How do the Aussies cope with 26 rounds?

Then:

Qualifying Finals

Semi Finals

And Grand Final?

The two top teams will play 29 – 30 games.

Then there’s the SoO games for the very best players and international games.

If they can do it, why can’t we?

Maybe not, but if we are talking about restructuring into two Super Leagues, what happens to the unfashionable teams who are left out of the party ?

There are two bye weeks for each club. They only play 24 league games in total. So for a top 2 club player appearing in every game they are looking at 27 max.


For Origin the selected players don't play for their clubs the weekend before.

They have one mid-season international. played in May before Origin starts and most players tend to back up at the weekend as well.

Still less games than over here

Historically we basically have:

Tier 1
St's
Leeds

Tier 2
HFC
Warrington
Bradford
Wigan

Tier 3
HKR
Hudds
Wakey
Cats

Tier4
Crus
Quins
Salford


Whilst teams may move up or down one tier, at the moment there still isn't the spread of talent for teams to jump/drop 2 or 3 tiers each season like in the NRL. A lot comes down to financial capacity of clubs. When all clubs can afford the full salary cap and provide the coaching and training facilities equally we may see a more equal spread of talent and more intensity week in and week out.

One of the problems at the moment is not all clubs are operating on a full cap.

Sure Tony. I assume you are volunteering Warrington to move into the Championship to help this happen?

Thought not. C0ck.

Two conferences of 10 teams.

Play each other home and away = 18 games

Top four from each conference qualify to play off for SL title.

GAME 1 1ST CONF A v 4TH CONF B

GAME 2 1ST CONF B v 4TH CONF A

GAME 3 2ND CONF A v 3TH CONF B

GAME 4 2ND CONF B v 3TH CONF A

SEMI-FINAL

GAME 5 WINNER GAME 1 v WINNER GAME 3 (highest placed winner has home advantage)

GAME 6 WINNER GAME 2 V WINNER GAME 4 (highest placed winner has home advantage)

FINAL

GAME 7 WINNER GAME 5 v WINNER GAME 6

No second chances producing half hearted matches, perform or you’re out regardless of who you are or where you finished. In time this should breed the intensity to match the NRL.

I’m sure Peacock et al will be more than accommodating with reduced pay due to playing less matches, easing the strain of having more SL teams on the SKY TV purse.

I've mentioned this a couple of times on here already, but view is that SL should be split into two divisions, which operate side by side, not one on top of the other. The divisions would be loosely based on the heartland regions, one for Lancs and one for Yorks with expansion clubs in each. The divisions would have 10-12 teams in each. Teams in each division would play each other home and away in the league and would come together for the CC and the top three-four teams in each division would play each other in a play off series.

This way you increase the talent pool and numbers of pro players, you increase the numbers of both heartland and expansion clubs, you reduce the number of matches in a season, but the majority of SL matches would be local derbies (better for away support).

Also by doing this the likes of Paris, Barca and Toulouse could be included with Catalans. The RFL could establish a date when these four teams have to leave the two SL divisions and create their own SL division covering Spain and France with the possibility of Italy. Again these teams compete in CC and play off.

A further development could be set up after this whereby Welsh, Irish and Scottish teams are included in the first two divisions and eventually have to leave to create another SL division.

From there Germany and Holland?

Well there you go.

SL just needs re-organising, with a bye week or two thrown in. Scrap the “Magic Weekend” and we could be playing a similar amount of games as the NRL TP, if not even less. We could even possibly go to 16 clubs in the future.

There is the Challenge cup to think about, but the early rounds are often used to rest high profile players anyway. So the amount of games we play needn’t be that much more than what the NRL TP play.

No need for an unsustainable two tier SL or conferences

And that figure CAN be changed you know?

I would be reluctant to based the conferences on geographical grounds, in my mind that would reinforce the parochial nature of the sport.

I would like to see the make up of the two conferences drawn at random each season ensuring the games do not become stale. It could generate a bit of interest in the off season. The fixtures could then be announced a few weeks later.

I agree with Tony Smith and Jamie Peacock, Lets reduce the number of teams and the number of games. Then we can reduce their wages as well for doing less work

16 clubs is no good. We need the talent at 12 clubs, it's about quality games. We don't have enough to spread to 16 clubs let alone 14.


Don't get me started on the Challenge Cup.

If, or when, ready.

Back to the good old days then a Yorkshire League and a Lancashire League, then a play-off.

Actually I like the idea of 2 leagues/conferences. To satisfy the club's demand for games these could be padded out the same way as they do in NFL... each team plays a random selection of opponents from the other conference.