Yes, I know there's another thread running about play-off crowds, but that's developed into a 'let's laugh at Wigan's crowd' campaign. This is more of a look at play-off gates in general and suggestions on how they could be improved. The crowds at the weekend were both poor, and made to look worse as both games were held in reasonably sized stadiums. As I see it the problem is two-fold;
1. Lack of time to promote and sell the matches. Clubs only had 7 days to sell the matches, and some of the games were not that attractive.
2. Lack of cash for fans to purchase tickets for extra end of season games.

We can't change the time that clubs have to sell tickets, but we can improve the potential quality by reverting back to a Top 6 play-off system. To me the Top 8 gives a reward for the mediocrity of finishing below halfway in a 14 team league.
People have complained about having to shell out £18 minimum for tickets to these extra games (had anyone had to travel to Hull it would have been £22 and £5 to park, daylight robbery). My suggestion is a 40% discount for season ticket holders of both clubs for the first play-off match, and 30% for the second game.
No doubt the RFL will look at the 2 games this coming weekend, which will probably be sellouts in medium sized stadiums and then point out that O/T will also be sold out, and then say the play-offs have been a big success, and completely ignore what's gone before, which is completely wrong.
Anyone else got any suggestions?

Reduce the numbers. Reduce the dead rubbers to the minimum possible amount.

Top 4 play off system.

Game 1 - 1st vs 2nd for a place in the GF, choice of end and kit.

Game 2 - 3 v 4th for a place in the second semi final.

Both games played in a double header at Bolton with tickets at £10/£5 concessions. Market it to the hilt and sell it out.

Game 3. Loser of game 1 v winner of game 2.

Game played at home ground of loser of game 1. Tickets £10/£5 but you get that as a discount off final ticket.

Game 4. Grand Final at Old Trafford.

Saddo gets my vote for RFL president.






Wait .... What? What do you mean this isn't a democracy?

Do away with the ridiculous top 8. Make top 4, winner of each progresses to final. 1st v 4th, 2nd v 3rd.
Much fairer and much more exciting. People will be more inclined to pay for 1/2 games than 4 potentially.

If that doesnt work scrap the bloody thing and make the league leaders champions again.

Saddened, that's so simple, but absolutely brilliant.

Personally I'd get rid of any game where the loser remains in the competition.

Reducing the number of dead rubbers in the play-offs may seem a good idea. However, it reality it just moves the problem to dead rubbers from the playoffs to the regular season. Many Hull/Cas/KR games would have been dead rubbers for the previous month and Salford/Bradford for the previous 4 months.

OK, so what would you do then?

C'est la vie. With the franchise system, the bottom of the table clashes are dead rubbers. Should they be included in the play offs as well?

The play-offs and the Grand Final are pretty much the only way the RFL have of rasing revenue. There is no way that they are going to reduce the number of play-off matches.

Behind The Stick posted an interesting post on this very subject the other day that everybody ignored possibly because it was too difficult to argue with the contents.

Its alright talking about making games knock-out fixtures but that didn't do much ofr the semi-final attendance between Wigan and Saints this year. Wasn't there more at their first round play-off game than at the semi? If not there was little difference.