26 replies to this topic

[John Drake]

What do you think of the current structure of the play-offs across Super League and the Championship competitions? And is club-call a great innovation or a pointless waste of time?

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[deluded pom?]

I'm a fan of the playoffs but eight from fourteen is too many. Why reward mediocrity? The clubcall is just a pointless exercise. No club will take a risk and simply choose the lowest placed team of the two options.

[Biggar Bank]

It's a gimmick, but then what's another gimmick from a ruling body who seem to think we thrive on them?

[Mumby Magic]

If 14 is the magic number for SL at the moment and we have no straight relegation then 8 is the only real number we can go for. 7 could be worth a shout. I personally think who finishes top should only have one game to get to the final or even straight through.

Innovation in Rugby League is now part of folklore but I don't think the Club Call has caught the immagination. Let it go.

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

Club Call seems a waste of time and only acts as a negative for the team that has to choose.

This year threw up a situation that could've been tailor made for Club Call, with the potential of Saints picking old rivals Wigan for one last derby in Knowsley Road's last ever game. But they went for the sensible option and picked the lowest ranked team. So it seems a waste of time.

[sam]

clubcall could be great if there was no 'simple' pick. best to drop it now though.

play-offs, i can understand why they have top 8, personally i'd prefer a top 6 format.

[Mumby Magic]

play-offs, i can understand why they have top 8, personally i'd prefer a top 6 format.

I actually preferred the top 5 but that will never happen again I assume.

[sam]

I actually preferred the top 5 but that will never happen again I assume.

yeah, top 5 was by the best, but it's just not enough teams for a 14 team league.

[terrywebbisgod]

Top 6 and no clubcall,it's glaringly obvious that the lowest ranked team is going to be picked,so why have it?

[shrek]

I actually preferred the top 5 but that will never happen again I assume.

I'd agree with that.

Its all very well saying you need to have more in a 14 team league, but in there current format the games are just not generating the interest and attendances reflect that.

Club call is a total waste of time, the concept probably sounded great in the meeting room but it brings no credibility to preceding's and seems like a poisoned chalice to me.

[thirteenthman]

A team that finishes in the bottom half of the table should never be in with a chance of winning Super League. That's what we have with the top 8 system. We should go back to the old top 6 play-offs. It sometimes seems that the RFL change things just for the sake of change.

As for the Club Call - scrap it. It's a complete waste of time. If it was conceived as a way of drumming up extra publicity for the play-off series, it's failed. No club will ever pick anyone other than the lowest ranked team, so it just becomes a bit of a nothing story.

[goldcard]

If nothing else changes, bin the club-call, or extend the choices of opponents to all remaining teams for all stages.
League leaders pick opponents every round from all teams in it.

I'm another who preferred the top 5 format.
I know it would/could create a lot of "nothing to play for" fixtures in the last month, but the top 3rd competing for the title is better than the top 60%.
To win from 5th would be a tough ask, and fewer teams get a free week.
Such rewards have to be earned.

[Tommy The C5t]

Top 6 and no clubcall,it's glaringly obvious that the lowest ranked team is going to be picked,so why have it?

But then Castleford would have no chance of making the playoffs

[Tommy The C5t]

If nothing else changes, bin the club-call, or extend the choices of opponents to all remaining teams for all stages.
League leaders pick opponents every round from all teams in it.

I'm another who preferred the top 5 format.
I know it would/could create a lot of "nothing to play for" fixtures in the last month, but the top 3rd competing for the title is better than the top 60%.
To win from 5th would be a tough ask, and fewer teams get a free week.
Such rewards have to be earned.

Agree Bill as you only have to look back at the 1998 playoff games

Leeds 13-6 Halifax
St Helens 42-24 Bradford
Wigan 17-4 Leeds
Halifax 30-37 St Helens
Leeds 44-16 St Helens

Every game except the last one was a real humdinger.

[foozler]

Bin the clubcall, complete waste of space, far from being "innovative", it makes us look daft to the wider world.

You could also cut the play offs to top 7, with 2 rounds, thereby cutting a week from the playing season.

Round 1, league leaders get a bye to round 2. Other round 1 fixtures 2 v 5, 3 v 4, 6 v 7.

Round 2, 1 v 6 or 7 and 2 or 5 v 3 & 4. In the second match, home rights would be given to the team that finished highest in the regular season.

So on the basis of SL 2010, round 2 games would be Wigan v Hull FC or Hull KR and Saints or Huddersfield v Warrington or Leeds.

If you want to keep the bottom teams interested, assign ranking points based on end of season table position, in descending order eg league leaders 14 points, bottom team 1 point. When it comes to relicense time, ranking points are the casting eviction vote in the event that 2 or more teams are tied on the other license criteria.

[steef]

top 6 for me, 8 is to many. Club call was worth a go but should be dumped as its not really adding anything.

[adelwire]

Top 6 and no clubcall,it's glaringly obvious that the lowest ranked team is going to be picked,so why have it?

definitely just top 6.

[Vambo]

I like the play-offs though like many I feel the top 8 is too much. Top 6 for me. As for club-call... stupid idea to begin with.

[ckn]

Club call is a gimmick that puts undue pressure on the top team. The top team in the league at the end of the season should have the easiest route to the final.

On play-offs, it's poor that a team with a losing season (more losses than wins) has a chance of taking the title. It should be top 5 or 6 at the most as that rewards a winning season. I'd even go to top 4 as that makes it even more credible. Other sports couldn't care less about dead games mid-table at the end of the season, why should we? We made the decision to make the bottom of the table games pointless at the end of the season so I see no difference in making the mid-table games the same.

[terrywebbisgod]

But then Castleford would have no chance of making the playoffs

They very rarely do anyway