Top eight system not fair, says Tomkins

James Gordon

Wigan full-back Sam Tomkins says he doesn’t think it’s fair that a team can finish in the bottom half of the Super League table and still have a shot at title glory.

While the table-topping Warriors begin their journey to the Grand Final by hosting Catalan on Friday, eighth placed Wakefield also start on the road to Old Trafford, with a trip to Leeds.

Although most will see Wakefield as rank outsiders, they still have as much chance of winning the Super League as the other seven teams, despite finishing 16 points behind Wigan in the regular season, and losing more games than they won.

Tomkins said: “It’s good that we have play-offs, I just don’t think it’s fair that you can finish in the bottom half of the league and still have a shot at the title.

“But it makes a lot money, the play-offs, so there’s a good reason for it.”

Bottom placed Widnes finished closer to Wakefield, than the Wildcats did to the Warriors.

The top eight system was introduced in 2009 when the division expanded to 14 teams.

When the play-offs was first brought in to Super League in 1998, the top five of a 12 team league qualified, before this was increased to six in 2002.

Last season, Leeds were crowned Super League champions having won the play-offs from fifth place, where they finished 13 points behind first placed Warrington.

And Tomkins believes that the Rhinos, who again finished in fifth in 2012, are in with a shout of repeating that success.

He added: “Anyone in the top four or five can win it. Leeds proved they could do it last year from fifth and there’s nothing to say they can’t do that again.

“You can’t rule anyone out in the play-offs, it’s three or four games to win a trophy, and any one of these teams can win four in a row.”