Sat 14 Sept: Championship Qualifying Play-off: Toulouse Olympique v York City Knights KO 2pm (OurLeague App)

[John Drake 6,194]

Discuss the Betfred Championship Qualifying Play-off: Toulouse Olympique v York City Knights here.

[Bleep1673 1,805]

Sorry, I haven't really been concentrating too hard recently, especially as we are not involved, but can someone explain the play-off system?

[DEANO 1,405]

Very complicated but what I do know is that if York were to get to the final they would have to either go to Toulouse twice or Toronto twice. Tough ask for part time players and supporters 

[gavin7094 248]

1 hour ago, DEANO said:

Very complicated but what I do know is that if York were to get to the final they would have to either go to Toulouse twice or Toronto twice. Tough ask for part time players and supporters 

Or both twice!

[tim2 2,753]

2 hours ago, Bleep1673 said:

Sorry, I haven't really been concentrating too hard recently, especially as we are not involved, but can someone explain the play-off system?

Nice though it is to be successful, clubs like yours and mine might be better off out of it!

[TboneFromTO 742]

3 hours ago, Bleep1673 said:

Sorry, I haven't really been concentrating too hard recently, especially as we are not involved, but can someone explain the play-off system?

Game 2)

A)Winner York -TO v Toronto

B)Loser York - TO v winner Leigh Fev

Game 3 

 loser 2a v winner 2b

Game 4 (final)

Winner game 3 v winner 2a

 

Complicated oui?

 

[Krzzystuff 2,261]

Two great teams but I think Toulouse will take the game. expecting to be a Toulouse vs Toronto Final come Oct 5th.

[Bleep1673 1,805]

1 hour ago, TboneFromTO said:

Game 2)

A)Winner York -TO v Toronto

B)Loser York - TO v winner Leigh Fev

Game 3 

 loser 2a v winner 2b

Game 4 (final)

Winner game 3 v winner 2a

 

Complicated oui?

 

Got a migraine coming on. This is why we never qualify for the play-offs.

[The Daddy 2,506]

Is Graeme Horne fit? 

[spanishknight 2,379]

5 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

Is Graeme Horne fit? 

Doubtful 

[Denton Rovers RLFC 992]

Hoping for York but on balance think TO will just sneak it, Hopefully the OL app is actually working!

[kiggy 99]

2 hours ago, Bleep1673 said:

Got a migraine coming on. This is why we never qualify for the play-offs.

[Fabou 301]

I dont know what to Think about this format. I guess we will be able to judge it afterwards.

we ll see.

[Chronicler of Chiswick 1,024]

Toulouse by 18.

[Bleep1673 1,805]

15 hours ago, kiggy said:

You know that migraine I said was coming on? The French version doesn't help. Merci

[FearNothing 419]

it's mad...a team in 2nd/3rd/4th/5th could have to play 3 times just to get to the final...I suspect TWP will have an easy ride through this, even if it's only down to the other teams being knackered!!

Edited September 11, 2019 by FearNothing

[Kayakman 5,598]

52 minutes ago, FearNothing said:

it's mad...a team in 2nd/3rd/4th/5th could have to play 3 times just to get to the final...I suspect TWP will have an easy ride through this, even if it's only down to the other teams being knackered!!

No easy ride for TWP...do you have any idea how much traveling our club has to do...not complaining but the rest will sort of even things up a bit.

[georgeb1 1,180]

3 hours ago, Fabou said:

I dont know what to Think about this format. I guess we will be able to judge it afterwards.

we ll see.

All club's knew the format as the season started , Toronto rightly have an advantage in the playoffs by being the strongest team by far in the competition .

[Fabou 301]

1 hour ago, georgeb1 said:

All club's knew the format as the season started , Toronto rightly have an advantage in the playoffs by being the strongest team by far in the competition .

agreed, but... I still dont know what to Think about it.

[Kayakman 5,598]

2 minutes ago, Fabou said:

agreed, but... I still dont know what to Think about it.

Think good thoughts always.

Edited September 11, 2019 by Kayakman

[gavin7094 248]

The odd thing is that even if York beat Toulouse away on Saturday, we will probably have to go there and do it again in 2 weeks.  Also, if we beat Toronto away, we have to repeat that.  The structure is very heavily loaded in favour of the top 2 sides, (which is fair enough I suppose). I think to be fairer if you win away then the least you should get is rewarded with a home tie in any possible 'rematch'.

