Tigers v Newcastle (A) 21st May 2022 KO 15:00

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

Making sure we finish top of the league is the first target, unbeaten in the league at home the 2nd.
The play offs are what they are a lottery & just prove which team was better that day, not the best team over the season.

[ay2oh]

Making sure we finish top of the league is the first target, unbeaten in the league at home the 2nd.
The play offs are what they are a lottery & just prove which team was better that day, not the best team over the season.

The play offs have been here for years now. Tigers have won the play-offs when not finishing top so it’s swings and roundabouts .

[johnthegriff]

It is now more than twenty years since the play-offs were introduced with the justification that it was to make the Premiership fairer to teams supplying players to England and forced to play league matches without those players and the disruption to match preparation when England squad are absent for national training. Whilst there is some merit in that argument we all know that it is about the money a final at Twickenham brings to swell the coffers of the RFU. It is beyond doubt that there should be a trophy for being Premiership winners and a second possibly even greater trophy for being victors in a play-off competition maybe one with quarter finals teams finishing 3rd v 6th, 4th v 5th with the winners playing a semi against teams finishing 1st & 2nd to produce the finalists.

[Old Hob]

Good grief John, the season would never end!

[TigerFeetSteve]

I'm definitely in favour of a league winners "minor" trophy.

Personally I'd also do the playoffs differently (along the lines of how the IPL does it) to better reward teams for finishing higher.
Ok it's an extra game, but here's how I'd do it:

Playoff week 1
1st (H) vs 2nd (A) in SF1
3rd (H) vs 4th (A) in QF

Playoff week 2
Loser SF1 (H) vs Winner QF (A) in SF2

Prem final
Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2


It actually rewards each position higher in the table accordingly (eg 3rd gets home advantage vs 4th). It gives the top two teams an extra bite at the cherry for one bad match and gives the winner of the top two an extra week to recover for the final.

[johnthegriff]

Old Hob it does in France where they have something similar and it did when they first introduced the play-off system with teams down to eighth being involved. back in 2001 the first play-off year and indeed 2002 we secured a wheel disc to celebrate topping the league, unfortunately people kept referring to us as Champions which diminished the status of the play-off winners (I think it was Wasps so who cares) and they stopped presenting a top of the Prem trophy. Now the new system is in place and only oldies remember the old days I think they could reinstate a trophy to celebrate consistency over a full season, and I don't mind watching an extra game or two.

[tigerburnie]

We could have a "champions cup" for the team at the top at the end of normal play, then a "league cup for the play offs, opportunity to get a second sponsor involved as well.

[Noggs]

If it ain't broke.......

[OakhamTiger32]

Seems to be a little detour on the Falcons match thread…

[TigerFeetSteve]

My 23 for Falcons

Steward
Porter
Moroni
Scott
Nadolo
Burns
JVP
Whitcombe
Montoya
Cole
Chessum
Henderson
Martin
Reffell
Wiese

Dolly
Genge
Heyes
Wells
Van Staden/Liebenberg
Youngs
Ford
Kelly/Potter

Montoya & Henderson plus if fit Van Staden & Kelly need gametime after injuries

[Hot_Charlie]

Given the week off this weekend, and the week off the weekend following this fixture, I think it'll be a fairly strong team to secure top spot. However, I could see a scenario where Ilione and Edwards are given Premiership debuts from the bench. That's a risk worth taking perhaps.

[Chobbsy]

I think we need to target the win here and secure top spot.. would rather get that sorted and rest players the following week against Wasps knowing we have secured top spot. If we send a rotated side and lose the pressure is massively on in that final game and we could find Sarries leapfrog us if they beat Saints. If we pick up 5 points and Sarries only get 4 top spot is secured as we have more wins than Sarries so we can rest if required at home to Wasps.

15. Steward
14. Potter
13. Moroni
12. Scott
11. Nadolo
10. Ford
9. JVP
1. Whitcombe
2. Montoya
3. Heyes
4. Wells
5. Snyman
6. Martin
7. Reffell
8. Weise

Bench: Dolly, Genge, Cole, Chessum, Van Staden, Youngs, Burns, Porter

I agree we need this win, I would go big to start hopefully get a very big lead then swap out the big guns

[Rugbygramps]

Given the week off this weekend, and the week off the weekend following this fixture, I think it'll be a fairly strong team to secure top spot. However, I could see a scenario where Ilione and Edwards are given Premiership debuts from the bench. That's a risk worth taking perhaps.

I take your point but imo it’s unlikely that SB will go outside his core group of 30 or so for all remaining fixtures. Hopefully Kelly and MVS are fit and Martin needs more game time. I would like to see Jansen given more time as well as if Wiese were to go lame he is very much like for like.

Steward
Ashton
Scott
Kelly
Potter
Burns
JVP
Genge
Dolly
Heyes
Chessum
Snyman
Martin
MVS
Jansen
Bench- Montoya, Whitcombe, Cole, Wells, Wiese, Youngs, Ford, Porter

[Chobbsy]

Given the week off this weekend, and the week off the weekend following this fixture, I think it'll be a fairly strong team to secure top spot. However, I could see a scenario where Ilione and Edwards are given Premiership debuts from the bench. That's a risk worth taking perhaps.

I take your point but imo it’s unlikely that SB will go outside his core group of 30 or so for all remaining fixtures. Hopefully Kelly and MVS are fit and Martin needs more game time. I would like to see Jansen given more time as well as if Wiese were to go lame he is very much like for like.

Steward
Ashton
Scott
Kelly
Potter
Burns
JVP
Genge
Dolly
Heyes
Chessum
Snyman
Martin
MVS
Jansen
Bench- Montoya, Whitcombe, Cole, Wells, Wiese, Youngs, Ford, Porter

I haven't seen Jansen play yet is he rated?

[Rugbygramps]

Given the week off this weekend, and the week off the weekend following this fixture, I think it'll be a fairly strong team to secure top spot. However, I could see a scenario where Ilione and Edwards are given Premiership debuts from the bench. That's a risk worth taking perhaps.

I take your point but imo it’s unlikely that SB will go outside his core group of 30 or so for all remaining fixtures. Hopefully Kelly and MVS are fit and Martin needs more game time. I would like to see Jansen given more time as well as if Wiese were to go lame he is very much like for like.

Steward
Ashton
Scott
Kelly
Potter
Burns
JVP
Genge
Dolly
Heyes
Chessum
Snyman
Martin
MVS
Jansen
Bench- Montoya, Whitcombe, Cole, Wells, Wiese, Youngs, Ford, Porter

I haven't seen Jansen play yet is he rated?

Potential for me and a few others to be a real bolter. Considering he was on a building site in Wellington 3 months ago. He has put on 3 kg of muscle since arriving. Similar no nonsense straightforward player to Wiese, started against Quins away I believe and looked good for 50 minutes. Just hope a longer term contract is being considered