No Championship play-offs for three seasons

[BeeJ]

Sorry Neil Noddy but the Championship playoffs are really a cash cow, I do not like the playoffs in any division as the pure supporter is milked for more of his hard earned money. My exwife was a cashcow & drove a qashqai (cashcow!) We all realise that your first in - last out at the Try Line Club "lubricates the coffers" and surely Tigers are appreciative of your sponsorship but I wish that monies collected really went into development of the game not the Fatcats in Blazers.

What Wormus said. A league is a league, i.e. twice round home and away and whoever finishes top are the champions. ANY form of pay-offs (that was spelt intentionally) is nothing more than milking the gullible supporters and, more importantly, putting the players under more risk of injury.

[Tigerbeat]

Agree that a league is a league but there has to be a level playing field with all teams being able to field the strongest side. Playing durung the Internationals and Six Nations deprives some sides of its top players.
The play offs are a leveliing factor and whilst they may bring more money in to the game, it keeps the interest goung to the final game of the league.
Times have changed and I very much doubt that this format will be changed in the near future.

[Noddy555]

Agreed Tigerbeat and with BTTV turning their attention once again to the round ball game does this mean a reduced pot for Rugby Union. So it makes sense that any chance to increase money in the game should be taken.

[drc_007]

Agree that a league is a league but there has to be a level playing field with all teams being able to field the strongest side. Playing durung the Internationals and Six Nations deprives some sides of its top players.
The play offs are a leveliing factor and whilst they may bring more money in to the game, it keeps the interest goung to the final game of the league.
Times have changed and I very much doubt that this format will be changed in the near future.

None of the championship players are involved in international matches?

[Tigerbeat]

Agree that a league is a league but there has to be a level playing field with all teams being able to field the strongest side. Playing durung the Internationals and Six Nations deprives some sides of its top players.
The play offs are a leveliing factor and whilst they may bring more money in to the game, it keeps the interest goung to the final game of the league.
Times have changed and I very much doubt that this format will be changed in the near future.

None of the championship players are involved in international matches?

In the response from Beej above, there was a refrrence to any play offs, hence the response.

Agree that the top team in the Championship should have the right to promotion as long as they meet the requirements. They have played a full season with a full squad available to them at all times.

[BeeJ]

Agree that a league is a league but there has to be a level playing field with all teams being able to field the strongest side. Playing durung the Internationals and Six Nations deprives some sides of its top players.
The play offs are a leveliing factor and whilst they may bring more money in to the game, it keeps the interest goung to the final game of the league.
Times have changed and I very much doubt that this format will be changed in the near future.

WHAT?

During the 6N and AIs, it is the top teams who are missing out most because they have the most players away on international duty. Therefore, it is more of a level playing field at these times and it gives the lower teams a chance to catch up (Wuzza at home to Sarries in Round 14 for example). You're right and times have changed because all that matters these days is money. Why give a toss about player welfare when you can watch rugby almost all year round?

[Tigerbeat]

Agree that a league is a league but there has to be a level playing field with all teams being able to field the strongest side. Playing durung the Internationals and Six Nations deprives some sides of its top players.
The play offs are a leveliing factor and whilst they may bring more money in to the game, it keeps the interest goung to the final game of the league.
Times have changed and I very much doubt that this format will be changed in the near future.

WHAT?

During the 6N and AIs, it is the top teams who are missing out most because they have the most players away on international duty. Therefore, it is more of a level playing field at these times and it gives the lower teams a chance to catch up (Wuzza at home to Sarries in Round 14 for example). You're right and times have changed because all that matters these days is money. Why give a toss about player welfare when you can watch rugby almost all year round?

Mabe the wrong term to say level playing field but whilst teams are being restricted by not having the avialability of the full squads, this system will remain.
I personally like the system as it keeps the ineterest in te competition to the very end. With regards to player welfare, the aim is to get top four and get a home semi. This allows teams to rest players occasionally rather than slogging them out week on week.
There is always going to be a gap between the top and bottom clubs.

[drc_007]

Sorry Beej and drc_7 cash cows?What the hell is wrong with wanting more money into the coffers of the game, you both need to get your heads out of the sand and face reality, despite whether you like it or not money is the lubricant that enables the professional game to survive.

I think you need to think a little more about player welfare, not all the players in the championship are highly paid professionals.

The money will actually make very little impact, the currently fourth in the championship is Ealing Trainfinders. If you take the time to look at their home games you will realise they often play in front of crowds of 600-800. They can't compete with premiership sides, if they try to I suspect they will go the way of London Welsh and bankruptcy.

Even the runaway leaders London Irish look to be struggling to attract crowds that would support a premiership campaign.

[johnthegriff]

I find myself in the unusual position of agreeing with Noddy. In the Premiership the fact that league games have to be played when star players are away on England duty and when there are no internationals the training camps disrupt a clubs preparation for domestic matches can affect the eventual league position of any team. The play-offs do have an equalising affect on achieving the title of Champions, I am strongly in favour of there being a trophy and title for the team heading the Premiership prior to the play-off.
In the Championship there are no excuses for the system and the winning team should be promoted assuming they have met the necessary ground criteria.

[Noddy555]

Thanks Griff. some of these posters don't seem to live in the real world. I think they spend too much time in front of a computer and not enough in watching the grass roots of the game, As to the question about injury all these players be they 14 or 34 know the risks in participating in a dangerous sport, please credit them with some intelligence. That is not to say that we should do everything in our power to reduce these risks, of course we should, but people have to make lifestyle choices and live with them.

[wormus]

Agree that a league is a league but there has to be a level playing field with all teams being able to field the strongest side. Playing durung the Internationals and Six Nations deprives some sides of its top players.
The play offs are a leveliing factor and whilst they may bring more money in to the game, it keeps the interest goung to the final game of the league.
Times have changed and I very much doubt that this format will be changed in the near future.

WHAT?

During the 6N and AIs, it is the top teams who are missing out most because they have the most players away on international duty. Therefore, it is more of a level playing field at these times and it gives the lower teams a chance to catch up (Wuzza at home to Sarries in Round 14 for example). You're right and times have changed because all that matters these days is money. Why give a toss about player welfare when you can watch rugby almost all year round?

Mabe the wrong term to say level playing field but whilst teams are being restricted by not having the avialability of the full squads, this system will remain.
I personally like the system as it keeps the ineterest in te competition to the very end. With regards to player welfare, the aim is to get top four and get a home semi. This allows teams to rest players occasionally rather than slogging them out week on week.
There is always going to be a gap between the top and bottom clubs.

I note that BeeJ advises that he has deliberately written - "pay-offs but please Tigerbeat as one who adjudicates standards on here please switch your spell checker on as 4 words are underlined in red as incorrect.
I prefer no play- offs or pay-offs *First past the post everytime*