A simpler system would be 1st straight through to final.  2nd v 5th and 3rd v 4th and the 2 winners of those play off for the opportunity to play them. 

Edited September 11, 2019 by gavin7094
Spelling

[CanadianRugger 1,554]

1 minute ago, gavin7094 said:

The odd thing is that even if York beat Toulouse away on Saturday, we will probably have to go their and do it again in 2 weeks.  Also, if we beat Toronto away, we have to repeat that.  The structure is very heavily loaded in favour of the top 2 sides, (which is fair enough I suppose). I think to be fairer if you win away then the least you should get is rewarded with a home tie in any possible 'rematch'.

A simpler system would be 1st straight through to final.  2nd v 5th and 3rd v 4th and the 2 winners of those play off for the opportunity to play them. 

I like this format, makes the playoffs exciting.  I'm hoping for a Toronto vs Toulouse final in Toronto.

[gavin7094 248]

10 minutes ago, CanadianRugger said:

I like this format, makes the playoffs exciting.  I'm hoping for a Toronto vs Toulouse final in Toronto.

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but I disagree that this structure makes it more exciting than any other.  In fact, with so little 'sudden death' arguably it's less exciting. I'm going to the Toulouse game on Saturday knowing that, even if York win (a big ask in itself) it doesn't really benefit York much.  We'll have to repeat it again in 2 weeks, with a trip to Toronto in between. Arguably, then, winning in Toulouse becomes a handicap. In fact, some York fans a have suggested a defeat in Toulouse may be our best strategy. Doesn't seem right somehow. 

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon 1,292]

28 minutes ago, gavin7094 said:

The odd thing is that even if York beat Toulouse away on Saturday, we will probably have to go there and do it again in 2 weeks.  Also, if we beat Toronto away, we have to repeat that.  The structure is very heavily loaded in favour of the top 2 sides, (which is fair enough I suppose). I think to be fairer if you win away then the least you should get is rewarded with a home tie in any possible 'rematch'.

A simpler system would be 1st straight through to final.  2nd v 5th and 3rd v 4th and the 2 winners of those play off for the opportunity to play them. 

 

10 minutes ago, gavin7094 said:

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but I disagree that this structure makes it more exciting than any other.  In fact, with so little 'sudden death' arguably it's less exciting. I'm going to the Toulouse game on Saturday knowing that, even if York win (a big ask in itself) it doesn't really benefit York much.  We'll have to repeat it again in 2 weeks, with a trip to Toronto in between. Arguably, then, winning in Toulouse becomes a handicap. In fact, some York fans a have suggested a defeat in Toulouse may be our best strategy. Doesn't seem right somehow. 

My sympathies, gavin7094!  It seems odd to me that there is a constant referral back to regular season places.  Without that, York victory in Toulouse followed by defeat in Toronto would, indeed, have seen you play Toulouse again, if they won match D, but this time in York.

I agree with you about play-off games from which both teams live to fight another day.  I suppose I was brought up on a simple knock-out play-off system - 1st -v- 8th, 2nd -v-7th, etc.  It always seemed fine to me.  I suspect that giving the top regular season team too easy a run to the final, with weeks off included, might just backfire, especially if you subscribe to the school of thought that you need to be playing regularly and competitively as the season concludes.

[mrfranco 103]

20 minutes ago, gavin7094 said:

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but I disagree that this structure makes it more exciting than any other.  In fact, with so little 'sudden death' arguably it's less exciting. I'm going to the Toulouse game on Saturday knowing that, even if York win (a big ask in itself) it doesn't really benefit York much.  We'll have to repeat it again in 2 weeks, with a trip to Toronto in between. Arguably, then, winning in Toulouse becomes a handicap. In fact, some York fans a have suggested a defeat in Toulouse may be our best strategy. Doesn't seem right somehow. 

I think the RFL certainly missed a trick by not giving the first team into the GF (i.e. the winner of the 1st vs 2nd/3rd game) the right to host it.

I'm not a fan of the potentially repeated games either, for the kind of reason you cite, i.e. the games feel a bit like "what's the point in this game, we did it already 2 weeks ago"/"what's the point in winning this one, we'll be playing it again in two weeks".

Personally I'd rather have something like 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 in week one, winners travel to 2 and 1 respectively in week two, winners play in the GF.