The National Rugby League's McIntyre system has been scrapped in favour of the AFL finals system for the 2012 season - and the Warriors' run to last season's grand final may have had a hand in the revamp.
Last season the Warriors finished sixth and were beaten 40-10 in the opening week of the finals by third-placed Brisbane, and then eliminated fourth-placed Wests Tigers, who had won their qualifying final, the following week, and went through to the grand final.
In the first act of the new Australian Rugby League Commission which met for the first time on Tuesday, the finals format was changed from the system which has been part of the premiership since 1999.
The competition will now split the top four and the bottom four finalists into separate pools in week one.
Under the McIntyre system the eight finalists were seeded so that the top four played the bottom four.
With the new format each of the top four teams needs to win two finals matches to reach the grand final, while the bottom four ranked teams must win three.
The minor premiers and second-placed team are each guaranteed two home games.
Clubs complained there was insufficient reward for finishing in the top four.
