Super League: New play-off structure announced and end of regular season brought forward

[josie andrews]

Play-offs expanded to top six and commence next week; Super League chief commercial officer Rhodri Jones said: "We believe this revised structure provides the best and fairest way to ensure the two most deserving teams reach the Grand Final"

Super League's play-offs will commence next week in an expanded top-six format after more positive coronavirus tests at clubs forced a change to the plans previously put in place.

The regular season had been due to conclude on Friday, November 13, with the table decided via points percentage. However, matters were complicated by Castleford Tigers and Hull Kingston Rovers both being forced to cancel matches after positive Covid-19 tests in both camps left them short of players - in Rovers' case, forcing them to conclude their season early.

The Super League board have now taken the decision to expand the play-offs to the top six and remove the qualification that a team has to have played a minimum of 15 matches to take part, which would have ruled out fourth-placed Catalans Dragons.

The decision to bring forward the end of the regular season means the League Leaders' Shield will be decided on Friday evening when Wigan Warriors play Huddersfield Giants, and Super League chief commercial officer Rhodri Jones laid out the rationale behind the change of plans.

"We believe this revised structure provides the best and fairest way to ensure the two most deserving teams reach the Grand Final," Jones said.

I'm sure everyone will be excited about five huge games, set to deliver an even more exciting climax to the 2020 season."

The regular season will now conclude on Friday evening in a double-header at Emerald Headingley, live on Sky Sports, with the match between Wakefield Trinity and Salford Red Devils kicking off at 5.30pm followed by Wigan's clash with Huddersfield at 7.45pm after being pushed back 24 hours.

Victory for the Warriors would see them claim the League Leaders' Shield for the first time since 2012, while defeat would see St Helens finish top of the table for the third year running on points difference percentage.

Saints had been due to travel to Perpignan to play Catalans on Thursday, but that match has now been cancelled with both teams now certain of a play-off place, and due to concerns over international travel with England set to enter stricter national measures on the same day.

The new play-off format will see the top two automatically seeded through to the semi-finals, to be played on November 19 and 20, with third place playing sixth on November 12 and fourth taking on fifth the following day for the other two semi-final spots.

Meanwhile, whichever of Huddersfield or Salford finishes seventh will remain on standby and the five teams at the bottom of the table after this week will have their remaining fixtures struck out with their current win percentages remaining in place.

The revised format to the play-off schedule provides fans and Sky Sports with an extended series of exciting knockout matches to finish the season," Jones said.

"Nothing has been predictable in this 2020 season and we hope players, supporters and the media will appreciate why we have made this change."

Remaining Super League fixtures

Friday, 6 November (both at Emerald Headingley): 5.30pm - Wakefield Trinity vs Salford Red Devils; 7.45pm - Wigan Warriors vs Huddersfield Giants.

Thursday, November 12 (Venue TBC): 7.45pm - Play-offs Round 1 (Third vs sixth).

Friday, November 13 (Venue TBC): 7.45pm - Play-offs Round 1 (Fourth vs fifth).

Thursday, November 19 (Venue of first): Semi-finals (First vs lowest-placed play-off winner).



https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... ht-forward

[nathan_rugby]

Saints and Catalans cancelled because of Covid restrictions yet in the same sentence it mentions Catalans being sure of a play-off spot? How is that going to work?

They have also only played 13 which is considerably lower than the teams around them who have played 16/17. I get they have been hard done to and there is an argument to include in them in the play offs but it screams inconsistency to me.

[pedro]

Why do we have to play?? We can just say no and finish top? Also the fixtures look wrong, when does second play?

[southportcdm]

I was going to complain about the fact that we have to play this weekend and saints don't but we have played one game less than them to this point. Also, Friday's game (although a must win if we want to finish first) will give Lammy chance to get a game into any players that he thinks need it such a G. Burgess, Harry Smith, Dom Manfredi or Lockers. If they're not fit for Friday, I can't see them playing in the playoffs. Fiday's match will also get rid of one of the banned games for Greenwood.

[pedro]

Catalans have played less than everyone but keep their place so not be there’d about that it’s the win percentage

[nathan_rugby]

I was going to complain about the fact that we have to play this weekend and saints don't but we have played one game less than them to this point. Also, Friday's game (although a must win if we want to finish first) will give Lammy chance to get a game into any players that he thinks need it such a G. Burgess, Harry Smith, Dom Manfredi or Lockers. If they're not fit for Friday, I can't see them playing in the playoffs. Fiday's match will also get rid of one of the banned games for Greenwood.

Id rather use the same squad that beat Saints. No chance id be including passengers like Burgess and Lockers.

[jaws1]

I was going to complain about the fact that we have to play this weekend and saints don't but we have played one game less than them to this point. Also, Friday's game (although a must win if we want to finish first) will give Lammy chance to get a game into any players that he thinks need it such a G. Burgess, Harry Smith, Dom Manfredi or Lockers. If they're not fit for Friday, I can't see them playing in the playoffs. Fiday's match will also get rid of one of the banned games for Greenwood.

Id rather use the same squad that beat Saints. No chance id be including passengers like Burgess and Lockers.

We have got to win this match to finish top so no passengers play your best team out.

[widdenoldboy]

The Cats v Saints game has been cancelled by the RFL not because Cats have COVID cases.
Its a sensible decision seeing that France is in a COVID meltdown - cases at least double UK and we test more.

[Shaun1967]

We make sure we win on Friday.......
League Leaders shield in the cabinet.
100 grand in the bank.
We will play the lowest placed winners in the semi, while it looks like Wire & Saints will have to knock 7 bells out of each other in the other semi.
Greenwood will also be available for the final if we get there.
Happy days!

[southportcdm]

Just realised that we drop to third if we lose on Friday. We'd have a worse points diffeence than wire who were given that bye. Can't take any risks with team selection then.