams start with a score of 2, group B teams start with a score of -2 (this is because group A teams play less games against other group A teams than group B teams do because they don't play themselves, and vice versa).

Why is this better than the normal table? Because if for example, with 3 games to go, team A is in 8th place and team B is in 9th place in the real table, but team A's final three games are Wigan, St Helens, Leeds whereas team B's final three games are Widnes, Wakefield, Salford the alternate table would show team B higher than team A.

For Bradford, the aim is to achieve a score of 0 or more to be pretty sure of getting a playoff spot.

The table as it stands:

Looks very complicated, but hope it goes well for yourself.

Way too much spare time on your hands.

youve got to think of something after sundays game nice spin on it you should work for the govenment

It will be interesting to watch this progress over the season.

its the RL equivalent of the duckworth lewis method

Exactly

sorry Mission you've got to re-think the scoring: shouldnt a -2 team should get more for beating a +2 team than 0, and a +2 team get penalised for losing to a -2 team? how about the total score for a game where teams for different pools are playing being calculated as the teams own rating ie +2/-2 plus the points for the game ie 0,1 or 2 PLUS their opponents rating . so a top team playing a bottom team would get +2 plus 2 if they won plus -2 = 2 and if they lost, nothing. if they beat a top team its still only +4.

what do you think? How would this change the table?

Im baffled.

What will this alternative super league table prove come the seasons end?

The SL table doesn't lie

You need to find a hobby to occupy your spare time pal

I'm going to stick up for Mission, as I think he's getting a lot of grief on this thread

The table won't 'prove' anything, its just an interesting perspective. It's same as things like tables based on 'recent form'. They are interesting and enable us to see which teams are performing in particular ways

I, for one, look forward to seeing how this table develops. It's hard to tell much after one round. Once everyone has played six matches it will be more interesting

Come the end of the season the table should be in the same order as the super league table - thats the point. the idea is simply to take into account whether a team has played more difficult games and be a better prediction of the final league standings through the year. for example i know we were all disappointed to lose this weekend but you could argue that its not a team you would expect to beat and not as bad as say salford who lost to castleford, a team you'd be looking to beat to make the 8.

Can you tell i was a bit bored this lunchtime?

Come the end of the season the table should be in the same order as the super league table - thats the point. the idea is simply to take into account whether a team has played more difficult games and be a better prediction of the final league standings through the year. for example i know we were all disappointed to lose this weekend but you could argue that its not a team you would expect to beat and not as bad as say salford who lost to castleford, a team you'd be looking to beat to make the 8.

Can you tell i was a bit bored this lunchtime?

Dont know why that posted 3 times!

If it is a completely different scoring sytem is that actually possible?

Nonetheless, I'm a sucker for a nicely laid out table like the one in the first post so I'm a fan

Hi MISSION,

Its a decent proposition, and one which will be interesting to follow if you keep it up.

I felt an algorithm coming on to include in your calculations- playing home/away considerations, the injured players potential ,the biased/incompetent officials conundrum, the artificial pitches location, the sacked coaches hypothesis, the Nandos syndrome and the devious owner's conglomeration.

..... Alas maybe not! I forgot to carry the 1 in line 24075 and it has all gone to pot.

Errm HULL FC and WARRINGTON DREW 20-20 !!

Quite right, so they did. Oops.

I've made one final adjustment so that the table will end up in the same order as the super league table at the end of the year, and that's to adjust for Millenium Magic (as for example Bradford play Leeds (group A) and Castleford play Wakefield (group B) so Castleford have more games against group B opposition to go than Bradford).

If my maths degree serves me well at the end of the season each teams score should be 31 less than the number of points they get in the league.

I thought the bit about Bradford trying to get a zero was probably the most telling insight...

you mean as in the old mantra 'they'll be lucky to get zero'

Looks like a fancy version of AP/Swiftcorn's 'Non-flat track bully SL table'

you missed the bit after the ellipsis

It is an interesting way to look at it

For example London start with games against Saints & Wolves

Cas start with Salford & Bulls

I know which start most teams would go with

what a load of codswallop. I know how you can get Bulls to top of league. Dont play rugby just toss a coin.
As previous contributor said . too much time on your hands