Originally Posted by
Blue Harvest
I just find it strange that we are currently sat top of the pile with 50% more points than second place and people don't want to celebrate this!
We are 20 years in on the GRand Final, some of our players weren't born when the first one occurred in 1998, so they've spent their entire lives, nevermind careers, with this system.
Do I like it having so much emphasis on hitting form at the tail end of the season, when weather can be awful and the type of rugby displayed in the play-offs and final can be boring Cunningham-esque, No I don't.
Do the teams that play with flair and style throughout the season and entertain from week one and accrue league points, benefit from doing so at the tail end of the season, No.
Have we seen over the past several seasons that Castleford and St Helens have posted cricket scores, entertained throughtout the season, topped the table by quite a stretch and then failed to lift silverware, Yes.
There has to be a connection, to falling attendances, when a lot of those games are meaningless. There's no pressure about winning, just finishing in the qualifying places and turn up and play conservative over a few knockout games.
I'm not sure of the answer, a showpiece end of season occasion brings hype, publicity as per NFL Superbowl, but look at last season's Premier league race for the title - I'd say was probably more exciting over a longer period of time (as a supporter of neither Man City or Liverpool). Both have their merits, but if the results of the season simply don't really matter and it's impacting on the attendances across the season for all SL clubs, does a change need to occur?
As for Friday's LLS presentation, accept it, walk it round as the players would walk around the pitch at the end of the game anyway, they've earned the trophy by being the runaway league leaders.