Play-off structures for League 1 and Championship announced

[The Phantom Horseman]

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/57714/play-off-structures-for-betfred-championship-and-league-

Key points
Top 6 qualify for Championship play-off. Top two get a bye in first of 3 play-off roundsthen meet winners of two games between 3rd-6th clubs in semis. Then a Grand Final.

Need to have played 70% of games to qualify for play-offs (what if teams in top 6 haven't? Do 7th/8th finishers etc get in instead?)

Relegation for bottom two in Championship regardless of games played. Top team in League 1 gets automatic promotion and clubs in 2nd-6th places play off for second promotion spot.

Announcement re the difficulties involving Toulouse and their early-season games to follow in next few days.

Looks like less advantage for top 2 in Championship than in previous seasons. Presumably home advantage in play-offs, including final, will be based on finishing positions.

[The Phantom Horseman]

7 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

Playoffs are meant to be biggest games of year so glad we have a structure that promotes that. 6 in means some great playoff games and your six 'big' teams  (Toulouse, Fev, Broncos, York, Widnes and Bradford) will all think they should be making the playoffs. 

I'm gonna predict that a poster called The Blues Ox is going to comment on this post...

[Hela Wigmen]

So, the Championship, a fourteen team league, plays 22 games and League One plays 18? They just need to go 12-12-12 across the board. 

[Chris Taylor]

Where's the final at?

[The Phantom Horseman]

Just now, Chris Taylor said:

Where's the final at?

I'm assuming at the highest-ranked team, otherwise there's virtually no advantage in finishing first rather than second.

 

[Chris Taylor]

2 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

I'm assuming at the highest-ranked team, otherwise there's virtually no advantage in finishing first rather than second.

 

I hope not, it should be at a neutral venue. 

Thanks.

[DEANO]

Probably in Toronto 

[dkw]

19 hours ago, Chris Taylor said:

Where's the final at?

You think the RFL will have thought that far ahead? They will change this anyway about 2 weeks before the end of the league, then flip a coin for where to paly them if the last few years are anything to go by.

[spanishknight]

On 04/03/2021 at 16:49, Chris Taylor said:

Where's the final at?

Think they should do what they did a few years ago, have a double header,Championship and League at a neutral ground.

[DEANO]

8 hours ago, dkw said:

You think the RFL will have thought that far ahead? They will change this anyway about 2 weeks before the end of the league, then flip a coin for where to paly them if the last few years are anything to go by.

The final in 2019 was always to be played at the home of the highest ranked finalist

[dkw]

17 hours ago, DEANO said:

The final in 2019 was always to be played at the home of the highest ranked finalist

I'm thinking more of that time they made my team Workington play Swinton which they decided about 2 weeks before the end of the season, with a coin toss to decide venue.

[Harry Stottle]

13 hours ago, DEANO said:

The final in 2019 was always to be played at the home of the highest ranked finalist

Simple reason in my opinion being that it was expected Toronto v Toulouse would be the finalists, can you imagine the attendance at a neutral venue in  England, it would have been not to long after Catalan got to Wembley and the ensuing dissapointing attendance that would not have been wanted repeating.

Previously Championship finals had been at neutral venues as is the SLGF which is the correct way, the top 2 get the advantage of an easier passage to the final that is their reward for finishing higher up the ladder, finals should always be at neutral venues, no discussion needed.

[DEANO]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Simple reason in my opinion being that it was expected Toronto v Toulouse would be the finalists, can you imagine the attendance at a neutral venue in  England, it would have been not to long after Catalan got to Wembley and the ensuing dissapointing attendance that would not have been wanted repeating.

Previously Championship finals had been at neutral venues as is the SLGF which is the correct way, the top 2 get the advantage of an easier passage to the final that is their reward for finishing higher up the ladder, finals should always be at neutral venues, no discussion needed.

Correct. I was merely pointing out that the rules were in place at the start of the season 

[Angelic Cynic]

15 hours ago, DEANO said:

The final in 2019 was always to be played at the home of the highest ranked finalist

It has been that way for a few seasons.

I can't find the details,but I think a final, held at Widnes,drew a poor attendance.

I don't think the RFL can afford to rent a neutral venue,anymore.

