Does table position matter in Super League? (From Warrington Guardian)

Warrington Wolves stars give their views on Super League standings

9:00am Friday 25th January 2013 in Wolves news By Chris Terris Taylor and Mike Parsons

WARRINGTON Wolves can enter Super League XVIII with heads held high after a gallant attempt to be crowned champions at Old Trafford last October. But for the second successive season, Leeds Rhinos secured the title with a successful play-offs campaign built upon the fifth-placed finish they secured in the table at the end of 27 regular rounds of matches. The competition structure is designed in a way that the higher a team finishes in the ladder, the greater the advantage they receive for a successful play-offs run. Leeds’ achievements beg the question: Does it matter any more where a team finishes in the league table?

Chris Hill
“Yeah, of course you worry about where you finish at the end of the year. “I think every team wants to finish at the top of the table. “If someone said that they didn’t mind finishing third or fourth, I think they would be lying. “Everyone wants to finish top, you want to win it. We want to win it this year and be top dogs, simple as that. “It’s a fine line, as you want consistency while also saving your best until the end of the season. “You need to be consistent throughout the year and hopefully that will put us in good stead.”

Adrian Morley
“I think it does count. It’s extremely hard to win it from fifth. “Leeds have bucked the trend by winning it two years running from fifth but back beyond that – apart from one year with Bradford – every team that’s won it has done so from finishing first or second. “The fact remains that the higher up the table you are the better chance you have. The odds are stacked against you further down the table. “Leeds had to do it really tough. After their first home game in last year’s play-offs, they had to win in France against Catalan and then win at Wigan. “They did it the hard way and deserved to win at the end but it was tough.”

Brett Hodgson
“You want to be going into the semis (play-offs) with good form – I think that’s more important. “Leeds struggled for the middle part of the season and people wrote them off. “But they played good football in the last month of the season, went into the semis in good form and with good confidence. “If you can do that, then you’ve got a chance against any side.”

Trent Waterhouse
We want to finish as high as we can, that is the goal for us. “We just want to go into every game thinking that we can and want to win it.”

Ben Currie
“I think it matters. You can get yourself a second chance in the play offs if you finish in the top two. “If Leeds had lost in a play-offs game last year they would have been out. “Nobody expected Leeds could do it again last year and everyone will be more aware of Leeds this time. “Ultimately, you want to finish in the top two to get that second chance if it’s needed.”

Lee Briers
“I think it does matter where you finish in the table. “You feel good about winning the League Leaders’ Shield. “I think it’s just coincidence that Leeds have played well in them games. “Finishing fifth is not something we’ll be planning on doing.”

HOW THEY DID IT

Grand Final winners and their table finishing position:

2012: Leeds Rhinos, 5th
2011: Leeds Rhinos, 5th
2010: Wigan Warriors, 1st
2009: Leeds Rhinos, 1st
2008: Leeds Rhinos, 2nd
2007: Leeds Rhinos, 2nd
2006: St Helens, 1st
2005: Bradford Bulls, 3rd
2004: Leeds Rhinos, 1st
2003: Bradford Bulls, 1st
2002: St Helens, 1st
2001: Bradford Bulls, 1st
2000: St Helens, 2nd
1999: St Helens, 2nd
1998: Wigan Warriors, 1st