Why does there have to be a chance for 5-8th to make the finals? They know at the start of the season how the structure works, if they are too far behind after 23 rounds they have to deal with it, we shouldn't bend the structure in their favour. reward the best teams for being the best teams and its up to the ones in the group behind them to improve and give themselves a chance rather than rely on the structure to help them.

Problem some teams have is mindset.

We need to be in the top 8 after 23 Rounds
Then
We need to be in the top 4 after 30 Rounds

If they take the approach that they should be in (or as close as possible to) the Top 4 throughout the year then maybe they wouldn't find themselves so far adrift come the Super 8.

Look at Hull for example. Throughout the season it seemed their focus was just trying to stay ahead of HKR and Widnes.....not keeping on the coat tails of Wigan, Hudds etc. That is their failure, not the system.

40 points looks like the target you need to achieve to be a Top 4 team. Target that at the start of the season.

But what do the clubs who don't make the top 6 do from July onwards? Surely they cannot have a seven month off-season?!

I really like the new system. I think it's been a great season so far. I can't remember a more intense regular season for a long time. Four teams have a possibility of topping the table going into the final regular season round. With bigger prize money than ever before for finishing top and for each place higher in the table you finish, a chance for the top two to have home advantage in the semis, plus Wire and Cas are going to want to finish the season on a high and scupper a home semi game for their opposition without either team actually having a chance themselves.

It all still shows that games aren't meaningless for almost all teams even in the final week, also that there've only been a handful of "meaningless" games (even with teams who couldn't make the top 4 they were still playing teams who could most weeks so all those games had something big riding on them, only really games like Wire v Catalans yesterday that really had nowt riding on them) where in seasons past teams have cruised through a whole regular season and still knew they'd make the Play-offs and string a few wins together with a fresh squad and you could get second chances if you lost as well.

There was a huge lack of jeopardy. Now you have to do well most weeks to have a chance and the no second chance of the Play-offs is going to be intense and making the GF more of a prize than ever before as it's never been harder to get there because as Cas Wire Catalans and Hull have experienced this season, every minute has mattered to make sure you're in with that shout and none of us are.

But they'll also be relieved that there's no chance of getting relegated. A team could finish 9th on points difference and then go down with a terrible run of form or an unprecedented amount of injuries and see themselves finish 6th in the Qualifiers and be in the Championship the year after. I'm sure a club would rather have nowt to play for in the Super 8s than have hat threat.

Speaking to Fax fans last week before and after the game and to a man they were unanimous that despite the fact theyd lost every game up to then ( and expected to lose to us ) theyd enjoyed the structure

Just perusing t'other forum and spotted a good point, had we had 1 up 1 down then quite possibly Wakey could have imploded weeks ago, yes they still might drop out of SL but have been at least been able to fight to the end

As for top 8/4 the system doesn't need to chance - clubs approach to it does

Leeds seem always to know just how to maximise efficiency in the table, being well placed in previous years to the playoffs and now this year knowing top spot had most benefit, only slightly dented by winning the CC but still able to claim top

This season was always a case of finish high as possible after 23 rounds, some clubs deciding being in the top 8 was ok, and are adrift now

Cas and Wire weren't up to top 4 this season, I'm sure next will be different

Super structure

Next years gonna be even better

That is a point I had thought about before. Like last year, Hull have had nothing to play for at the back end of the season (we missed out on the top

. However, it didn't seem as bad this year as we had at least achieved something by being in the right side of the split. Last year just felt like a disappointment all round.

If we continue in mid table, then it will become a drag, but we know now what we need to do to get it the top four and that's play better all year, not just hope it comes together at the end of the season. Teams will learn and evolve as the structure ages.

The top 8's have seen 230,888 fans at 24 games averaging 9,620 a game, 8% down on those home clubs average and 9% down on comparable fixtures earlier in the season. 3rd games don't seem to be as attractive as Blake Solly thought!

The Middle 8's have seen 100,254 fans attend 24 games averaging 4,386 a game which is 5% UP against the seasons averages. Where there was a comparable fixture there is a 3% drop in attendances. Where a SL side has visited a Champ side the attendances have been 26% UP on seasons averages and the drop is 10% when a Champ side visits a SL one.

The Bottom 8 has seen 23,230 fans attend 28 matches at 830 a game, which is a disappointing 30% down on the seasons averages and 15% down on the corresponding fixtures

Overall crowds are down against both seasons averages and comparable fixtures where available by 11% which is disappointing given that these games are now pre-paid in many cases.

The "new" fixtures in the middle 8 are the saving grace of this system, where fans have shown that they will turn out to see unique fixtures rather than a third meeting between teams, but something needs to be done to get the SL and lower Championship clubs fans more engaged.