It sounds like we're off on another RFL hairbrained scheme, or should I say innovative idea?
I think between rounds 3 until 7, the top three teams in each division should play with both halfbacks hancuffed to one another, and the fullback fitted with a ball and chain. This could be balanced in rounds 9 and 10 having games played in Florida.

I may be old fashioned, but what a load of old tosh.

I actually quite like the format after the split. I suggested a playoff system similar to that myself with 6 teams all playing each other in a round robin then semis and a final.

My main issues with the system are that:

A) There is no difference at all between finishing 1st and 8th. The top 4 get an extra home game, that's it. I would make it that the team who comes 1st gets 7 home games, 2nd gets 6 etc. The team in 8th has to play all their games away.
B) When it becomes apparant that a team has no prospect of making the 8 they will probably just put the cue on the rack and focus on what will happen after the split. Likewise with teams that are safely in the 8 mid way through the season.
C) Whilst there is, on paper, a route for the Championship clubs to reach Superleague. In reality the chances of any championship clubs making the top 4 of the qualifying group are slim. We all know that a team like Fev is capable of beating a Cas or Bradford in a one off, but to beat them over the course of a 7 game series is a tall order. Over time the gap should close, but I think the initial 12 Superleague clubs will remain unchanged for at least 3 or 4 seasons.

And the most important problem is how convoluted it all is. I can't imagine it will appeal to outsiders at all.

The initial BBC report said differently, that it would go to 3 groups 8 after 11 Rounds, that'll teach me from believing stuff I read about 13-a-side football on the BBC. Anyway, 23 Rounds to sort it out!!! Flip that's too long for mine, so that's basically 30 regular season rounds, too much football for me that, quality not quantity, plus the C Cup on top of that.

In my opinion, it should be 12 or 10 in SL with a licensing system, but many seem to disagree with the licensing system, so fine have a two leg match between the bottom SL club and the winner of the Championship Grand Final.

That was the initial proposal, but it was rejected very quickly.

Thank you "Him" for the details. Will have to read it again as I don't quite get it first time of reading.

So if the bottom four play the Champ clubs away then a season ticket can only cover the eleven home games. All the remainder will be pay on the gate.
Surely attencances will drop off massively?

Nobody knows how season tickets will work yet. Logically there would be an 11 game season ticket to start with & an option to extend that for a further 3/4 games depending where you finish after the split.

Being a Salford fan I've rarely had cause to pay much attention to the top 8. How often has a team in say 7th or 8th with 7 games to go managed to finish in the top 4 (as would be required here to have a crack at winning it)? Is there a danger of those teams simply having 7 meaningless games in the Superleague Playoffs?

There's probably a very large chance of this for at least a couple of teams. They can't really complain though, they should have more income from sky/sponsorship money and theoretically more money from matchdays as there's more games played.

There are always going to be some teams playing meaningless games, the new structure just tries to minimise how many teams fall in that category...All my humble opinion of course.

Well a team finishing 8th will have to win 6 or 7 games to make the top 4 and a chance of the title. Which is how it should be in your regular season finishing position is as low as 8th.

I agree the top 4 playoffs is far better. As for those in 9th putting their cue on the rack.

Well in 2013 the Bulls could have done that with 2 games left.
In 2012 they would only have known 1 game before the end of the season.
In 2011, there was only 1 point difference so a team putting it's cue up would have gifted a playoff place and possible relegation.
In 2010 again you could not have done it.
2009 1 point difference.
In 2008 when we last had 12 teams. Both 9th and 10th could have made the top 8 dependent on the last fixture.
In 2007 (again a year with 12 teams) 8 -11 were covered by 3 points.

So in effect with a 14 team league you have the best opportunity to rest those last games. But even then it would generally only be for the last game of the year.

The points from the "regular season" are carried over so the team finishing first are already well ahead of the 8th team when the playoffs start, clearly giving them a massive advantage over the team in 8th.
I think the split is more like a continuation then a playoff - like making the cut in golf ( I think - I know nothing about golf!)