My proposal to make the NRL Finals more interesting...

[TigersFan4Life]

I don't like the McIntyre System and I know I'm not alone in feeling that way. My main gripe with it is that, compared to the AFL finals format it does not produce as many quality matchups, ie. games pitting the top four teams against each other. I also don't like how some teams have to wait until the final game of the first weekend has been played before finding out if they are safe or not. You should know immediately, win or lose, if you'll still be alive for the next week.

My format might look pretty outrageous at first but when you realise all the quality matches it produces I think it would be pretty exciting. It's a SIX-WEEK , twelve-game top-eight finals series, made possible by reducing the home & away season by two weeks to 24 rounds, during which each team plays 22 games. To add some extra intrigue, on the Monday after the season ends the NRL would hold a draw to determine the matchups for the opening weekend. Rather than the games automatically being 1v4, 2v3, 5v8 and 6v7, the draw would select one of eight possible schedules. These would be:

1\. 1v4 5v8, 2v3 6v7
2\. 1v4 6v7, 2v3 5v8
3\. 1v4 6v8, 2v3 5v7
4\. 1v4 5v7, 2v3 6v8
5\. 1v3 6v8, 2v4 5v7
6\. 1v3 5v7, 2v4 6v8
7\. 1v3 6v7, 2v4 5v8
8\. 1v3 5v8, 2v4 6v7

Okay, say for example matchup 3 is selected.

The matchups for WEEK ONE of the finals would be:

Game A: 6v8
Game B: 5v7
Game C: 2v3
Game D: 1v4

The losers of Game A and B are eliminated while the winners of Games C and D progress directly to week three. This is exactly how the AFL system works.

Moving on to WEEK TWO, the matchups would be:

Game E: Winner Game A v Loser Game D
Game F: Winner Game B v Loser Game C

The losers of these two games would be eliminated, leaving us with four teams going into week three. That's where my system changes from that of the AFL and actually resembles something like the old NSWRL top 5 system. In week three the winners of Games C and D play the winners of Games E and F. However, the week three games are not elimination matchups. The winners proceed to a Grand Final qualifier in week four while the losers clash in an elimination match in week four.

WEEK THREE matchups:

Game G: Winner Game C v Winner Game E
Game H: Winner Game D v Winner Game F

WEEK FOUR matchups:

Game I: Loser Game G v Loser Game H
Game J: Winner Game G v Winner Game H

The winner of Game J proceeds straight to the Grand Final. The winner of Game I plays the loser of Game J in week five. The loser of Game I is eliminated.

WEEK FIVE matchups:

Game K: Winner Game I v Loser Game J

The winner of Game K proceeds to the Grand Final, where they will play the winner of Game J.

WEEK SIX - GRAND FINAL

Game L: Winner Game J v Winner Game K

***

So, if all games were to be won by the higher-placed team, this is how they would proceed:

WEEK ONE

6v8
5v7
2v3
1v4

WEEK TWO

4v6
3v5

WEEK THREE

2v4
1v3

WEEK FOUR

3v4
1v2

WEEK FIVE

2v3

WEEK SIX

1v2

***

Looking at the various matchups it appears that the top teams have a pretty tough run. The 1st and 2nd placed teams would not play anyone outside of the top four. But isn't this what we want to see in the finals anyway? I don't know about you, but I don't find much intrigue or excitement in the prospect of 1v8 and 2v7 in that first week, even though some upsets have occured. during the finals I want to see the top teams smashing the hell out of each other, not dominating the ones who just scraped in. The bottom teams should have to fight it out amongst themselves to earn the right to take on the top teams.

 

[Marshall_magic]

I don't like it at all. How can a team lose twice in the finals series and still be in it. It's basically a few weeks of nothing games in 4 and 5, just games for the sake of games. Keep something short and sweet like we have now.

 

[TigersFan4Life]

I don't like it at all. How can a team lose twice in the finals series and still be in it. It's basically a few weeks of nothing games in 4 and 5, just games for the sake of games. Keep something short and sweet like we have now.

I understand your point and even agree with you a little. But did you know that it's possible with the McIntyre System to go all the way through the finals with maybe only one or two matchups featuring the top four teams? How exciting is that?

 

[tigergran]

Hi everyone

With the Tigers not in it, I just watch the final series to see what might have been!!

I don't like the fact that each team doesn't play each other twice in the season.

I don't like the McIntyre system either - should be top 5!!

