Are you saying that the Cowboys didnt deserve to make the finals last year? (Just playing Devils Advocate here)
Deserving is a hard one to qualify, under the current system they did deserve it, because other teams couldn't get the job done, but the kind of season they had leading into the finals probably shouldn't have gotten them there in a perfect world. Have said a few times this season that their form this season shouldn't be as big a surprise as it is, but people forget 3 games at the end of last season sugar coated how they actually traveled for the majority of it
Under a top 5 last season we would have seen Melbourne having a week off in week 1, Roosters v Brisbane for the right to play them in a GF qualifier in week 2 and Parra playing the Sharks in an elimination final, all pretty good games.
I liked the advantage a minor premier received in getting straight through to week 2, and I also like that if their was a tie on points they played a game to qualify. Was all neutral venues back then too, I used to have big problems under the McIntyre 8 system, how a team finishing 8th could get a home finals game in week 2, still not a big fan of 5 and 6 getting a home game now, but at least the top 4 are guaranteed to get a home game under this system and 7 and 8 can't get one
I don't hate the top 8, was just a fan of how the 5 worked growing up, and there were epic games nearly every week, and you knew that every team in there had absolutely earned their spot, whereas now there is always a feeling of teams limping in there
Most concerning for me the past week or so is how much I have been looking back to 'the good ole days" lol, must be turning into an old bastard now !!
