Why I’m cheering for Warrington Wolves not Leeds Rhinos

9:50am Saturday 6th October 2012 in Bulls Photograph of the Author By Simon Parker, Bradford City Reporter

Tony Smith and Adrian Morley show off the Challenge Cup, with Warrington favourites to add the Grand Final trophy to their 2012 haul tonight Tony Smith and Adrian Morley show off the Challenge Cup, with Warrington favourites to add the Grand Final trophy to their 2012 haul tonight

So second face fifth today for the right to be named number one.

Yep, it’s that time again when Old Trafford can boast a decent atmosphere.

Super League’s Grand Final is back but without the usual losers. Where are St Helens?

Having come up short in the last five showpieces, the Saints did the decent thing last week and got knocked out at Warrington.

The Wolves make their debut on the competition’s big day, aiming to clinch the double after their Challenge Cup triumph in August.

And, with all due respect to their opponents, it would be the right result for the domestic game if they do.

I’m not knocking Leeds Rhinos for another fantastic charge through the play-offs. For the second year running, they have come virtually from nowhere to time their run to perfection.

Brian McDermott’s troops relish the role of underdog and it would be a brave man to bet against them turning the tables from the Wembley defeat.

But Super League need a Warrington win to restore order – and justify the seven months of hard slog through the regular campaign.

They finished nine points above the Rhinos, with four more wins. That should count for something in the final reckoning.

Since the Bulls last lifted the trophy from third place in 2005, only three of the minor premier winners have followed suit as the ultimate champions.

Some will say that justifies the unpredictability of the play-off format. Nobody wants a one-team procession for the league leaders.

But while the prospect of Leeds winning back-to-back Grand Finals after finishing fifth again reinforces that do-or-die scenario, it also brings into question the validity of the league competition itself.

Why put your bodies through hell week in, week out, from February to September if the only time it really matters is that final month of knock-out rugby?

Wigan will be wondering that when they switch on the telly at tea-time. The shield they received for finishing top of the pile is scant consolation for their bridesmaid role.

Play-off rugby is great to watch and brings added excitement to the end of the Super League calendar. But it shouldn’t be at the expense of what has gone on before.

Comments(14)

theviking62 says...
10:18am Sat 6 Oct 12

Here,here. Team that finishes top of table at end of season, by virtue of winning more games than the rest are the TRUE champions. This situation is farcical, it doesn't happen in football or cricket. So why do we have it. If you need a playoff the top four could playoff for the Plate. ie the Eddie Stobart Shield, won't cost RL a penny or Stobart. Oh, that happened this year didn't it.

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king karl says...
10:50am Sat 6 Oct 12

you could argue that losing tompkins to injury cost wigan the title, and yes i know leeds had maguire out

The league leaders need to be champions...If leeds win again its just plain wrong

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Mr Capp says...
1:19pm Sat 6 Oct 12

the Preceding rounds are all about qualification and the system rewards those teams who finish higher in the table. it also maintains the interest for fans whose teams are scrapping to get in the eight! Besides does anybody really believe that warrington and Wigan have played truthfully with regards to the cap rules? for that reason l will be hoping for a Yorkshire win tonight!

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murphyslaw says...
12:26am Sun 7 Oct 12

Got that one wrong then SP. Leeds and Brian Mac deserve all the credit. Well done to them to keep the trophy in Yorkshire.

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Odsal53 says...
10:58am Sun 7 Oct 12

I have to say I have never excepted the state of play that makes the winner of the Grand final Champions. The team that finishes top at the end of the regular season are the true champions. I have never really acceted that Bradford were champions when we wone The Grand Final after finishing below first place. We used to have play offs for the Championship in the past when we had only one division and all the clubs did not play each other so that could be considered fair. When we had a first past the post Champions a play off called the premireship trophy was devised to create interest for the teams in the top eight places. What we have now is a hyped up version of that following the Australian system which was originally ther Winfield Cup. And as far as I can tell the teams in the Auystralian NRL do not play each other home and away as some weeks there are byes. You just have to add up the number of teams in the NRL to the actual games played. Unfortunately we are stick with the Grand Final as long as SKy are in charge. If they could the Rugby League Cup would be done away with, as they have nothing to do with it.

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A N Oldman says...
3:31pm Sun 7 Oct 12

Murphys'law, no, you got it wrong, the team that finishes at the top of league, are the true champions. Leeds have just won an end of season competion. That's all. I have never been a fan of the playoffs and would like to see a return to first past the post.

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Shelfrhino says...
6:52pm Sun 7 Oct 12

Nice to see all you losers in one place. One day, maybe in about twenty years, your club may get to a grand final. Until then, kneel before the mighty Rhino's.

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bradfordbronco says...
7:50pm Sun 7 Oct 12

we didnt all play the same teams throughout the season. Warrington got an extra game against Widnes while Wigan had to play saints. Wakefield got an easy game against Cas while Bradford had to play Leeds.

The grand final is the best way to settle who is the best team. The team that finished top merely won the most matches. But they will have played some teams when they had injuries when another team might take the same team on at full strength.

The playoffs mean the top teams battle it out & the best team wins.

