As he expresses here - [i"Supporters pay to watch a meaningful game each week in a meaningful, season-long competition."[/i This just proves that Saints are nothing more than flat track bullies who are incapable of turning things up for the big games that matter these days. So McManus downplays the play offs because Saints are no longer good enough to compete with Leeds. Saints are only good when it comes to beating bottom of the table teams by 40 points nothing more. Source - www.teletext.co.uk/rugbyleague/n ... style.aspx

As he expresses here - [i"Supporters pay to watch a meaningful game each week in a meaningful, season-long competition."[/i This just proves that Saints are nothing more than flat track bullies who are incapable of turning things up for the big games that matter these days. So McManus downplays the play offs because Saints are no longer good enough to compete with Leeds. Saints are only good when it comes to beating bottom of the table teams by 40 points nothing more. Source - www.teletext.co.uk/rugbyleague/n ... style.aspx

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I don't like a top 8 play off where the likes of Wakefield get a short run at the title.

Personally I think it gives the like a chance. At the end of the day its only two more places and we’ve added two more teams into super league. The Play Offs is Super Leagues Answer to the challenge cup. At the end of the day I don’t think we’ll see much different at Old Trafford but at least it gives the under the underdogs a chance to have a go.



More play off games = more exciting games and as a fan I couldn’t ask for much better. I don’t ever remember watching a boring play off game!

It's all smoke and mirrors. It's just a tacky way of occupying the minds of Wakie et al seeing as there is no relegation. They need something to go at, so need focus to their seasons, a top 8 will do that for some of them.

I only start watching at the play-offs, down the Old Ball with all the scuffers.



Unless any freebies fall my way during the rest of the season of course.

You missed Bradford v Hull 2005 then?

I think its a good way to improve teams, and get more players used to high intensity games.

The play-offs should be confined to those teams that have a chance of winning the title.



Top 2 ususlly, top 3 occasionally, top 4 would be nice sometime.



Not sure I understand the need to have 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th in there at the moment.

That’s when the real rugby league starts. Although some would argue that it starts when the internationals are on. If you didn’t ban him, AP would argue that real rugby league is minus 3 temperatures on a winters Sunday morning watching grassroots under 9’s

I don't mind the top 8, with the league expanded to 14, but it just seems a little premature. Also, a team can finish in the bottom half of the table and still have a playoff spot??!! What's that rewarding? 'Well done in being one of the poorer teams, here have a playoff spot!' Talk about mixed messages.

Is that where Bradford totally thrashed them? Is so a great attacking display by the Bulls.. (even though they cheated that year)

Who ?







PS - It wasn't me

Excluding the GF and FE which have their own excitement built in and using a 24 point minimum spread between the sides leaves you with these nail-biters in the play-offs:



17-Sep-99..... SL 4 - QPO..... St Helens 38..... Leeds 14

26-Sep-99..... SL 4 - QSF..... Bradford 40..... St Helens 4

29-Sep-00..... SL 5 - QSF..... Wigan 16..... St Helens 54

30-Sep-00..... SL 5 - ESF..... Bradford 46..... Leeds 12

24-Sep-05..... SL 10 - EPO..... Warrington 6..... Hull 40

01-Oct-05..... SL 10 - ESF..... Bradford 71..... Hull 0

23-Sep-06..... SL 11 - EPO..... Bradford 52..... Salford 6

13-Sep-08..... SL 13 - EPO..... Catalans 46..... Warrington 8

19-Sep-08..... SL 13 - QSF..... St Helens 38..... Leeds 10

20-Sep-08..... SL 13 - ESF..... Catalans 26..... Wigan 50

Must have been an entity that comes and visits this site now and again then









Well so far I think we’ve only had one final contested by two teams that did not hold first spot. Surely you can put up the stats from the first grand final (Leeds v Wigan) and up to the modern day of where the grand finalist came from to get to the final. I recon most where reached by first and second.

Either way I’ve really enjoyed the play offs - I must be an easy to please rugby league supporter if I enjoy scores like what you’ve put above. I can see where your coming from now.







What a sad end to what an excellent season Salford had that year.

I bet Bradford haven't rattled up those kind of scores in games, for a while. I wouldn't be surprised if those were the last times they rattled up 50-70 point specials.

Maybe it was a sign of things to come. Salford are a questionable example of a play-off spot, I mean (just from memory) they lost more games than they won and still had a play-off spot. So should they be in the running for a Grand Final apperance, or even the Super League title? I suppose some may argue it highlights a closer competition and the fact that I'm a 'tard.

That's my point really.



The entire play-off system has produced 1 V 2 in 9 of 11 GF's to date.



The others were 1 V 3 in 2003 and 2 V 3 in 2005.



What part have 4 through to 8 played so far and if the answer is not a lot, why will this season be any different?

I'm sure Stevo has said this will be the closest season yet...

From memory, Leeds were the first side from the top 2 not to qualify for the grand final in 2003, when it was Bradford V Wigan.



Saints then topped that achievement by becoming the first side to finish top not to qualify in 2005, when it was Bradford V Leeds.



Other than that, I think it's always been the top 2 who have contested the grand final.

Using the Salford '06 Play Off game as the starting point:



11-03-07..... Bradford 56..... Salford 18

15-04-07..... Bradford 52..... Hull KR 22

30-03-08..... Bradford 50..... Castleford 4

I'm keeping you on your toes today.





I wonder if Bulls can score like that away from home?

didnt Hull have someone sent off in the first 10-15mins when they got thrashed by Bradford?



Think it was a kiwi/aus who played in the second row / loose forward, name escapes me.

Kearney wasn't it