[The Blues Ox]

On 04/03/2021 at 16:28, The Phantom Horseman said:

I'm gonna predict that a poster called The Blues Ox is going to comment on this post...

Im good. Im fine with all those teams thinking they should make the playoffs. 

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

6 hours ago, Angelic Cynic said:

It has been that way for a few seasons.

I can't find the details,but I think a final, held at Widnes,drew a poor attendance.

I don't think the RFL can afford to rent a neutral venue,anymore.

I can remember two at Widnes, Castleford v Whitehaven and Huddersfield v Leigh and the ground was pretty full for both of them if my memory is correct.

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

7 hours ago, Angelic Cynic said:

It has been that way for a few seasons.

I can't find the details,but I think a final, held at Widnes,drew a poor attendance.

I don't think the RFL can afford to rent a neutral venue,anymore.

The last 'final' at a neutral venue was I believe the 2015 Championship Shield Final between Fev and London, held at Widnes with an attendance of around 4000. Swinton and Keighley also played for the 2nd promotion spot to the Championship.

[Harry Stottle]

14 hours ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

The last 'final' at a neutral venue was I believe the 2015 Championship Shield Final between Fev and London, held at Widnes with an attendance of around 4000. Swinton and Keighley also played for the 2nd promotion spot to the Championship.

The year before 2014 was Fev v Leigh at Headingley 9,164, no disrespect but what else would you expect the next year with London being involved?

[Tommygilf]

14 hours ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

The last 'final' at a neutral venue was I believe the 2015 Championship Shield Final between Fev and London, held at Widnes with an attendance of around 4000. Swinton and Keighley also played for the 2nd promotion spot to the Championship.

Championship Sheild isn't a fair comparison though is it

[Hela Wigmen]

23 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

The year before 2014 was Fev v Leigh at Headingley 9,164, no disrespect but what else would you expect the next year with London being involved?

The attendances for Grand Finals wasn’t that bad. 20k at Cas v Widnes in 2008 (if Wikipedia is correct) is phenomenal, really. The attendances took a bit of a hit around the Licensing era but that could be partly down to Sheffield, who aren’t the most well supported side, getting to three on the trot and one of them being against another relatively small club in Batley. 

Excluding those three years Sheffield got to the final, the attendance never dropped below 7,000 and there was 5 attendances of 10k+, with another three of 9k+. 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

1 hour ago, Hela Wigmen said:

The attendances for Grand Finals wasn’t that bad. 20k at Cas v Widnes in 2008 (if Wikipedia is correct) is phenomenal, really. The attendances took a bit of a hit around the Licensing era but that could be partly down to Sheffield, who aren’t the most well supported side, getting to three on the trot and one of them being against another relatively small club in Batley. 

Excluding those three years Sheffield got to the final, the attendance never dropped below 7,000 and there was 5 attendances of 10k+, with another three of 9k+. 

The 2008 Finals Day was a triple header with Cas, Widnes, Fev and Oldham as the 4 'pro' clubs involved. Fev Lions were also playing, but their opponents escape my ageing memory.

[sentoffagain2]

4 hours ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

The 2008 Finals Day was a triple header with Cas, Widnes, Fev and Oldham as the 4 'pro' clubs involved. Fev Lions were also playing, but their opponents escape my ageing memory.

   Bramley.

[Tommygilf]

Should beRFL Finals day, same weekend as the Super League semis

1pm NCL Premier

3pm League 1

5pm Championship

Given its location and setup Headingley seems ideal.

[FearNothing]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

Should beRFL Finals day, same weekend as the Super League semis

1pm NCL Premier

3pm League 1

5pm Championship

Given its location and setup Headingley seems ideal.

this is how it should be - in Cru's promotion year a pile of us went to LSV and saw (I think) Leigh Miners v someone, Rochdale v Oldham for the second L1 promotion place, and Sheffield v Batley GF, it was a cracking day out

[Angelic Cynic]

1 hour ago, ShropshireBull said:

Finals day sounds like a good idea if being filmed but rather a 10000 sellout than half full.  Think it makes the product look so much better.  

Widnes and Fax are 13/14000 stadiums so ideal size. 

Both stadia where Widnes and Halifax play are owned by the local councils.

Recently,Widnes owed their council a lot of money.

The RFL don't have a great deal of spare money to rent stadia.