this is a great poster

Trying to explain the play offs to a few non rugby supporters they were not impressed. One guy said if they applied this to a tennis final, you would have a 5 set final, one competitor winning the first 3 sets then the competion organizer says play off another final set winner takes all.



If all the home teams in the play offs win there 1st round games, the home teams win there 2nd round games. Would Leeds and St Helens have to beat Huddersfield and Hull KR twice, if so isn,t once enough.

It would have been better to have the winners of the games between 1v4 and 2v3 play each other in week three, with the winner going to the GF and the loser playing against the winner of the other week three game (between the week two winners) in week four.



That way all of the top 4 are guaranteed a second bite of the cherry and there isn't anyone choosing opponents, which a lot of people are having trouble understanding.

remember the top 5 semi's. the minor prems would have the 1st week off 2nd vs 3rd, 4th vs 5th

my biggest issue with the new system is that even if Leeds and Saints win this weekend, they then can lose to the same teams in 2 weeks and miss out on the final. There is no real benefit to finishing higher up the league.

Except that the top four get two chances, the winners in the first week from the top four get a week off, and those finishing higher in the league play at home. No benefit at all, really.

It could end up with Leeds choosing HKR again and Saints having to play Hudds again in games g and h (i.e. a repeat of the first week matches) with the winners to the Grand Final!!!!



Week 1

a) Leeds v HKR

b) Saints v Hudds

c) Wakey v Catalans

d) Wigan v Cas



Week 2

e) Hudds v Wigan

f) HKR v Wakey



Week 3

g) Leeds v HKR

h) Saints v Hudds



GF - Leeds v Saints

I thought they were not allowed to chose the team they have already played or is it that they cannot pick the other winner in WK1?

the top ranked team in the semi cannot choose the 2nd rank team in the semi - i.e. the other winner from week 1.



IMO Leeds will have the choice of playing Saints or Hull KR in the semi final - and will choose to play Saints, leaving Hull KR and Hudds to battle it out for the other GF spot.

It says that Highest ranked winner from matches a / b can choose a team of their choice from the winners of e / f. The lowest ranked winner of a / b plays the other winner from e / f.



So if Leeds and Saints both win and Hudds and HKR win their second games, Leeds could choose to play HKR again leaving Saints to play Hudds again.

Explained totally different on Boots n All though