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?

I particularly like the fact that the two teams who finish ninth & tenth in S.L after the regular rounds are rewarded with four home ties in the Super 8s.

Ha ha, rewarded for finishing ninth or tenth.

They have finished ahead of 11th and 12th placed teams so why not?

They can still be relegated unlike 8 and higher so not that great.

Because the top four teams from the Championship should get the extra home game, as a reward for finishing in the top four.

This is where i think the system will fall down.

In both examples, that's the benefit of doing well enough in the regular season to ensure you can afford to do that?

I fail to see the issue.

Im sure for the first half of the season all clubs will be going full out to get top 8 but once the top 8 starts to become clearly out of realistic reach for the 3/4 clubs cut adrift (and this could quite easily be sorted with 8-10 games to play) then watch those sides start to turn their focus to the second phase and we will see some real drubbings.

just a hunch.we will see

I just give up, it's a farcical system. Another RL gimmick that will last 3-5 years at most hate to be negative but just don't get it, and if I don't how will casual fans and outsiders get it.

The only good thing is this is RL so give it a few years and we will have some other new innovative structure that will supposedly sort the games problems out.

Plus as a fan if a successful club all we have to do is scrape into the 8 and then play from there. May as well only start going to games after the split as Many fans of the over top 3-4 clubs.

Seems somewhat unfair that there is a massive salary cap difference. How are teams in the mid eight going to compete against sides with 00,000's of pounds more to spend on the squad?
1mill v 1.9mill, hmmm level playing field then?

Well, if im reading things correctly points from the regular season are carried over so the top 4 could already be a closed shop if those sides have been smashing the rest of the league for 23 games.teams 5 to 8 could very quickly have nothing to play for and we could again see drubbings.