With even the iconic Bulls and a good looking Eagles side being comfortably beaten the middle 8s are not looking good for the championship. (Super Leigh aside of course!)

Seems the SL status quo is just as likely to kept under this system as licensing.

Any thoughts (plus it's really quiet on this board!)

Fax have got a really long way to go and another year of part time could see us fall further off the pace - regardless of the massive improvements this season. By the same token, wouldn't want to see us go for broke and end up potless!

I dont think Bradford are that far off really,to score 30 point against a team from a higher division takes some doing, plus a couple of late tries from HKR gave it a much more flattering look than it should have been

Could have sworn Leigh beat Salford yesterday
So much for status quo

We weren't far off today, think 38-30 would have been a more fair result.

We were missing quite a few players today and hopefully we'll keep improving. The middle 8's will be tough but not a forgone conclusion at all.

Full Time Championship teams will compete. PT championship teams will be beaten comfortably. But if 2 teams a year can chance their arm and unhinge a SL club from their previously guaranteed SL place then that's good. It's what the game needs - a shake up.

I think Leigh will be good enough to prove themselves in the middle 8, most likely at the expense of my club on current form I also think Bradford are in with a shout too but they are maybe going to finish 5th in the middle 8.

I agree that the PT teams will struggle with the intensity. Over this weekend I attended the Wakefield v Halifax match and Sheffield v Hull FC. Of course I watched the match on TV on Saturday too.

I think Fax showed a lot of enthusiasm on Friday. I do however think fitness and a little bit of difference in skill made the difference.

I wish you well though, you have a great bunch of supporters and that is the best vocal atmosphere from away fans I've heard for a while (although I guess the roof helped too).

No - this is worse. Somebody would've been up in 2015 under licensing - probably Leigh - instead of playing for a place in a league to play in another league for a place in $uperleague in 2016. And they would have had three years in $uperleague instead of having to go through the whole Middle Eight Process again at the end of the 2016 season.

I don't see the attraction of Twelves and Eights. I suppose it's today's "I-want-it-all-and-I-want-it-now" attitude to life. Nobody's prepared to work for owt these days.

Don't get the reference to hard work. Surely it's harder to keep a club running, and enthusiasm as a supporter if there's a closed door to progression.

It wasn't closed.

The downside was you could only go up every third year.

The upside was that you had three years to consolidate before you came down.

Widnes v Batley
Leeds v Giants
Hull FC v Castleford
Wigan v Hull KR
Catalan v Featherstone
Saints v York
Wakefield v Leigh
Dewsbury v Wire

Upside for clubs like Bradford was that you could royally screw up without being kicked out although a second time in administration was a bridge too far. No SL club can now rest at the foot of SL and not give a damn. The pressure is on. That's sport for ya!!

Like it or not, we're stuck with more "country mile" rugby for the time being.

Thoughts for Sunday Griff ?

There are twelve teams in Super League. Each are allowed five imports. That means there are a potential of 60 overseas players starting each week. Reduce this number (and the number in the Championship) and this will start to reduce the gap as each teams have to develop talent and narrow the gap on the pitch between squads. An old hobby horse of mine but one I still believe in.