The bottom clubs would improve by having to play the improved middle clubs in the first half of the season. This is not a quick fix but I believe as more clubs (4) would end up playing 'better' opponents than they would in a 1 up 1 down system (1) I think it would help improving the lower clubs at a quicker rate than 1 up 1 down. The same would also be true with the upper and lower Super League teams.

If lower SL clubs are playing championship clubs more often, they would be playing top SL clubs less often. This means that the lower SL clubs are playing at a lower standard. This isnt going to improve their performance.

Top SL clubs will be playing Top SL clubs more Often and lower SL clubs less often. This will improve their performance.

Top Championship clubs will play bottom SL clubs more often, and bottom championship clubs less and top SL clubs never. This will improve their performance, but they are playing clubs whose performance is falling so this will bring them closer relatively to the bottom SL clubs but get them progressively further away from the top SL clubs.

Bottom championship clubs will be destroyed.

The lower SL clubs will be playing upper SL clubs half the time which will improve their performance.

The upper Championship clubs will then be playing lower SL clubs for half the season which will improve their performance plus if they finish in the top half of the table next year they will play upper SL clubs - which will improve their performance again.

The lower Championship clubs will play the upper Championship clubs for half the season which will improve their performance and if they finish in the top half of the table they will play lower SL teams for the rest of the season which again will improve their performance.

As the second half of the season will feature three leagues of equally matched teams, the games will be competitive and more attractive to supporters which, if the clubs market it well, could lead to improved gates and better survival for all of the teams.

9/4/07 included 7 english players in the match day squad which means it isn't possible for 12 of the players you mentioned playing together and no where near the close to 15 as you suggested.
5/5/07 included 7 english players in the match day squad which means it isn't possible for 12 of the players you mentioned playing together and no where near the close to 15 as you suggested.
8/7/07 included 7 english players in the match day squad which means it isn't possible for 12 of the players you mentioned playing together and no where near the close to 15 as you suggested.

Now do everyone a favour and stop with the agenda and stop talking BS.
Ta.

They will be playing fewer SL clubs than they do now.

If they are promoted, someone is relegated, that would involve teams going from playing 27 games against SL oppostion, to 22, to 0. Any rational person can see that that team would drop in standards.

The bottom championship clubs wont be able to afford to compete with the top championship ones. They will be expected to compete with teams spending just under SL level wages with no real increase in funding.


Nobody will watch the last third (not 2nd half) of the third tier season. It would be pretty pointless. Large numbers of the top tier wouldnt have anything to to play for very early on after the split because they will be too far away and should a championship side lose 2 games against the other championship sides, its season is over. If the championship sides take points off each other, their season will be over. For most clubs, in most seasons, most to the season after the split will be dead rubbers.

The point Smokey is making is that you are only assuming teams improve when they play better opposition. If that is the case then reverse must also be possible that the lower 4 teams from SL1 will deteriorate when they split and play the top for sides from the second league.

Hence the gap between the Top 8 and the next league in fact grows........

It's safe to say I totally disagree with your view. But, to stop us going backwards and forwards with us both saying the other is wrong, I will stop here. Unfortunately, unless the clubs and the RFL are brave enough to actually implement the 2/12:3/8 structure, neither of us will convince the other that they were right.

Rubbish.

Supporters of those teams in the 3rd 8 will be hoping that they can finish in the top 4 and so get into the plays-offs with the hope of a grand final win and/or avoid finishing at the bottom and hence being relegated out of Super League 2 for the following season.




The current structure is no good as, unless you are at top 6 SL level, the whole season for the whole game has become a dead rubber in your terms.

The 12/12;8/8/8 must be ratified (allied with a compromise on the distribution of central funds from the RFL to the clubs) thus creating a pyramid structure as exists in soccer in this country.

Unless this potential gangway to the top of the pyramid is put in place, potential financial backers waiting in the wings to put money & expertise into current Championship clubs will walk away. It is irrelevant to argue that no team will manage to get promoted from SL2 to SL1 (by finishing in the top 4 of the 2nd eight). The simple fact of the potential being there will bring money and growth to the game lower down the pyramid which will in turn be of long term benefit to the top 6 level Super League clubs - if ony they would take their blinkers off and see it.

On the 2nd of September 2007 Hull FC played Hull KR at the KC stadium. In their Squad Hull KR include Lennon, Dyer, Lovegrove, Bauer, Webster, Vella, Fisher, Tandy, O'niel, Gene, Gannon and Tangata-Toa. That is 12 overseas players in a match day squad.

Your argument that 3 times Hull KR ONLY fielded 10 overseas players is fsking embarrassing. The fact you entirely ignored a game to help your argument doubly so.

Happy to Help

Yeah I can well imagine the a play-offs grand final to be the 5th best team in SL2 or the 17th best team in the two divisions being on par with the Superbowl.

Any-one dropping out of SL 2 will be dropping in to the equivalent of C1, the drop there is as big, if not bigger than the drop from SL to the Championship ever was. It will damage hugely anyone who drops out.


No it hasnt.

if all we need to do is sell them a myth. We could just lie.

If you are a rugby league supporter, you are going to have to alter the impression your posts portray of you.

The consensus I have have is that rugby league supporters think the recent grand finals' day at Leigh Sporting Village was a fantastic event enjoyed by all. The Batley v Sheffield match was excellent. I don't know why you'd want to denigrate it by describing it as a play-off to see who's 15th or 16th best team in the game but that's up to you.

On your second point, it will be interesting to see if Leeds Rhinos' "reserves", Hunslet Hawks, will be "hugely damaged" following their unfortunate last day of the season relegation to Championship 1. I doubt it.

so the players union are also backing the clubs now... great, looks like this stupid splitting into 3 leagues is a no go

I'm not even sure it was damaging at all in the medium term. You could argue that Wigan's rise to dominance could be traced back to the turmoil (and determination to change things) which followed the relegation.