Nope, disagree.
A 45-3 win should be worth more than a 12-11 win
A 11-12 loss should be worth something more to a team than a 3-45 loss.
Bonus points generally fairly reflect consistent match performances.
In my experience, the people who complain most about bonus points are fans of teams who are disadvantaged by them.
Why? A team goes into a game wanting to win, that's the only objective, it's utterly ridiculous to have the possibility of a team winning 18 games in a 22 game season losing out to a team with 16 just because when they lost "they didn't lose as badly" or when they won "they won more convincingly". You can allow a narrow loss or a big win be slightly more beneficial by having points difference or tries scored, which ironically isn't used in the pro 12 table and that sees Ulster with less tries ahead of Connacht despite the only reason they're top being the tries they scored, to separate a team on equal wins but the bonus point system aids teams who score four tries every now and then. The current pro 12 table is made even more ridiculous considering Ulster and Connacht have only scored 2 and 4 tries more than Leinster with the Scarlets only 2 further behind. To add to that Leinster's PD is 137, Ulster are the second best in the league and on 88, that would suggest Leinster are winning more convincingly but often scoring 2 or 3 tries a game where as Ulster have scored at least 20 of their 34 tries, almost certainly more, in a third of their games.
As for the last comment I specifically chose now to comment because after the next three game weeks which see Leinster play three poor or struggling sides in Cardiff, Zebre and Glasgow and making up their game in hand because of it they will go top and probably have a safe buffer between them and second place. My motive for making this thread was media outlets in Ireland consistently saying that more Ulster and Connacht players should be playing for Ireland, a point I have made clear that I agree with, because they're 1st and 2nd in the pro12 when a quick look at the pro 12 table clearly shows that Leinster have been the best team in that league.
Bonus points work well in the ERCC and the World Cup because it's over a short amount of games and the sides now they'll probably end up tied on wins if they lose a single game so the knowledge that four tries in a game could be the difference of playing the QF as a top seed or not but in a 22 game league the only change it can lead to is having the best side in the league not on top of the table or in the case of the pro 12's bizarre table, as of the end of round 14, have the two best sides in third and fourth.
The powers that be in rugby have decided that certain styles of play are better than others but in every other sport sides who play effective, low scoring systems based on the back of a strong defence can do well, soccer, hurling, Gaelic Football, American football all come to mind. Rugby's bonus point system is like taking an extra shot off the round of a golfer for every four birdies or eagles he gets regardless of the amount of bogeys he makes, absolutely nuts.
Peat, Sigesige is The Lord around here I am just furthering his work.
