Coaching guru Warren Ryan has attacked the NRL’s McIntyre finals system as flawed with top four sides facing the prospect of being `punished’ for opening week victories.
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Cronulla and the Sydney Roosters are in biggest danger of being exposed by the finals format, which sees qualifying finals between the top four sides up against the bottom four this weekend.
“There are some really bad anomalies that can occur, when you can get two top four sides playing against each other in a sudden death encounter in the second week of the finals,” said Ryan, a longtime opponent of the McIntyre system.
“The McIntyre system discards rankings after week one – all that you’ve played for all year long in terms of rankings is discarded once the first week is over.”
Despite finishing the regular season tied on 38 competition points with minor premiers Melbourne and Manly, the Sharks are the most vulnerable of the top four sides in the opening week.
And worse still, the NRL says it is reluctant to tamper with a finals format which has come under heavy public scrutiny.
There have been calls for the NRL to adopt the system used by the AFL in which the top four and bottom four are split up on the opening weekend of the finals.
Ryan has also come up with his own formula, which he has forwarded to NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley, which would actually see an extra game played in the second week.
Ryan is part of the committee which meets to discuss prospective rule changes at the end of every NRL season, but the man who guided Canterbury to premiership success in 1984 and 1985 said alternative finals systems were never given an airing.
“I’ve never spoken about it at the rules committee meeting – they’re too busy worrying about wrestling and grappling,” Ryan said.
“I’ve been in there and seen (chief operating officer Graham) Annesley, he’s got a copy of (my system) in his file somewhere.
“They’re very reactive rugby league, they only react when something really blows up in their face.”
Annesley claimed the finals system was reviewed on an annual basis but denied there was a push to have it changed.
“It gets approved every year, but there’s been absolutely no move to change the format,” Annesley said.
“The McIntyre system has served the NRL well.”
Not only do Cronulla face the remote prospect of being bundled out in the first week of the finals – should the bottom four sides all win – they could also could be `punished’ if all results go according to plan in week one.
Should the top four all win this weekend, Cronulla would be rewarded for beating sixth-placed Canberra by facing up against Brisbane in a knockout match in week two.
The Roosters, who finished the regular season in fourth spot six points behind the top three, would get the seemingly easier draw against the Raiders.
Should Brisbane upset the Roosters, Cronulla would get the Roosters in week two, with Brisbane facing Canberra.
If the only upset this weekend was St George Illawarra beating Manly, the Roosters would be `rewarded’ for winning in week one with a second week match against the Sea Eagles.
Sharks halfback Brett Kimmorley claimed he hadn’t looked too far into the permutations of how Cronulla’s finals schedule could pan out.
“You’ve just got to look at it that you’ve got to win,” Kimmorley said.
Aaron Doherty
Guest
Has anyone heard the phrase, finals is a differnent ballgame? Jeez, once you get to the finals teams should be put back on level playing terms, all teams have equal chance of being elimnated 1 through to 8. None of this 1 and 2 get a second chance bull, I know it would be cutting out a week of the finals but 1-8, 2-7, 3-6, 4-5 play, losers go home, then if the results go the way of the top four 1-3, 2-4, then bam Grand Final. Lose and your out, Nice and fair, top teams get 'rewarded' with the opportunity to play at home, and to play teams that are in theory inferior to them in the first round. I think too that the all the games should be played at the team with the better records home ground. That there is reward enough. I think the AFL and NRL's policy of the Grand Final is played 'here' no matter what is garbage. Most teams would be happy with a home final in the first round, But if top four teams are going to be whinging becuase they think coming in the top four entitles them a FREE PASS to the finals, or atleast an easier one then they should forfeit there spot to a team that wants to work for it. Finals are supposed to be hard.
JohnB
Guest
It's fine to say Cronulla are "punished" by playing 5th ranked Brisbane in the second week if the first week all goes according to plan, but surely you wouldn't suggest they play Canberra again after playing them the previous week? So what (other than the AFL system) is the alternative being suggested? If it's just a choice between the NRL and AFL systems, then it's a matter of making a philosophical decision about how much reward you give for coming in a particular place in the regular season - under the NRL system, the teams coming first and second are rewarded more and those coming in seventh and eighth less than under the AFL, with the middle 4 teams treated worse than the first 2, better than the last 2 but roughly equally amongst themselves; as I understand the AFL system, you have 2 blocks of teams, a first group of 4, and a second, with the first group treated better than the second, but treatment being more nearly equal within the groups. You can argue until you're blue in the face as to which general approach is better (and it might depend where your team has come as to which you prefer). What is Warren Ryan's system?
oikee
Guest
How can this system be flawed, like brett said you need to win, if you dont then you should not be rewarded. Keep winning and the results come your way, its really that simple, any system could be flawed if you look to hard at it, the top 8 is something that all the teams strive for, giving you have origin around the middle makes it harder for the top teams to remain on top, and the other teams with players out and are coming home hard deserve a chance if they are good enough, whats flawed about that. If the warriors are good enough to beat the storm,so be it.