Never undervalue the top 4

[I bleed Maroon]

Almost exactly to script, nobody but the top 4 remains. We really are living in an era where if you miss the top 4, you may as well forget about it. We had our spot practically sewn up, and then the Origin slump fucked us out of it. The Cows stole their spot at the death, and they meet the Sharks next week whether as roadkill or not.

I know we're all acutely aware of it already, but this year for us has been a pretty big failure all things considered. We shopuld have done much better. A lot to learn for next year.

 

[CaptainHook]

Almost exactly to script, nobody but the top 4 remains. We really are living in an era where if you miss the top 4, you may as well forget about it. We had our spot practically sewn up, and then the Origin slump ****ed us out of it. The Cows stole their spot at the death, and they meet the Sharks next week whether as roadkill or not.

I know we're all acutely aware of it already, but this year for us has been a pretty big failure all things considered. We shopuld have done much better. A lot to learn for next year.

Yeah and I think it's one of the big, overlooked factors from last night. A team simply has to finish in the top 4 if they are serious about winning the comp.

It was obvious in week one of the finals. The Storm-Cowboys and Raiders-Sharks matches had an intensity the other two games didn't. The best 4 teams are still in the competition. That's as it should be.

I don't really buy the Origin excuse. Yeah it was a factor but other teams got through it ok. We were just too inconsistent. There were games we should have won - like that game we pissed away against Penrith. I'm sure there were others.

 

[ccfcdownunder]

I maintain that if we do not want to have future seasons ruined by origin, then we need to build a squad of players that are good enough, but ruled out of origin due to their heritage. WB involvement with England may well produce some players who fit that category.
I get really annoyed that the team I support gets fucked over year after year because of origin. Its 10 years since our last premiership, and it would be interesting to know how many times we actually made the top 4.

 

[Kimlo]

Due to being a Queensland club, we'll never have a team that isn't fileld with QLD'ers, but we should always be looking at kiwis and poms. Huge advantage.

 

[Broncoman]

I always believe that to win the premiership you must finish in the top 4. No team has won a premiership from below 4th spot for 21 years and it hasn't happened this century.

 

[Super Freak]

Due to being a Queensland club, we'll never have a team that isn't fileld with QLD'ers, but we should always be looking at kiwis and poms. Huge advantage.

I wouldn't mind a couple of those pom forwards.

The backs are usually hit and miss, but those pom forwards go alright over here.

 

[cakeGG]

I know it's the AFL but the Western Bulldogs broke the top 4 curse since they finished 7th and are in the prelims. Same finals format as us.

 

[Allo]

I always believe that to win the premiership you must finish in the top 4. No team has won a premiership from below 4th spot for 21 years and it hasn't happened this century.

Yeah except for the McIntyre system for 12 years in there, then the SL war and fallout. Sure we haven't used it for about 5 years, but it'll get broken soon. Law of averages etc, especially in a capped league

 

[lionred]

I dont agree. This year we were less than two minutes from making the semis. It was our game to win. We didnt lose because we were 5th and not 4th going in. We lost because of a few brain snaps.

 

[Mister Wright]

Yeah and I think it's one of the big, overlooked factors from last night. A team simply has to finish in the top 4 if they are serious about winning the comp.

It was obvious in week one of the finals. The Storm-Cowboys and Raiders-Sharks matches had an intensity the other two games didn't. The best 4 teams are still in the competition. That's as it should be.

I don't really buy the Origin excuse. Yeah it was a factor but other teams got through it ok. We were just too inconsistent. There were games we should have won - like that game we ****ed away against Penrith. I'm sure there were others.

The top 4 sequence will eventually get broken, but it will be a once in a decade type of scenario. You have to maximise your chances of winning the comp by finishing in the top 4 that is for sure.

However, to think our season wasn't cruelled by the Origin series is living in a state of denial. You cannot win a comp unless you can escape through the season without big injuries at the wrong time. Not only did we have players who were playing extra minutes due to Origin we also had key injuries - it upsets everything. Some of those games post origin when we were without Thaiday, Gillet, etc and then our centres would get injured in the game meant we had players out of position (and inexperienced players at that). We saw what happened towards the end of the season when we got close to full squad back - 6 in a row, just like the start of the season when we were pretty much at full strength - 8/10.

 

[OXY-351]

Maybe the top 4 are the 4 remaining teams because they are the 4 best teams in the comp? And lets face it, other than the broncos (and trying to not be biased), did the teams 6-8 really stand a chance? I think the real value is actually being a genuine GF contender, and with 8 out the 16 teams in the comp making the finals, it's highly doubtful all those 8 are going to be.

 

[jarro65]

Maybe the top 4 are the 4 remaining teams because they are the 4 best teams in the comp? And lets face it, other than the broncos (and trying to not be biased), did the teams 6-8 really stand a chance? I think the real value is actually being a genuine GF contender, and with 8 out the 16 teams in the comp making the finals, it's highly doubtful all those 8 are going to be.

Agreed.

Bring back the top 5 !

 

[OXY-351]

Agreed.

Bring back the top 5 !

I used to love the top 5. A real reward for being minor premiers in that system. Doubt with all the TV rights we'll ever go back to such a system though. Wouldn't be enough finals games.

 

[Kimlo]

I like the finals system as it is now. I don't think any changes are needed.

I am optimistic about Origin next year not totally screwing us anymore, with Parker gone, that's one less origin rep (hopefully DCE/Morgan stay as the #14) and I believe the second origin will be a stand alone weekend? So there'll be a good 5 weeks between the 1st and 3rd game which should mean a lot less disruption.

 

[jarro65]

I used to love the top 5. A real reward for being minor premiers in that system. Doubt with all the TV rights we'll ever go back to such a system though. Wouldn't be enough finals games.

No, a real shame that TV dictates how our game is run.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Due to being a Queensland club, we'll never have a team that isn't fileld with QLD'ers, but we should always be looking at kiwis and poms. Huge advantage.

I don't know, the Titans manage to do it.

 

[Kimlo]

I don't know, the Titans manage to do it.

Yeah but you missed the part about being a Queensland club :tongue:

 

[Broncoman]

I like the finals system as it is now. I don't think any changes are needed.

I am optimistic about Origin next year not totally screwing us anymore, with Parker gone, that's one less origin rep (hopefully DCE/Morgan stay as the #14) and I believe the second origin will be a stand alone weekend? So there'll be a good 5 weeks between the 1st and 3rd game which should mean a lot less disruption.

They should do Origin on a stand alone weekend. It will improve the quality of NRL club games during that period and would bring the spotlight onto Origin and that's it during the week building up.