How exactly do you come to that conclusion?

Because pretty much every sports fan in this country is a football fan to some degree.

How come the playoffs aren't a laughing stock in Australia?

They don't have low crowds, boring games, predictable results over there...?

I think you'd find a few on these boards would disagree with that statement.

Nearly got a full house here on my RL Fan bingo...'joke' 'farce' 'laughing stock' 'what must football fans think of us'' All I need is 'I'm all for expansion but..'

Why do a lot of RL fans feel so inferior? Do you go out and buy whatever is Number 1 in the charts because it is more popular than what you like?

Does that count?

It's the stupid format of the play off's people really hate as reflected by the abysmal crowds at the weekend. You finished Top of the league, won a play off game and you still arn't at the final? God give me strength, what a joke. I watch many RL games every season, always go to Wembley but I want nothing to do with this farce! As for picking your own opponent well the less said the better!

I'd suggest that the vast majority of die-hard RL fans would have trouble explaining the system in use for the playoffs.

I'd say nobody could justify 8 teams out of 14 taking part.

The results are so boringly predictable, and so is the final.

The games are just a pathetic excuse to make money. They add nothing to the competition.

Even die-hard fans can't be bothered coming to these pathetic excuses for games.


WHY IS CRITICISING THE STUPID SYSTEM IMPLEMENTED BY THE RFL SEEN AS BEING ANTI THE SPORT?

The RFL have killed this season for many, reducing the league season to the equivalent of a pre-season tournament, and making the playoffs as exciting as watching paint dry.

And fans are voting with their feet.

WHATS THE POINT TRYING TO COVER UP THE TRUTH?

So far absolutely nobody has defended the system.

All we have is the usual criticism of anyone who dares to question the RFL.

What we have is criticism of the usual mard hysteria and melodrama of people making ludicrous claims, such as "it's made us a laughing stock among non-RL fans" when pretty much nobody outside the sport even cares.

Maybe it's because they don't think it needs defending.

I remember people saying exactly the same thing about the original SL play offs in 1998. In fact, you can guarantee that ANYTHING RL introduces will be met with cry's of 'farce' 'joke' 'laughing stock' etc etc. It must be a genetic response amongst flat earth types.

The current system may well turn out to be the wrong choice and if so, the RFL can admit they cocked up. But for all you know we might have a Hudds/Hull KR final...OK we probably won't

but until it is all over why start the wrist slitting?

Even if we do end up with that final, is that supposed to be a good thing?

Surely the sport should be interested in rewarding quality, not inventing a system to ensure that average teams can win the league by winning a couple of games.

There is a reason we have cup competitions and seperate league competitions you know.

If the sport is going to have a playoff system, it should heavily reward the team finishing top, and should be simple enough to explain to non-die hard fans.

Which team can get the title by winning two games?

They was only one half decent play off game last weekend as the rest were a pile of rubbish. Leeds Rhinos totally dismantled what has been a rather solid Hull KR side this year.

In fact Leeds shouldn’t have to play the likes in a play offs. In future it should just be contested between Leeds, Wigan and St Helens because they the only good play off teams we’ve had in this country in the last few years. Warrington may join that next year though..

No need for pedantry.

Just answer this simple question:

What benefit did Leeds recieve for finishing a full 7 points ahead of Hull KR?
And do you think this is enough of a benefit?

St Helens if you hear the sky team early in the season..

Pointing out your blatantly misleading and unsupported statements is "pedantry"?





The hubcap.



I think it's exactly what the rules said, so I struggle to get too worked up about it.

i agree i think the problem in some regards is that in some comps people nothing wrong in a team say qualifying for the latter rounds whilst qualifying as best runner up but somehow the 'look' of it is ok because the teams are coming from seperate groups i.e. the union hieneken cup. its a contradiction to my mind but we would be a in better position if we had conferences of some sort. The message that the league campaign is a qualifying competition like many others doesnt seem to get through.

This is because many people in RL are, quite deliberately, luddite in their ways. And bafflingly ignorant too - see the cries of "no other sport has playoffs!", which wilfully ignores almost every international competition and the traditions of the game of RL itself.

They seem to think whining and moaning about [ieverything[/i makes them some sort of admirable, gruff, northern, straight talking, stout yeoman of the field and salt-of-the-earth type.

Guys - it doesn't. It makes you a crushing bore.

Nothing's perfect. There's always room for improvement, but you need to be willing to try new things, and stick with them. This is where RU absolutely destroys us.

one round in of a new system and you hate it! you've already judged? jesus wept there is i swear to god almighty no more impatient fan in the sporting world then a rugby league fan.

I get worked up because we're left with a plethora of joke games with one inevitable game at the end of it. All so Sky can show a few more adverts.

There is no excitement, no intensity, no potential to get people interested in the sport.

Leeds have finished top and won a playoff game. How that puts them in a position where they could lose a freak game and miss the final is beyond me.

if the games are so predictable in the play offs then they must be predictable in the league so why do you watch such a predictable sport, as opposed to watching manu/chelsea win the premiership every season?

Where rugby union moves ahead of other sports is it shameless 'borrowing' of ideas.
Video ref, playoffs, sin bin....

Noone is saying we any of those things.

What people are saying is that 8 teams from 14 is too many, that the system is unfair, that there is no real advantage for finishing top, that it reduces the league season to a pre-season tournament, that the games are predictable and dull, and that the fans are obviously not interested.