Tigergran

 

[BornBlack_amp_Gold]

I dont like it much either to tell the truth. My personal opinion is that the playoffs should be knock out,.EVERY game. far more exciting.
assuming the higher placed team wins all games…..

WEEK 1
1v8
2v7
3v6
4v5

WEEK 2
1v4
2v3

WEEK 3 grand final
1v2

Short Sweet Fair.

please feel free to ridicule abuse and deride my playoffs system :ugeek:

 

[Marshall_magic]

I dont like it much either to tell the truth. My personal opinion is that the playoffs should be knock out,.EVERY game. far more exciting.
assuming the higher placed team wins all games…..

WEEK 1
1v8
2v7
3v6
4v5

WEEK 2
1v4
2v3

WEEK 3 grand final
1v2

Short Sweet Fair.

please feel free to ridicule abuse and deride my playoffs system :ugeek:

works for me

 

[alex]

Sorry TF4L. Don't like it at all.
Why should the first week of the finals be decided by a draw of the hat?

IMO the AFL system is what the NRL should adopt.

Week 1 played at home venues of the higher placed teams. From then on, all games at neutral venues.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Sorry TF4L. Don't like it at all.
Why should the first week of the finals be decided by a draw of the hat?

IMO the AFL system is what the NRL should adopt.

Week 1 played at home venues of the higher placed teams. From then on, all games at neutral venues.

Neutral Venues doesn't work. It gives teams 3-6 little to no motivation to win their opening game, and it is shocking for crowds. The Cowboys vs Storm game in 2005 put an end to it. Last year we had Brisbane vs Melbourne in week 2\. Play it in Sydney you'd be lucky to crack 20k. In Brisbane it got 50k, and gave the game a finals atmosphere.

 

[alex]

Sorry TF4L. Don't like it at all.
Why should the first week of the finals be decided by a draw of the hat?

IMO the AFL system is what the NRL should adopt.

Week 1 played at home venues of the higher placed teams. From then on, all games at neutral venues.

Neutral Venues doesn't work. It gives teams 3-6 little to no motivation to win their opening game, and it is shocking for crowds. The Cowboys vs Storm game in 2005 put an end to it. Last year we had Brisbane vs Melbourne in week 2\. Play it in Sydney you'd be lucky to crack 20k. In Brisbane it got 50k, and gave the game a finals atmosphere.

Fair call.

If the Dragons V Eels game can pull an attendance of 50,000 but Kogarah only holds 20,000 then it works the other way.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Sorry TF4L. Don't like it at all.
Why should the first week of the finals be decided by a draw of the hat?

IMO the AFL system is what the NRL should adopt.

Week 1 played at home venues of the higher placed teams. From then on, all games at neutral venues.

Neutral Venues doesn't work. It gives teams 3-6 little to no motivation to win their opening game, and it is shocking for crowds. The Cowboys vs Storm game in 2005 put an end to it. Last year we had Brisbane vs Melbourne in week 2\. Play it in Sydney you'd be lucky to crack 20k. In Brisbane it got 50k, and gave the game a finals atmosphere.

Fair call.

If the Dragons V Eels game can pull an attendance of 50,000 but Kogarah only holds 20,000 then it works the other way.

Home City Finals
Tigers, Panthers, Eels and Dogs at ANZ (even Souths to since they play there normally)
Sea Eagles, Sharks, Dragons and Roosters at SFS (maybe put us there since we play there normally)
Knights at EA
Raiders at Canberra
Warriors at Mt Smart
Broncos and Titans at Suncorp
Cowboys at DFS
Melbourne at Telstra Dome if free, otherwise Olympic

 

[Golden]

yeah well the problems with the Mcintyer system is 1st and 2nd place can win and not get a 2nd chance where as 6th can get smahsed first week of the finals and get a 2nd chance

simple answer??

make it sudden death all the way but teams 1 and 2 only have to win 2 games to make the grand final not 3 .. just like the NFL does it fair simple easy why wont they do??? simple answer is $$$$$$$

 

[alex]

