still think this is an unnecessarily complex idea, and I've still not seen them confirm how long after the game the highest placed team will get to choose their opponent.

Seems straightforward to me what dont you understand about it?

It will take a year or two to bed in like the top 5/6 started off but give it two years and lets see.

it wont get two ears it'll change before then

I haven't heard anyone from any clubs publicly supporting the idea of teams picking who they want to play. The RFL wanted it so probably made it an unconditional part of expanding the playoffs to eight teams, knowing full well that the clubs wouldn't reject that.

Don't know it until it happens if you ask me. Could be a winner. Innovation and all that. People don't seem to like change, so you'll see very little support for it.

That is a fair point. You'd assume that it would happen the same day, as the choosing team will have a week off to think about who they would rather play out of the four possible contenders, etc.

Do Week 1 losers keep home advantage for finishing higher (as I assumed) if they make week 3?

John Kear was going on Sky last night about Saints maybe picking Leeds as their chosen opponent in Week 3 because they may prefer to play at Knowsley Road rather than Old Trafford but unless Leeds lose in Week 1 they can't pick them?

It doesnt matter how many times people explain it to me I still dont have a clue how it works





Is it just me?

Week 1:

a) 1st vs 4th

b) 2nd vs 3rd

---

c) 5th vs 8th

d) 6th vs 7th



Week 2:

e) Highest ranked loser of a/b vs lowest ranked winner of c/d

f) Lowest ranked loser of a/b vs highest ranked winner of c/d



Week 3:

g) Highest ranked winner of a/b vs winning team of their choice from e/f

h) Lowest ranked winner from a/b vs remaining winning team from e/f



Week 4:

i) Winner of g vs winner of h (Grand Final)



HTH

Reading D.D.'s post it would appear not it all depends if they win in week 1.

If I read it right and we go with the current positions and we (HKR) '4th' win at Saints '1st' then saints lose that right and the winner of '2nd' v's '3rd' would get that privilige.

It would also mean that we would get home advantage unless the winner of '2nd' vs '3rd' picked us.

Well I think I get it but it's an amazingly complicated way of doing things in Week 3. Apparently the pick the opponent announcement will be done Live on Sky (think they said on Sky Sports News). When that decision has to be made though who knows.