Top 6 Finals Series

[Hawkins]

At the end of the regular season 8 teams dropped out. We get excited and look forward to the business end of the season.

Then Brisbane and Cronulla who were both frauds this season lose with a particularly fun railing off the Queenslanders and smacking the smug Seilbold for six.

But I can't help but think hidden among eight other teams if the sharks and Broncos would have preferred to drop out a week earlier. The NRL had a lot of failures this season, Cowboys, Panthers & Knights and they all get a free pass cause they dropped out with the Dogs and Titans and Tigers who no one expected much of them this season.

Sielbold is being exposed for the coach he is because he made the finals not because he didn't.

 

[SBD82]

Having a 3 game grand final series and a 3 game semi final series achieves all these things except a lot better. It is not even close.
Less regular season games.
Top 4 with 2 wild card games between 3&6 and 4&5.

Try explaining this opinion/conclusion you have reached.
Good luck.

 

[SBD82]

I think this point is more to do with the regular season being too long. The last 4 weeks everybody is just thinking about the finals and cricket season. What you win in teams 6-10 being still in the hunt you lose in teams 1-5 just wanting it to be finals already.

That may have been true for this year (and I think it’s debatable), but certainly not for last year.

 

[TheFrog]

The Grand Final was a gimmick in itself. Top 2 plays a Final. If 1 loses to 2 they get to challenge for a Grand Final. Get more gate takings.
The Final Series is a crock of shit no matter what fornat it is.

The non-compulsory Grand Final was introduced in the 4 teams finals era (in an 8 team comp) around 1930 to give the minor premier a right of challenge if they were beaten in the semi final or final. This right of challenge system is used in a lot of sports right down to junior level. It wasn't until 1954 that the Grand Final became compulsory.