What i would question is current format. The team that finished top should have to win 1 game to get to the Grand Final. The current systems means that the team finshing top has to play the 4th placed team to get to the semi final while the 5th placed team has an easy game against the 8th placed team then also only has to beat the 4th placed team to reach the same semi final.

It is probably better to finish 5th than 4th. If you finish 4th you go have the hardest game (away to the top team) they then go into the game against the 5th placed team (who had a moral boosting win)low on confidence.

The play offs are here to stay but the format needs tweaking

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Shelfrhino says...
8:05pm Sun 7 Oct 12

bradfordbronco wrote:
we didnt all play the same teams throughout the season. Warrington got an extra game against Widnes while Wigan had to play saints. Wakefield got an easy game against Cas while Bradford had to play Leeds.

The grand final is the best way to settle who is the best team. The team that finished top merely won the most matches. But they will have played some teams when they had injuries when another team might take the same team on at full strength.

The playoffs mean the top teams battle it out & the best team wins.

What i would question is current format. The team that finished top should have to win 1 game to get to the Grand Final. The current systems means that the team finshing top has to play the 4th placed team to get to the semi final while the 5th placed team has an easy game against the 8th placed team then also only has to beat the 4th placed team to reach the same semi final.

It is probably better to finish 5th than 4th. If you finish 4th you go have the hardest game (away to the top team) they then go into the game against the 5th placed team (who had a moral boosting win)low on confidence.

The play offs are here to stay but the format needs tweaking
Personally I would have play-offs a top five competition. Team finishing top straight to the GF, the other four play 2 v 5, 3 v 4, winners of this round play each other to get to GF.
Finishing top of the league should have a pretty hefty reward.

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theviking62 says...
9:16pm Sun 7 Oct 12

Bradford bronco, what a rather daft statement, " the team that finished top MERELY one the most matches ". Try telling that to lads who play in these matches. Apart from rugby union, what other pro. sport has a play off system to find out whose champions. I'm sure the like of Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool would be all for a play off system.

I have never been a lover of the playoffs, to me it's a waste of time. You only have to look at the gates at this seasons playoffs. See the number of empty seats. It's a system that has had it's day. Needs more than tweaking, needs throwing out.

No, the team that has won most games at the end of the Regular Season are the CHAMPS. Hopefully the new man in charge at Red Hall will change all this. Stop teams from 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th,7th or 8th claiming the title Champions. The chairs of the SL clubs should come up with an alternative.

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bradfordbronco says...
1:32pm Mon 8 Oct 12

Hi viking. NRL, NFL, NHL. etc. In fact almost every sport in the world with the exception of soccer has a play off to decide the Champions. Even soccer has a play off to decide the World & European champions. They dont rely on a league system. You dont pick the Boxing champion on who has won the most fights. You decide who has beaten the best.

What i meant was the league system ISNT the same for each club.The magic weekend meant Warrington & Catalan got easier games than wigan or Saints. Then warrington lost to a rejuvinted London while wigan played london when they were low on confidence. Warrington lost to hudds when hudds were flying but when Wigan played Hudds the wheels had fallen off

Hi Shelfrhino. We could have a top seven. 1st week the top team gets a bye. All the others 2v7,3v6 & 4v5 play knock out games. That would leave 4 teams in week 2, where depeding on league places it should be 1v2 for a place in final & 3v4 knockout game. Week 3 is loser of 1v2 v winner of 3v4 for the other place in the final. This is like the old top 5 play off.

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murphyslaw says...
3:42pm Mon 8 Oct 12

You are poor sports simple as. If you believe the team who finishes top are S/L Champs you are all watching the wrong sport. RL have a play-off system which EVERY team aspire to win, it's the big one and all teams set up their season to achieve a play-off spot and progress as far as possible. One team alone achieved that so at least we should give them credit...as sportsfans.

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theviking62 says...
8:28pm Mon 8 Oct 12

Bradford bronco, yes, soccer as its CHAMPIONS league, it WORLD cup, which are Knockout Tournaments, but at Uk level the teams topping the FA leagues, the RU tables, the Cricket, the teams that top the tables are Champions. Your grasping at straws knowing what I said is correct. The league system is fair, every team plays each other twice and some three times, 27 games in all. So what ALL teams have their good and bad days, so that disproves your theory again. Eg Bulls to Wigan no chance, Bulls win. That's, what happens in sport, Spurs bet Man U, first time in 29 years. At old Trafford, that's sport. Get real your wrong, admit it.

Murphys'law, what a right prat you are, not worth arguing with. Any team that finishes top of the league, deserve to be called champions, that's what people on here, me included, have been saying. Plus the system of playoffs is flawed and needs reviewing. Maybe back to the old days, top four, with the team at the top getting credit as champions, then the four playing off for a sponsored shield.

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bradfordbronco says...
10:29pm Tue 9 Oct 12

Hi Viking.In the end its all a matter of opinion. I like the playoffs. Its a great end to the season. 27 rounds of RL just isnt enough for me. I love it so much I follow 2 teams, the Bulls & the Broncos (so usually suffer two defeats every weekend!) Yet by the following weekend I cant wait for more. I don't bother with other sports. They just dont compare to League. It gonna be a long winter ahead but i just cant wait for next season & still have the dream of a Bulls v Broncos Grand Final !

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