Playoffs Vindicated (Again)

[Bill W]

I appreciate that tigers have played the league in order to reach the play-offs, Pat himself has said on numerous occasions that he is only interested in finishing in the top 4.

Mission Acomplished, and well done everyone involved!!!

That still doesn't change my oppinion, I would give up the chance of a treble or even quadruple to have a proper league back!

Fair enough BBJ. I am not sure I would go as far as you. HC counts, in my book, for a lot.

But IMHO a league, is a league, is a league. Adding fancy stuff on the end IMHO devalues it.

But we play the system. And the system says we are in the play offs - with home advantage!!

[hanljohnson]

Couldnt have put it better

[Rlinksteve]

The play offs are here to stay whilst League games are played on international weekends.

Also, if it was only a league, players would be played week in and week out and would suffer burn out. At least with the play offs squads can be rotatated.

[Oggle]

if we win the playoff this season, I probably wont complain about the playoffs until next season starts.

;o)

[tigerman]

we all know the the rules so why moan every season :o?

[champanzie]

exactly!!!!

[TE]

As much as I disklike the playoffs, and think that Top is Top at the end of the season, we know the rules at the start and play accordinly, at least we are still in with a shout of becoming champions.

If the current standings now stood ie Glasw at he top on level points with us were crowned champions , people would now be up in arms about the point we were docked for fielding Humps.

as it is nobody has mentioned it because it doesnt really matter, we have a home tie for the semi, thats teh best we could have hoped for at this stage.

[GT1]

I can tell you 1 certain fact! There will be no queues for tickets for the playoff final or semi final infact the semi is already half price!
IMHO this shows exactly what the majority of fans think about the play offs.
Well done to Glous.

[Big Dai]

Ah! Daily Waffle's daily waffle!

As far as I can recall this is the first time in a fair while we have two teams ending up on equal points?

In my view this is the only situation when a play of is needed.

Oh .......and cut to the chase, just the two who finished equal top please! If second can be categorised as "nowhere" then where are third and fourth?

Play offs indeed! PAH!

[rugfan]

Why don we have the league winners cup Then another cup for the play offs
Then aleast the team that has performed well all season will be rewarded

[Dave Angel]

Last year was a great advert for the playoffs, with the 'final 4' in doubt until the last day. Exactly the same this season.

Are the doubters won over ? Or will someone post 'congratulations Glaws - the true champions' ?

Yes Daily, the race for the play-off places was quite exciting this year, but just think how much MORE exciting it would have been if the race was for the title, not a semi-final spot!

3 teams were in with a chance of topping the league yesterday and, had we still had the old system where top of the table won the title, it would have been FAR more exciting waiting to find out who had won than the muted excitement we had yesterday about knowing if we had a semi final place or not.


Top of the table should be champions & play-offs should be abolished asap.

That said, for as long as the play-offs are here & Tigers have to play in them, I won't be calling the league leader the "true champion" or similar. We have to play to the rules put in front of us & the rules currently say that the champion is the team who wins the final, not the team who tops the table.

[dailywaffle]

"Play-off system is the only fair way to decide Premiership's true champions ......" Shaun Edwards talking a lot of sense in the Guardian today:

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/rugbyunion/ ... 94,00.html

[westwinds31]

"To rest is to rust" ...I must remember that one ! Surely the play-offs are only unfair if you come top, because you are then aggrieved that you should have received the trophy over the whole season.

[Rizzo]

it does cause some discussion in our household, as my other half is firmly of the opinion that the playoffs are wrong and unfair - that the top of the league at the end of the season is the winner and thats that.
I personally didn't much like the idea when it was introduced, but I think it is what it is, and it's here now and likely to stay, and I want to support the team regardless.

So we agree to disagree, after discussion.

(Teenage daughter just goes :roll: at us both and hides in her room)

[Hairy Egg]

I don’t agree with the playoffs. In my opinion a league is about consistency over the season and the team that finishes top are champions – simple as that.

However, we’re stuck with it for now and have to play the game accordingly.

I will not be hailing Gloucester as true champions as I believe the table would have looked rather different had we been in a proper league situation.