www.superleague.co.uk/2015_a_new_era save it to your hard drive.

www.superleague.co.uk/2015_a_new_era save it to your hard drive.

Just read it - think we knew all this already except for what they've called it all?

'the Million Pound Game'

Also championship shield seems ridiculous - Well done on finishing 5th! Do you need a fake incentive for that group of 8 other than avoid relegation? Maybe so...

I do like that Super League is effectively top 4 playoff - 1v4 and 2v3 then Grand final. Great.

[i"At this stage it is intended that the Summer Bash and one match from every week of the Qualifiers will be broadcast live."[/i

Slightly disappointing that there won't be ANY weekly games from the Championship on tv. Only the weekend in Blackpool and some of the playoff games are to be shown.
Although it does say 'live', so I suppose there is still some scope for pre-recorded games to be shown.

It's still a backward step from when the champ games were on premier sports, it almost feels like Sky have bought the rights to the championship but then aren't bothering to do anything with it?

The new Challenge Cup structure is interesting. Top 8 in SL joining at round of 16 now instead of at round of 32

Not a fan of this. The RFL are going to end up saturating the big games in their quest to make very game count. Whoever finishes in top 8 next year will get huge advantages for seasons to come.


Cannot believe dual reg will still be in effect next year! It's a farce now. It's opened to being abused unless the RFL are tight on it.

But the new structure as not been completely finalized, they have not yet decided which points scoring system is going to be implemented.

Also the 'summer bash' for the championship teams according to the link will only feature 3 matches each day, therefore 2 x championship clubs will not be part of the 'summer bash'. Just a typical amateurish press release by the RFL.

There will only be 12 championship sides next year...

That was my first reaction to the document too. I might have misinterpreted previous statements but I had kind of got the idea that we would have no Championship games bar the Grand Final this year, but Championship TV coverage would make a blazing return in 2015. That appears not to be the case, in which case it's extremely disappointing. I had thought the plan was to increase the profile of the Championship and let viewers get to know the teams/personalities, but that seems not to be the case.

When the bottom four teams enter the Challenge Cup, what will the Top 8 do as I presume the last 16 match will be before the split. i.e. cant fit Last 16, QF and SF all between split and the final???? (Unless the plan is to play Last 16, QF and SF in a three week block in late July/ early Aug?)

That would be mad, as get knocked out in Last 16 and rest for two weeks

So Hull might have a chance of coming top for once in the Qualifiers next season?

To answer my own point. Play the R5 game after Easter programme (maybe even allow a Top 8 clash to be moved to that weekend if clubs agree). Play one game a week, means 1 extra week to the season? Start last week in Jan/ first week in Feb and run through to 2 week in Oct

If the SL were to finish today, then:

Widnes in 8th trail Cas in 4th by 8 points. Then then play each team above them once, and, since their existing points transfer over to the "new" 8 team table, they'd have to overall this 8 points deficit (and in reality exceed it considerably) to have any chance of finishing in the top 4 and qualifying for the SL play off semi finals.

Which means, to me, they are actually worse off than under the current PO system, and are playing 7 more meaningless games.

NB - Widnes are just being used to illustate my point (based on the current table) and its no way a personal slight on that club.

Except when the bottom team/s realise they can no longer make the top eight so rest all their players in preparation to give their all in ensuring they have every opportunity of retaining their SL place. Equally, should a championship team be far enough in front of fifth position they will also rest their key players.

Effectively Trinity might as well rest their players all season and come out firing in the last seven games.

Oh, and the non-fed allowance, is there going to be parity between the divisions?