that how I see it too - win, home tie in SF ( probably Doncaster - unless they beat London this weekend then it would be London )
lose, home tie in eliminator ( probably Oldham )
We beat Oldham so are bumped up to 3rd seeds. If we beat Newcastle we will go to 2nd seed IIRC. James will confirm. The problem is, there are too many teams in the play-offs.I'm not sure I understand why we, as the lower ranked qualifier, get Newcastle and not London. If I was Doncaster, I'd be thinking this doesn't make sense.
Paulie xx
I see what you're saying but I still don't get it. Doncaster finish above us, win their first play-off game, then are rewarded with a game against the 1st seeds whilst we play 2nd. Just doesn't make sense.
I don't think anybody 'gets it'We beat Oldham so are bumped up to 3rd seeds. If we beat Newcastle we will go to 2nd seed IIRC. James will confirm. The problem is, there are too many teams in the play-offs.I'm not sure I understand why we, as the lower ranked qualifier, get Newcastle and not London. If I was Doncaster, I'd be thinking this doesn't make sense.
Paulie xx
I see what you're saying but I still don't get it. Doncaster finish above us, win their first play-off game, then are rewarded with a game against the 1st seeds whilst we play 2nd. Just doesn't make sense.
Paulie xx
More articulate and intelligent people than me have described the playoff system and fixtures as "convoluted" - but to me they are simply crap.
Doncaster finish 4th, we finish 5th. They go to London who are miles the best team in the league, lets say they get beat and then win the elimination fixture the week after.
We play Newcastle who are in a false position due to fixture format and not as good as Donny or Oldham. Lets say we beat them, we then get a week off to rest, followed by a home tie vs Donny in the semi.
Nice and not a bad run from 5th place!!
@pauliewalnuts This used to happen in the 70's if you beat a higher place team the you took their position.
You know what, if Bradford were in our position in this play-off format, we would have been shouting fix!!!! Maybe big Nige has a soft spot for us after all.
Let's just take it. A great win against Oldham, hopefully another win against Newcastle and then look to beating Doncaster at home to get to the final, where we will beat London. Maybe we should ask Nige about playing in Las Vegas in 2028, to guarantee our SL place.
Only the RFL could come up with this format. Maybe Paulie Walnuts should put his sensible suggestion for next year's play-off, to the RFL.
It’s the way the RFL set up the playoff system - check it out on RFL website
its now quite simple - if we beat Newcastle we have a week off and a home tie in the semi finals - probably against Oldham, but if Donny can beat London that would change
lose game we have a home game next week - again probably against Oldham
so regardless we will still have a final home game - enjoy
⁹You know what, if Bradford were in our position in this play-off format, we would have been shouting fix!!!! Maybe big Nige has a soft spot for us after all.
Let's just take it. A great win against Oldham, hopefully another win against Newcastle and then look to beating Doncaster at home to get to the final, where we will beat London. Maybe we should ask Nige about playing in Las Vegas in 2028, to guarantee our SL place.
Only the RFL could come up with this format. Maybe Paulie Walnuts should put his sensible suggestion for next year's play-off, to the RFL.
The rules are there for all to see so your conspiracy theory never existed
@prisoner I was joking, but it is Big Nige and Bradford we are talking about. Mmmm, makes you think though. Maybe Las Vegas is on the cards for 2028!!!!!
The RFL have made changes to the format. And also have changed the original date of the GF from 10th Oct, to the 4th, the day after the SL GF.
Betfred Championship Play-Offs Week 1 fixtures:
Qualifying Semi-Final 1 - Oldham RLFC 24 Widnes Vikings 30
Qualifying Semi-Final 2 - Doncaster RLFC 72 Barrow Raiders 0
Eliminator 1 - Sheffield Eagles 25 Batley Bulldogs 18
Eliminator 2 - Midlands Hurricanes 36 Whitehaven RLFC 4
Betfred Championship Play-Offs Week 2:
Qualifying Final 1 – London Broncos v Doncaster RLFC
Qualifying Final 2 – Newcastle Thunder v Widnes Vikings
Elimination Final 1 - Oldham RLFC v Midlands Hurricanes
Elimination Final 2 - Barrow Raiders v Sheffield Eagles
So by this reckoning it would be;
QF1 winner gets a week off (Team A)
QF2 winner gets a week off (Team B)
QF1 loser v EF1 winner (Team C)
QF2 loser v EF2 winner (Team D)
Semis;
Team A v Team C
Team B v Team D
Winners of these two into the GF?
Am I right? I just don't know!
Paulie xx
@pauliewalnuts so if your right and we win we would be home to Newcastle or sheff ? That seems far too straightforward lol
maybe I've read that wrong
Like I said, I just don't know, it's an absolute RFL shitshow. I just copied and pasted what was on the RFL site. It's funny how they don't have the full format...or maybe they have?@pauliewalnuts so if your right and we win we would be home to Newcastle or sheff ? That seems far too straightforward lol
maybe I've read that wrong
Paulie xx
Going on Paulie explanation
I would say if London beat Doncaster )A)
And Widnes beat Newcastle (B)
Then it would be
Doncaster (C) would play Oldham
And Newcastle v Barrow/Sheffield
Then the semis would be
London v Doncaster
and Widnes v Newcastle (presuming they beat Barrow/Sheffield)
2 winners in the final