The regular season has been run and won in both NRL and AFL, with two standout sides taking their respective minor premierships, the Melb Storm (NRL) and Geelong (AFL) blitzed there opponents to easily finish in the top spots.
Now although both codes use a top eight finals series, they use different methods;
NRL play out like this, 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5. This give the top four teams a supposed advantage of hosting a home semi, but what it exposes is the possibility of both teams 3 and 4 being knocked out, as the teams that lose with the lowest ranking are knocked out, so if all the lower ranked teams win their games it can happen, although it never has, but still.......
AFL play out 1 v 4, 2 v 3 winners go through to major semi and losers play the winners of 5 v 8, 6 v 7. Its a fairer style of knock out because all top four are guaranteed two games.
But what really counts is you have to win and that is what it's all about, regardless of the system in place and complaining about it is useless, it's like the team that doesn't make the finals although they've beaten teams higher up but didn't win enough regular season games, to bad!!
For this weekend i believe that Brisbane and Souths will be knocked out of the NRL and I'm suggesting two upsets in the AFL with Hawthorn and Collingwood getting knocked out!!
Time will tell.
1 comment:
Well said. The AFL used to have the 1 v 8, etc method but as you say, it is possible the 3rd and 4th ranked team can go. Highly unlikely, but possible. The newer method makes for closer games in the first week too (in theory).
There's also a debate going on about the home finals situation in AFL. With 10 Victorian teams and 6 from interstate, when a Vic team reaches the finals more often than not they don't get a "true" home final as they're going to be in Victoria. That's their own fault though. Cut down the Vic teams!
Rumour has it the Kangaroos will be in Gold Coast by Christmas.
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