What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Was the Final Five the perfect system??

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
33,574
Any finals system where the greatest reward goes to the minor premiers is the fairest one. They should have to do the least work to get to the GF.
There is little advantage between one and two now

winning the minor premiership is an empty title

I loved the old top five system
 

King hit

Coach
Messages
14,059
That happened to us in 2008. Michael Witt basically held our season in his hands when he held the ball in the air taunting the 1st placed Storm before putting it down. We finished 6th and were gone after that.
Lol i can still hear Rabbies commentary "what are you doing put the ball down son"

One of the biggest upsets I can remember in my time
 
Messages
12,702
Lol i can still hear Rabbies commentary "what are you doing put the ball down son"

One of the biggest upsets I can remember in my time
Yeah they play that footage quite a lot over here in NZ. Huge upset, but typical of the arsey Wahs of that era. First 8th placed team to ever beat 1st in the McIntyre system.
 

Rod

Bench
Messages
3,726
Yes but that was one of the complaints about the McIntyre system that you wouldn't know your possible opponent straight up until after all the matches were completed. Hence they went back to the model they'd used beforehand.
TBH I don't know why that matters, that's unavoidable to some degree in any competition format. The Roosters didn't know their opponent until the end of the weekend anyway.
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
9,453
The old top five system is all good as long as you're comfortable with the game making 60c on every dollar as it stands today.

No doubt it's the best model, if you ignore revenue, but it's never going to go back to it as long as TV revenue exists. The better idea is to keep investing in our game at all levels, so the 8th side is always a competitive outfit.

This year the 7th placed team won 13 and lost 10, so it's not a bad thing at all. Contrast that with Super Rugby - the Rebels came 8th and made the quarters with a 5 win, 9 loss campaign.
 

Last Week

Bench
Messages
3,724
Any finals system where the greatest reward goes to the minor premiers is the fairest one. They should have to do the least work to get to the GF.
I would agree with you if the draw was completely fair and even. But it's not.

Some teams get softer draws, some get better placed byes, less travel, play stronger/weaker teams during origin, etc etc.
 

Diesel

Referee
Messages
23,750
5 team finals works for 14 teams but 8 is too many for a 16/17 team competition. Just to f**k with everyone, we get to 20 teams and it’ll be a 10 team finals competition, they’ll throw in a wild card match/competition to reward teams 11-18 or shit like that
 

blue bags

First Grade
Messages
9,581
The old top five system is all good as long as you're comfortable with the game making 60c on every dollar as it stands today.

No doubt it's the best model, if you ignore revenue, but it's never going to go back to it as long as TV revenue exists. The better idea is to keep investing in our game at all levels, so the 8th side is always a competitive outfit.

This year the 7th placed team won 13 and lost 10, so it's not a bad thing at all. Contrast that with Super Rugby - the Rebels came 8th and made the quarters with a 5 win, 9 loss campaign.
Go TOP 10 . Meaning more finals. Crowd's
Tv ratings. Every one a winner ☺️
 

taste2taste

Juniors
Messages
2,466
Go TOP 10 . Meaning more finals. Crowd's
Tv ratings. Every one a winner ☺️
They'll have top 10 when we are a 20 team comp.

Abdo was quoted in the tele as saying they will be looking at having a 19 round season ( play each team once ) 10 teams in the playoffs with a wild card weekend before they start, so similar as the NBA and NFL.

So basically it will be team 9 v12 and team 10 v 11 in a wildcard weekend while teams 1 to 8 get the week off.
 
Messages
15,008
They'll have top 10 when we are a 20 team comp.

Abdo was quoted in the tele as saying they will be looking at having a 19 round season ( play each team once ) 10 teams in the playoffs with a wild card weekend before they start, so similar as the NBA and NFL.

So basically it will be team 9 v12 and team 10 v 11 in a wildcard weekend while teams 1 to 8 get the week off.
That’s horrid, it’s essentially a top 12, so you can finish well into the bottom half of the league and take out the premiership if you’re hot at the right time.

a few years back the titans snuck into 8th with a 10-14 record which in of itself was crazy.
 
Messages
15,405
Top 5 minor premiers - week 1 off, week 2 win, week 3 off, week 4 GF. One game in 3 weeks is not good.

That's one of the reasons when they expanded from the top 5, they made it the Minor Premiers played in week 1 and if they won, they went straight thru to the GF qualifier. That way both teams who make the GF have to play the week before the GF so no one gets "rusty". There are quite a few examples during the ear of the top 5 where the Minor Premiers either went out in straight sets (e.g. Roosters in 1981, Cronulla in 1988, Souths in 1989, Bulldogs in 1993) or won in week 2 but lost the GF (e.g. Parramatta in 1977, Manly in 1983).
 

Trifili13

Juniors
Messages
1,125
That's one of the reasons when they expanded from the top 5, they made it the Minor Premiers played in week 1 and if they won, they went straight thru to the GF qualifier. That way both teams who make the GF have to play the week before the GF so no one gets "rusty". There are quite a few examples during the ear of the top 5 where the Minor Premiers either went out in straight sets (e.g. Roosters in 1981, Cronulla in 1988, Souths in 1989, Bulldogs in 1993) or won in week 2 but lost the GF (e.g. Parramatta in 1977, Manly in 1983).
If those teams you mentioned went out early or lost the GF then I vote for the top 5 to return.
 

blue bags

First Grade
Messages
9,581
They'll have top 10 when we are a 20 team comp.

Abdo was quoted in the tele as saying they will be looking at having a 19 round season ( play each team once ) 10 teams in the playoffs with a wild card weekend before they start, so similar as the NBA and NFL.

So basically it will be team 9 v12 and team 10 v 11 in a wildcard weekend while teams 1 to 8 get the week off.
And including spoon Bowl
Most teams involved in play offs
Fantastic for TV. Crowd's. Fan's
Sponsorship. Marketing
😍
 

Valheru

Coach
Messages
19,166
The current system is fairer than the old one IMO but it does tend to be boring and predictable in weeks 2 and 3.

The form of the teams that win the EFs is fools gold and every year they are predicted to cause upsets. Ultimately though, including this year the top 4 teams are 20-6 in week 2.

In week 3 the teams that got the week off are 18-6 going in to next week.
 

Latest posts

Top