The season would be 1 game shorter under this proposal, but I agree that loop fixtures are a farce. I'd rather see the season start later in better weather, and have more space for international games, friendlies with NRL sides etc but of course the SL sides just want cash through the turnstiles.

More rumours going round today the structure will change for 2019. Apparently we are going to a 12 team Super League, play 5 clubs 3 times 6 clubs twice with a top 5 play off.

How many complained when Leeds won it from 5th? But we go back to a system where that’s possible.

Presuming the top 5 play off is as before, you could end up playing the same club 7 times a season.
3 x league, 1 x cup, 2 x play offs 1 x friendly.

This is a poor knee jerk decision that has been rushed in at the last minute. Expect another new structure in a few years time.

1st you say it's a rumour going round,then you say it's been rushed in at the last minute. Make your mind up.

Is it any wonder you're not taken seriously on here?

A team winning it from 5th in itself isn't an issue. Ideally we should want to have a play off system where it is possible a team finishing 5th or 6th can actually win the whole thing.

Erm, don't we already have 12 teams in SL.

The fixture structure you mention though is sheer nonsense, but will be classed as forward thinking, unique or other such rubbish. Good old RFL eh?

I believe Pearson is the driving force behind the changes, which have to be voted in by the clubs.

Source?

I think the main beef with the Leeds winning from 5th was that the top 8 system that didn't provide enough of a test for a team finishing lower down the league. If a team wins 3 games away from home then a grand final as a part of a top 5, that teams legitimacy as champions is a lot stronger.

I suspect that the clubs ideally would like to go to 14 teams and get Toulouse and Toronto in but it is all dependent on how much the SKY deal gets in the way of that.

Given the meeting is on the 14th of this month the clubs will have a good idea as to the final outcome of the qualifiers. Maybe it will be a case of looking at the teams and fitting a structure around that.

There probably isn't one. He's just trying to stir up jobby as usual.

The old top five format was probably the one that rewarded league placing better than any we have previously. It provided the top placed team with with a week off and a potential direct route to the final (rewarding finishing in first), the teams finishing 2-3 had a lifeline in week one, and the trapdoor was open for 4-5.

I think one of the arguments for scrapping it was that for clubs playing in the final, there was debate over whether the momentum of not having a break before the final gave an advantage to the loser of the Qualifying Semi, but I wonder just how big an advantage / disadvantage that was.

But of all the play-off systems we have had, I think it did better to hold the interest of supporters and reward season-long performance.

The plan is 11 H and 11 A games, 6 loop fixtures and Magic Weekend, meaning 29 games. Each club will get 14 H fixtures then, which is equal to now.

The main beef with a team winning it from 5th was that it was Leeds.

After the top 5 and GF’s pretty much were the same teams/finalists/winners each year people thought more playoffs spots would provide different finalists/winners and wouldn’t have minded if it was a new champion winning from 5th. After winning it from 2nd and 1st three years on the trot people weren’t expecting/hoping it to be Leeds to be the team finishing 5th and winning it.

Or, finding a structure that can ensure the inclusion of Toronto and Toulouse.
We might end up with a 16 club top flight, just to ensure that they are in there or
to ensure that the "mighty" Leeds are not relegatedicon_eek.gif

It's quite incredible that the structure will be agreed when the season is effectively over, which leaves us looking downright inept and smacks of either favouritism or utter incompetence.

Source

The issue of celebrating winning trophies from any league position isn't something that will be troubling Leeds for a while.