Leeds VS Warrington GF

[Indelible]

The occasion was not as good as a Wembley day out. I don't what it was, maybe the whole familiarity i have with OT but it didn't seem special. Also i have not seen as many fights inside the stadium for a long time. Why tickets for other clubs are sold for the ends the two competing teams will have i do not know.



Of course it does. The top teams are just coasting through the league and its a p*ss take for fans.

Top 3 for playoffs.
The next 5 can go into another playoff where the winner goes into an 8 team WCC comp ran through the season.

Make teams have a realistic chance of not qualifying.


Anyways, well done to Leeds for winning the Sky cup, and well done for Wigan for being the championship team of the comp.

We'll be having both those trophies next season. ;-)

Wigan aren't a championship team for 2012 as they didn't win the comp. Simple.

 

[God-King Dean]

I don't watch ESL with great intent, so this is a genuine question: how the hell do Leeds win just about every season? If they are all 'big game players' then how do they remain in the same team? Is the salary cap different to the NRL's?

 

[Evil Homer]

I don't watch ESL with great intent, so this is a genuine question: how the hell do Leeds win just about every season? If they are all 'big game players' then how do they remain in the same team? Is the salary cap different to the NRL's?

Leeds have finished 5th in the table for the last two years so it's not as if they are a dominant team or much better than the other sides. I guess they just have a winning mentality when it comes to the finals series, it's weird though because they have lost the last three Challenge Cup finals and haven't won that trophy since 1999 which is a straight knock-out. As for 'big game players', the core of the team such as Sinfield, McGuire, Burrow, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Bailey and Hall are all one-club men and probably won't ever leave Leeds, which helps. Sinfield mentioned a few years ago that these players are aware that they could probably get a slightly higher wage at other clubs but are willing to take a pay-cut to remain part of a champion side.

 

[LeedsStorm]

Leeds have finished 5th in the table for the last two years so it's not as if they are a dominant team or much better than the other sides. I guess they just have a winning mentality when it comes to the finals series, it's weird though because they have lost the last three Challenge Cup finals and haven't won that trophy since 1999 which is a straight knock-out. As for 'big game players', the core of the team such as Sinfield, McGuire, Burrow, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Bailey and Hall are all one-club men and probably won't ever leave Leeds, which helps. Sinfield mentioned a few years ago that these players are aware that they could probably get a slightly higher wage at other clubs but are willing to take a pay-cut to remain part of a champion side.

Those core players are all products of the academy too, which is significant and clearly a blueprint for success in the Superleague era.

It's interesting, time will tell if winning from 5th is an indication of a poor system or merely that this Leeds team is one of the best ever (Bradford won from 3rd but in the old top 6 playoff). If other sides continue to win from outside the top 2-4, then I'll happily criticise the playoff system. Until then, I'll still hold this Leeds team in the highest regard (of all leeds teams and indeed all rugby league sides)

 

[deluded pom?]

. Also i have not seen as many fights inside the stadium for a long time.

All joking aside, this is becoming a recurring theme year on year. If the RFL aren't careful this could put plenty of people off attending. It's not as if it's just pissed up young kids. We had a fifty odd year old thrown out at the back of the stand we were in. Then you get the muppets who continually bounce up and down all game blocking people's views and the stewards don't want to know.