I'll Flip You For It: How Finals War May End

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday September 3, 2008

By BRETT KEEBLE

EVEN NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley acknowledged the chances of it happening were close to zero, but Newcastle's finals hopes could hinge on the toss of a coin.

For teams tied on competition points after this weekend's final round, Annesley said a 50-50 flip would be the last tie-breaker used to separate teams with identical points for and against, tries, goals and field goals.

Not surprisingly, it has never been used and probably never will be.

Midweek play-offs to separate teams tied on competition points were abolished in 1995 and replaced with a system in which the team with the superior for-and-against points difference were rewarded with the higher ladder position.

That year the first of a top-eight finals series Norths, the Roosters and Warriors were tied on 24. But Norths (plus 211) had the best differential and took eighth. The Roosters (plus 60) were ninth and the Warriors (plus 51) 10th.

The only other time differential was required to determine finalists was last year, when the Broncos (plus 35) squeezed out the Tigers (minus 20).

Annesley said if two teams had the same competition points and differential, points for was divided by points against then multiplied by 100.

"That gives you the difference as a percentage. Those would only be the same if both teams had the exact same number of points for and against," he said.

"If they're still equal after that, it goes on most tries scored, then most goals scored, then most field goals scored, and if everything is still equal, it comes down to a coin toss. But the chances of that happening are next to nil."

Eighth on 28 points, with a differential of plus 52, the Knights can avoid the need for tie-breakers by beating the Broncos in Brisbane on Friday night. If they lose, and the ninth-placed Warriors (28, minus 87) win at Parramatta on Saturday night, the Warriors would leapfrog Newcastle into eighth. If Newcastle lose and the Eels (26, minus 24) beat the Warriors, and the combined points difference is more than 76, the Eels would take eighth place.

In the unlikely event of the Knights and Eels having the same points difference, the above tie-breakers would be applied.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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