As the Super League regular season draws to a close, attention turns to the play-offs.
The Super League play-offs mark the end of the season, deciding with team will be crowned as champions.
While the regular season determines which clubs reach the play-offs, the team who finish at the top of the standings are not automatically champions.
The play-off system has been used to decide the Super League champions since 1998, with the format having changed a number of times over the years, though it has always culminated in a grand final.
Who qualifies for the Super League play-offs?
At the end of the regular season, the top six teams in the Super League standings qualify for the play-offs.
Do teams get a trophy for finishing top of the Super League table?
The team who finish at the top of the Super League standings at the end of the regular season are awarded the League Leaders' Shield.
A solid achievement in its own right, the Shield recognises the team who accumulated the most points throughout the season, but does not mark the team as champions.
The Super League champions are the team who win the Grand Final.
How do the Super League play-offs work?
In its current format, the six-team play-offs take place over the course of three weekends.
Week One - Eliminators
The teams who finish third to sixth get the play-offs underway, with the winners of the eliminators progressing to the semi finals, whilst the losers' season ends there.
3rd vs 6th
4th vs 5th
The top two teams from the regular season bypass this stage and head straight into the semi finals.
Week Two - Semi Finals
The four remaining teams then compete in the semi finals, with the two winners from the eliminators facing off against the top two from the regular season table.
The four fixtures are determined by the overall standings, with the first place team given the lowest ranked team left, whilst the second place team would get the highest ranked team left from the eliminator.
Week Three - Grand Final
The two winners of the respective finals meet in the Super League Grand Final, which is usually held at Old Trafford in Manchester.
As mentioned previously, the winners of the Grand Final are the overall season champions and lift the Super League Trophy.
The eagerly anticipated 2026 Grand final is scheduled for Saturday 3rd October.
