Apparently some Eels players are in on the change-the-finals-system bandwagon:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26105985-2722,00.html
Eels join call for rethink on finals as McIntyre system under fire
Stuart Honeysett | September 22, 2009
Article from: The Australian
PARRAMATTA has been the major beneficiary of the often-maligned McIntyre system but it has joined the growing chorus of clubs calling for the NRL's finals model to be overhauled and better reward teams that finish the regular season in the top four.
The Eels produced a whirlwind finish to the season to snatch eighth spot and have defied the odds to account for minor premiers St George Illawarra in the opening week of the finals and third-placed Gold Coast in the semi-finals last Friday night.
Under the NRL's finals system, the Dragons were then forced to travel to Brisbane to face the Broncos at ANZ Stadium despite finishing ahead of them on the ladder and likewise the Titans were forced to travel to Sydney to face the Eels at the SFS.
Both clubs were unable to overcome the away factor and have now begun preparations for the 2010 season.
St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett has been an outspoken critic of the McIntyre system and said the NRL should follow the lead of the AFL and reward teams that finish in the top four with another home final in week two even if they lose week one.
Gold Coast coach John Cartwright admitted the topic was worth debating and he would have preferred to play the Eels in Queensland.
In a nutshell, the NRL's finals system gives the top-two teams a life but no second chance for a home final if they lose, while the AFL's model gives the top-four teams a life and another opportunity to host a home final even if they lose.
Eels backrower Nathan Hindmarsh admitted his club's match against the Titans should have been played in Queensland and the Dragons were also entitled to feel hard done by after being bundled out of contention in successive weeks.
"I probably have to agree with everyone else - if you qualify high you should have the right to play your game in your home state," Hindmarsh said.
"The Dragons were minor premiers and they lost the first week, but I can't see why they shouldn't be able to play in Sydney given they finished higher than the Broncos.
"And even though we did win, the rewards are to finish higher and I think the Titans should have had the chance to play up there.
I think it's fallen in our favour at the moment, but to be totally fair I think that's how it should be done."
Eels captain Nathan Cayless agreed the system had its flaws and needed to be looked at the NRL's annual end-of-season conference
"We didn't really deserve to make any real demands because we were pretty poor at the start of the year and only got our act together halfway through the season," Cayless said.
"I know what the Dragons are saying - coming first and having to go to Brisbane, I'd be very upset if that was us.
"I think they have to tweak it. We've had this system for a while and obviously a lot of people aren't happy with it."
However, Cayless also acknowledged the one advantage of the McIntyre system was that it rewarded teams that kept winning during the finals series.
"If you come first then you play the team that has come eighth and has just scraped in so you get a good opportunity in the first week to have that easier game," Cayless said.
"We probably pulled out one of our best games of the year against the Dragons. When you come eighth you've got to keep winning otherwise you're out.
"The thing about our system is that it rewards those teams that win and that's what you've got to do in finals is win."
Unless there is a major backlash against the McIntyre system at the annual conference, it is believed the NRL will persist with its controversial model.
The Eels' upset win over the Dragons was the second time in as many seasons the eighth-placed team has upset the minor premiers after the Warriors beat Melbourne last year.
NRL chief executive David Gallop stressed all finals models had their pros and cons and that the McIntyre system gave the top two teams every chance to play in the grand final.
"All of the systems have got flaws but if we're talking about the Dragons situation they played team eight and team six and lost," Gallop said.
"There have been a few people that have spoken up against it but by and large we look at it every year and it gets overwhelming support. What we've ended up with this week is teams 2, 4, 6 and 8 going through which is not a bad result."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26105985-2722,00.html
Eels join call for rethink on finals as McIntyre system under fire
Stuart Honeysett | September 22, 2009
Article from: The Australian
PARRAMATTA has been the major beneficiary of the often-maligned McIntyre system but it has joined the growing chorus of clubs calling for the NRL's finals model to be overhauled and better reward teams that finish the regular season in the top four.
The Eels produced a whirlwind finish to the season to snatch eighth spot and have defied the odds to account for minor premiers St George Illawarra in the opening week of the finals and third-placed Gold Coast in the semi-finals last Friday night.
Under the NRL's finals system, the Dragons were then forced to travel to Brisbane to face the Broncos at ANZ Stadium despite finishing ahead of them on the ladder and likewise the Titans were forced to travel to Sydney to face the Eels at the SFS.
Both clubs were unable to overcome the away factor and have now begun preparations for the 2010 season.
St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett has been an outspoken critic of the McIntyre system and said the NRL should follow the lead of the AFL and reward teams that finish in the top four with another home final in week two even if they lose week one.
Gold Coast coach John Cartwright admitted the topic was worth debating and he would have preferred to play the Eels in Queensland.
In a nutshell, the NRL's finals system gives the top-two teams a life but no second chance for a home final if they lose, while the AFL's model gives the top-four teams a life and another opportunity to host a home final even if they lose.
Eels backrower Nathan Hindmarsh admitted his club's match against the Titans should have been played in Queensland and the Dragons were also entitled to feel hard done by after being bundled out of contention in successive weeks.
"I probably have to agree with everyone else - if you qualify high you should have the right to play your game in your home state," Hindmarsh said.
"The Dragons were minor premiers and they lost the first week, but I can't see why they shouldn't be able to play in Sydney given they finished higher than the Broncos.
"And even though we did win, the rewards are to finish higher and I think the Titans should have had the chance to play up there.
I think it's fallen in our favour at the moment, but to be totally fair I think that's how it should be done."
Eels captain Nathan Cayless agreed the system had its flaws and needed to be looked at the NRL's annual end-of-season conference
"We didn't really deserve to make any real demands because we were pretty poor at the start of the year and only got our act together halfway through the season," Cayless said.
"I know what the Dragons are saying - coming first and having to go to Brisbane, I'd be very upset if that was us.
"I think they have to tweak it. We've had this system for a while and obviously a lot of people aren't happy with it."
However, Cayless also acknowledged the one advantage of the McIntyre system was that it rewarded teams that kept winning during the finals series.
"If you come first then you play the team that has come eighth and has just scraped in so you get a good opportunity in the first week to have that easier game," Cayless said.
"We probably pulled out one of our best games of the year against the Dragons. When you come eighth you've got to keep winning otherwise you're out.
"The thing about our system is that it rewards those teams that win and that's what you've got to do in finals is win."
Unless there is a major backlash against the McIntyre system at the annual conference, it is believed the NRL will persist with its controversial model.
The Eels' upset win over the Dragons was the second time in as many seasons the eighth-placed team has upset the minor premiers after the Warriors beat Melbourne last year.
NRL chief executive David Gallop stressed all finals models had their pros and cons and that the McIntyre system gave the top two teams every chance to play in the grand final.
"All of the systems have got flaws but if we're talking about the Dragons situation they played team eight and team six and lost," Gallop said.
"There have been a few people that have spoken up against it but by and large we look at it every year and it gets overwhelming support. What we've ended up with this week is teams 2, 4, 6 and 8 going through which is not a bad result."
