The annual finals system debate thread

[Dazraider]

id like to see a top 6 instead having 1st n 2nd onlt to play one game to make grand final and 3rd vs 5th and 4th vs 6th and the winner of these two games play 1st and 2nd to play for a spot into the grand final
or have 3rd vs 6th and 4 vs 5th

well say 3 rd wins they play the 2nd ranked side
and say 4th wins they play the 1st ranked side

 

[Marshall_magic]

Happy with the McIntyre system. We've had it for 11 years, a top 4 team has NEVER fallen in the first week, (although Penrith nearly did in 04, beat the Dragons by 1). I don't see what the big fuss is, almost all the flaws people bitch about are present in the AFL system too, which is far from perfect.

 

[Bumble]

For once we agree on something. Our finals system in comparison to the AFL is laughable.

Oh come on, we're not so different.



As for everybody else who thinks our system is good, here's a scenario for you....

Friday night next week. Titans v Warriors: Game of the season candidate, Warriors win it in the last 30 seconds with a Maloney FG, 25-24. An incredible effort to come to Skilled Park and get a win. We get 2135236 WOW's from Gus and Freddy's gibberish is even less coherent than usual due to his excitement. All and sundry agree it's a five star match.

Saturday at 6:30: Tigers and Roosters sell out the SFS. 42,000 cram in to see another excellent game, which the Roosters win through a freakish try to Todd Carney in the last couple of minutes...another five star clash.

Oh wait. Penrith and St George both win and these two epic games were a complete waste of time. And that, friends, is why the McIntyre system is f**ked.

 

[Tom Shines]

My problem with the McIntyre system, is the amount of 4 v 5, 3 v 6, 4 v 8 finals that we've had.
As well as the fact that after being somewhat dominant during the year, teams 3 or 4 could be eliminated in the very first week.

At least with the final 5 system, one of the spots was assured of being filled by the team that came first or second in the regular rounds.

With the AFL (or more correctly, old ARL system), there is a stronger bias towards those teams that finished top half, as there should be.

 

[cleary89]

Oh come on, we're not so different.



As for everybody else who thinks our system is good, here's a scenario for you....

Friday night next week. Titans v Warriors: Game of the season candidate, Warriors win it in the last 30 seconds with a Maloney FG, 25-24. An incredible effort to come to Skilled Park and get a win. We get 2135236 WOW's from Gus and Freddy's gibberish is even less coherent than usual due to his excitement. All and sundry agree it's a five star match.

Saturday at 6:30: Tigers and Roosters sell out the SFS. 42,000 cram in to see another excellent game, which the Roosters win through a freakish try to Todd Carney in the last couple of minutes...another five star clash.

Oh wait. Penrith and St George both win and these two epic games were a complete waste of time. And that, friends, is why the McIntyre system is f**ked.

Yeh, I agree. Teams should get no benefit for winning games during the regular season. Actually, lets make it all teams make it to top 16, hence making the regular season pointless.

Your a dumb merkin. This teams involved in 5 star clashes should have been doing so all season and come higher. Oh but wait, you support souths. You cant even make the top 8, what chance do you have of ever coming top 2? Probably the same chance as Champion making Origin.

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

Acually winning the fist semi for the Warriors is definitely not a waste of effort, because it gets them a home final the next week, and conversely, the Titans lose their home ground advantage. No pointless games at all in the finals with this system.

However I think it could be better and I do prefer the AFL system, just because it gives more advantage to teams that have earned a high position on the ladder during the regular season.

 

[Jono1987]

Dbl.

 

[Jono1987]

My problem with the McIntyre system, is the amount of 4 v 5, 3 v 6, 4 v 8 finals that we've had.
As well as the fact that after being somewhat dominant during the year, teams 3 or 4 could be eliminated in the very first week.

At least with the final 5 system, one of the spots was assured of being filled by the team that came first or second in the regular rounds.

With the AFL (or more correctly, old ARL system), there is a stronger bias towards those teams that finished top half, as there should be.

Pretty much.

 

[anjado]

We have this thread every year.

when we had the AFL implemented system
contested between

premiers first.

Current AFL System

1995 : 6th vs 1st
1996 : 1st vs 7th

McIntyre System

1999 : 3rd vs 6th
2000 : 1st vs 2nd
2001 : 3rd vs 1st
2002 : 4th vs 1st
2003 : 1st vs 2nd
2004 : 2nd vs 1st
2005 : 4th vs 5th
2006 : 1st vs 3rd
2007 : 1st vs 2nd
2008 : 2nd vs 1st
2009 : 4th vs 8th

Top 5

1973 : 1st vs 2nd
1974 : 1st vs 3rd
1975 : 1st vs 3rd
1976 : 1st vs 2nd
1977 : 2nd vs 1st
1978 : 3rd vs 2nd
1979 : 1st vs 5th
1980 : 2nd vs 1st
1981 : 3rd vs 2nd
1982 : 1st vs 2nd
1983 : 2nd vs 1st
1984 : 1st vs 3rd
1985 : 3rd vs 1st
1986 : 1st vs 3rd
1987 : 1st vs 3rd
1988 : 2nd vs 6th* Balmain won the 5th place playoff
1989 : 4th vs 3rd
1990 : 1st vs 3rd
1991 : 1st vs 4th
1992 : 1st vs 2nd
1993 : 5th vs 2nd
1994 : 3rd vs 1st

So judging it by this the McIntyre system is more likely to produce a 1st vs 2nd Grand Final then any other system. So it is in essence the fairest system.

