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Yes, you read the title right. I am suggesting a new finals model when this year isn’t even completed yet, but I’ve had the idea for quite a while.
I think the current system works very well. It has its flaws, but all in all you would have to say it’s an improvement on the McIntyre system the NRL had for so long.
However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.
This idea stems from the thought that eight teams in a finals series is too many. This is, after all, a 16-team competition, and having 50 per cent of the competitors in the final four weeks means that the lower qualifying teams are going to stand out, and not always for the right reasons.
I feel quite comfortable saying that teams 5-8 all were forgettable this year – the Rabbitohs and Sharks especially. The Rabbitohs were horrendous to the point of a wasted entry and lost without any impact at all, and the Sharks were only a cushion for the Cowboys to spring into the preliminaries. The Bulldogs and Dragons admittedly gave us arguably the best game of the finals, but the Dragons bowed out in the first week and then the Bulldogs were mediocre at best against the Roosters.
So I put it to you, fellow Roarers, that the NRL’s system could only be improved by replacing the eight-team format with a six-team format. How would that work? Let me explain.
First of all, the minor premiers will automatically qualify for the grand final. This would immediately place much more importance in placing first on the ladder and can only make the title of minor premiers more prestigious.
Knowing that a guaranteed place in the penultimate game of the season awaits the team who proves themselves to be consistently better than the remaining 15 will generate fan interest in the title once again and would be a fitting reward for the best team of the regular season.
What next? Well the remaining spot in the grand final would be decided by the typical top five playoff system that many competitions still use to this day.
Week 1
3 v 4 (Qualifying Final)
5 v 6 (Elimination Final)
Week 2
2 v Qualifying Final Winner (Major Semi Final)
Qualifying Final Loser v Elimination Final Winner (Minor Semi Final)
Week 3
Major Semi Final Loser v Minor Semi Final Winner (Minor preliminary final)
Week 4
Major Semi Final Winner v Minor preliminary final Winner (preliminary final)
Grand final
1 v preliminary final Winner
This would spread out the games in the finals more and allow the minor premiers the recognition and reward they deserve. It would also reduce the chances of teams entering the finals off an average or underpar season.
Having an elite finale to a season results in a team making the finals such a massive achievement, as opposed to the current model in which any team can stumble into the playoffs with an even win/loss record.
What do you think Roarers? Do you think this system has merits, do you think it should be left as it is?
Sound off in the comments below!
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