OHJs are the best way of ordering joining traffic
Really!
So you have 4 aeroplanes, joining a runway 27 left hand, from N, S, E and W, all aiming for the same spot in the sky to do lots of turning and manouvring and altitude changes....Where as the one from the S could join on Base, the one from N from deadside onto Downwind, the one from W could joing direct downwind, and the one from E could make a straight in. Seems pretty sensible to me....
As long as everyone fits in with the others. If I were downwind and one joined straight in, I'd extend DW slightly to come in behind them...or if they were LONG final, I'd cut in and be on the ground before them. If I were joining on base, and someone was already on DW, I'd alter course slightly to come in behind them...likewise if I were joining cross wind from the deadside, and someone was doing circuits and was turning DW...I'd come in behind them if there was any doubt.
Easy really....