[Gledhill modeJust imagine the furore when Bulls sneak 8th from a seemingly impossible position then go on to win the GF...[/Gledhill mode

Sorry, must go, Nursey is just bringing my medication...

No it isn't a farce, who's to say that Saints would have finished top all those times if all the other teams knew that finish top meat they were champions.

This is a stupid thread made up just because saints fans are now getting slightly worried that they may not actually win anything this year.

Before posting, I thought I would at least do the decent thing and read through the whole thread... can I have the last 10 minutes of my life back please?

Simple enough answer - it ain't broke so it doesn't need fixing

Does that make Saints the biggest chokers in the SL era?

With Leeds demolishing Castleford 76-12 tonight and hitting paydirt 14 times in the process, something tells me you don't have to worry much about that.

Personally I still think that the super league table should come to a halt mid season and that’s when the play offs should be played. At the end of the day St Helens play better in the sun as shown against Huddersfield Giants recently. Its only fair we let them play the Rhinos in the sun in a midseason grand final.

After the midseason grand final we shall go back to the regular SL rounds and all play for top spot. This should stop all the saints fans moaning..

the season draw of 24 games is not fair . its home and away . but in nrl we dont play each other twice. its an uneven draw. some teams play more teams from the top 8. some teams play more teams from the bottom of the table. so its not fair

The clubs have voted it in so they cant say its not fair unless your the chairman of saints.

I think whoever finishes top after playing everybody home and away over a season (a la football) should be champions as this is the fairest method.

Playoffs are cup type games which put a bigger weighting onto home/away call, injuries or the day, recent form as opposed to form over a season, weather (which seems to affect some teams) and lots of other short term variables which may not reflect the variables over a season.

Always feel sorry for the team finishing top who is then not champions due to not turning up in one game or injuries to key personnel etc

the clubs,the super league & sky like the play offs because it generates extra income.i like the play offs because it prolongs the season by a month giving me more games to watch.but to be honest i think who finishes top after 27 games(equal amount of home/away matches + 1 at a neutral venue against a similar level club)should be champions.you could be outstanding all season only to get a glut of injuries going into the final & lose the one that counts.cups are won in finals,leagues should be won on consistancy over a season.

Why would you bother with playoffs in that case? Playoffs that aren't for the championship would be a waste of time. Would you really want to see a team potentially clinch the championship with several weeks left in the season?? I sure wouldn't, playoffs keep the drama going all the way to the end and make for an exciting finish.

I know shocking isn't it

Even though i knew it would, this thread has given me a headache.

How can it be unfair on anyone team when each club and all its staff know the rules before the start of the competition?

Surely Leeds ain't the only ones to know how it works.

Saints have as much chance this year as the did in 2007 & 2008.
One off games are exactly that.

Playoffs can't be compared to the Challenge Cup IMO because as the playoffs are held over consecutive weeks there is more of a consistency element about them, and also the consequences of losing in the playoffs or Grand Final are much higher.

What happens when 8th plays 1st in the final, the 1st team wins 22 games out of 27 games goes into the final with loads of injuries.
8th team wins 12 games out of 27 games are at full strength and win the game on a controversial video decision.
Are the 8th team Really Superleague champions and possibly turning out to be an embarrassment in the World Club game.
When this scenario happens will the play off system change.

i agree its better that it stops a team been champions with weeks to go,& i do like the play offs n wouldnt get rid of em.i just think its a bit unfair on the team who finishes top of the league.league champions should be the best most consistant team over a season.if a team won the grand final after finishing 7 or 8 in the league,they would be champions,would you consider them to be the best team in the league.or just the best team of the last month

If you think about what that 8th placed team had to do during the playoffs to get to the GF, you'll agree that a win there confirms them as champions.

I really don't buy into this argument. It is clear at the start of the season what the most important prize is. If you're team tries it's best to finish first but at the expense of being to tired to carry on till the playoffs then that's bad management. Also all these saints fans saying we are by far the most consistent team every year you have won the league by 1 point the last two seasons. So to say you are far more consistent is utter rubbish.

But saints have won more games in the last 3 seasons than any other team, so factually aren't they indeed the most consistent team so far.

But not when it matters.

The Championship is decided by a combination of the most consistent club and the team that plays the best when it matters. It's the ultimate test of both elements of league and cup rugby, and is deservedly the highest accolade for this reason.

That being said, there is not enough importance put on being the League winners. The hub cap is terrible, and the Saints players never seem bothered when they are given it. There are no fireworks, no major celebration, no nothing. It is an important trophy to win and should be treated as such, even if it isn't as important as winning the GF.

But saints have won more Superleague Finalsthan any other team, so are they not the most consistent team so far in the competion.

But not recently. 1 SLGF win in 6 years vs Bradford's 2 and Leeds' 3.

By my mathematics Saints have won the superleague trophy 5 times, against the Bulls 3 times and the Rhinos 3 times.
So I'm assumiing your theory is a recent 3 times is greater than 5 times, so we will accept your theory against factual.