 

[mw47se]

so many st merge fans complaining about the system, because they'll get beat by the raiders in week 1 and lose thier advantage....excuses coming early

 

[Bumble]

Yeh, I agree. Teams should get no benefit for winning games during the regular season. Actually, lets make it all teams make it to top 16, hence making the regular season pointless.

Your a dumb merkin. This teams involved in 5 star clashes should have been doing so all season and come higher. Oh but wait, you support souths. You cant even make the top 8, what chance do you have of ever coming top 2? Probably the same chance as Champion making Origin.

Charming. (It's you're btw)

Guess what genius, the AFL system would provide that same safety net for 2nd that the McIntyre system does. As well as giving 3rd and 4th a second chance...which our flawed system doesn't (in certain cases)

But you just go ahead and spray poorly written vitriol instead of actually making sense...:lol:

 

[RugbyHighlights]

McIntyre system is awesome. That's my perspective as a pom.

Don't know why everyone on here cries and bitches about it.

The only argument I've heard is that is doesn't reward the top 4 teams enough. Well who gives a f**k? If they REALLY are the best 4 teams, as their position suggests, having home advantage shouldn't be an issue.

Only if they're not good enough is it an issue.

 

[RugbyHighlights]

so many st merge fans complaining about the system, because they'll get beat by the raiders in week 1 and lose thier advantage....excuses coming early

I noticed this too. The Drag Queens hate the system because it favours the better team on the night.

*cough*

 

[mw47se]

I noticed this too. The Drag Queens hate the system because it favours the better team on the night.

*cough*

next thing they will complain about is not having harrigan as their video ref for every game...

 

[ElectricEelMan]

The AFL system is worse than the NRL system. I don't like how it is harder for the minor premiers, or even 2nd place team, to go through to the grand final in the AFL system. This year Geelong (2nd place team) had to play St Kilda (3rd place place) and lost ... under the NRL system they would have played Hawthorn and most likely would have won. So Geelong have lost all the advantage of coming 2nd

Why should the 5th and 6th placed teams have the easiest games?

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

The AFL system is worse than the NRL system. I don't like how it is harder for the minor premiers, or even 2nd place team, to go through to the grand final in the AFL system. This year Geelong (2nd place team) had to play St Kilda (3rd place place) and lost ... under the NRL system they would have played Hawthorn and most likely would have won. So Geelong have lost all the advantage of coming 2nd

Why should the 5th and 6th placed teams have the easiest games?

The 5th and 6th placed teams play eliminators. You lose, you're out.

Teams 1-4 and 2-3 play each other, but the losers survive AND get a home final the next week. Makes perfect sense and a very fair system.

 

[Goddo]

Happy with the McIntyre system. We've had it for 11 years, a top 4 team has NEVER fallen in the first week, (although Penrith nearly did in 04, beat the Dragons by 1). I don't see what the big fuss is, almost all the flaws people bitch about are present in the AFL system too, which is far from perfect.

Spot on. The McIntyre system is actually better than the AFL one in some ways. I like that the top 4 sides don't face each other in the first and possibly second weeks, and that the bottom 4 don't wipe each other out early like in the AFL system.

The main reason people bitch is they think the top 4 sides aren't rewarded enough. They are. They get a home ground advantage, and a supposedly weaker opponent. If they don't win this, they get a second chance, and the top 2 winners are rewarded with a week off.

 

[Goddo]

The 5th and 6th placed teams play eliminators. You lose, you're out.

Teams 1-4 and 2-3 play each other, but the losers survive AND get a home final the next week. Makes perfect sense and a very fair system.

So your main concern is who has home ground advantage in week 2? That is easy fixed within the current system, but I think its fine as is. You shouldn't be rewarded for losing, no matter how high your place in the 8 is.

 

[Gaba]

The nrl system is the way finals should be
in week 1
Every game is a chance of elimination game

If the higher ranked team cant beat a lower ranked team in week 1 , they should lose the advantage the following week.

Only teams 1 and 2 should be guaranteed of a 2nd chance

teams 3 and 4 shouldnt be having the same advantage as teams 1 and 2 shouldnt be getting the 2nd chance mandatory as they do in the afl system


the 3-4th team is midfield in a 8 team final why should they get advantage for losing in week 1 ,with a home ground and 2nd chance

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

So your main concern is who has home ground advantage in week 2?

That's the main thing, but everything else too. I love the fact that it's basically a top 6, rather than a top 8, cos 2 teams of 5-8 are definitely eliminated in week 1 but the top 4 are certainties to stay. Perfect.

One game can be won and lost on dodgy calls or a couple of injuries. But throughout a season, every team is more likely to get a level playing field, and therefore the regular season is the best way to earn home ground advantage.