**Top four left fearing early finals exit**
By Steve Jancetic and David Beniuk AAP Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:05:06
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Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith believes the inadequacies of the NRL's McIntyre System could be shown up this weekend with top four sides fearing swift exits from the finals series.
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The Storm are treating Friday night's grand final re-match with Manly as do-or-die, Smith claiming Melbourne are a very real chance of being the first side in the top four to be eliminated in the opening week.
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Smith's fears stem from injury concerns and indifferent end-of-season form of the Bulldogs and Gold Coast which, coupled with the late surge of Newcastle and Parramatta, could be a recipe for disaster for the loser of the fourth versus fifth, Storm-Sea Eagles clash at Etihad Stadium.
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Third-placed Gold Coast could be without five-eighth Mat Rogers (hamstring) when they host Brisbane on Saturday night, while question marks remain over the second-placed Bulldogs' ability to cope without injured playmaker Brett Kimmorley ahead of their qualifying final against Newcastle.
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Then there is the enigma that is Parramatta, as they look to return to the form that gave them seven straight wins before their last-round hiccup against St George Illawarra when the teams face a rematch on Sunday.
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If two of the Knights, Parramatta or Brisbane win, then either the Storm or Sea eagles will bow out.
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"Certainly we see it as do or die for us from here on in - we're not too sure how the results are going to go on the weekend," Smith said at Monday's Captain's call in Sydney.
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"We know that four versus five is not guaranteed second week if you lose.
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"The way the Knights can perform and the way Parramatta can perform, they could quite easily beat the top two teams."
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Only once has a side from the four versus five game been eliminated in the first week, with St George Illawarra going out as the fifth-placed side in 2004.
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Smith said the McIntyre system failed to offer adequate rewards for a top four finish and the AFL's system was far fairer.
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The two highest-ranked NRL winners progress to a preliminary final and a weekend off while the two lowest-ranked losers bow out. The other four teams progress to the semi-finals in week two.
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"The AFL system, where if you put yourself in a position to be in the top four, you've done a pretty good job throughout the year, and no matter what, in the AFL those sides always get a second week," Smith said.
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"I think that's a good reward for the opportunity that you create for your team.
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"In our game, three and four can be out in the first week."
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Despite Brisbane finishing sixth, Smith found an ally in his dislike of the McIntyre system in Broncos skipper Darren Lockyer.
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"The top four teams shouldn't be at risk of being eliminated. I just think the AFL system seems to be a bit fairer," Lockyer said.
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"They (the top four sides) deserve to be safe."
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Smith felt the wrath of the McIntyre system in 2008, when as minor premiers, they were forced to play away to Brisbane in week two of the finals after a shock first-sup loss to the Warriors.
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The Warriors, despite squeaking into the finals in eighth, then had the benefit of home ground advantage in week two against he Sydney Roosters.
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Parramatta skipper Nathan Cayless said the Warriors' efforts last year - in which they became the first eight-ranked team to beat the minor premiers - had given the Eels the belief they could do likewise against St George Illawarra on Sunday.
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"Yeah, it can be done … it has been done before, there's been so many huge upsets throughout the history of sport, it's just a matter of us believing in ourselves," Cayless said.
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"I think the previous couple of months has given us a lot of confidence, we know if we play well as a team that's the key."

Agree with everything said.

NRL should adopt the AFL system.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Win your game and you have nothing to worry about. If you finish 4th and can't beat 5th at your home ground, you can't complain about getting knocked out. ditto if you finish 3rd and lose to 6th.

 

[TigersFan4Life]

I've come up with a different finals system that I believe is fairer than both the McIntyre System and the one used by the AFL. It's a five-week series and it GUARANTEES that the only way the top two teams can be eliminated BEFORE the grand final is if they lose twice. With the current formats its possible for 1st and 2nd to lose only once (the preliminary finals) and be gone, which is not fair.

Here's the way it would work;

Week one and two are just like the format the AFL uses. That is,

week one

A) 1v4
B) 2v3
C) 5v8
D) 6v7

week two

elimination games, 3v6 and 4v5 if all week one games go according to plan

E) loser A v winner C
F) loser B v winner D

week three

The winners of the 1v4 and 2v3 matchups from week one play each other. The winner automatically goes into the grand final. The winners from week two also play each other in an elimination games.

G) winner A v winner B
H) wiiner E v winner F

week four

I) loser G v winner H

This is like the preliminary final in the old top five format.

week five - GRAND FINAL

J) winner G v winner I

The ONLy draw back to this system is that if teams 1 and 2 BOTH lose in week one they can't play each other in the grand final, as they'll end up playing each other in week three if they make it that far. However, that's better than the current AFL system where all it takes is for one of either team 1 or 2 to lose in week one to make it impossible for them to meet in the grand final.

This system I've proposed is fair because it absolutely rewards the teams that finish in the top four and subjects the bottom four to five weeks of sudden-death games.

So, if all the results went to plan this is how the games would play out:

week one

1v4
2v3
5v8
6v7

week two

3v6
4v5

week three

1v2
3v4

week four

2v3

week five

1v2