I sincerely hope the RFL's back up plan isn't to go to 13 clubs. If it is, they seriously haven't thought about how that affects the Magic Weekend!
It is impossible to have an odd number of teams play an odd number of games in a season. It mathematically doesn't work, so those suggesting a SL club should just play a Championship club as a friendly to make the fixtures even (no one on here that I've seem yet but seem it suggested plenty in the past) haven't considered who they'll play their extra SL game against.

Assuming the Broncos do drop out, if the RFL wants to keep the Magic Weekend, which I'm sure they do, they'll either have to get rid of another team (which would be completely unfair... unless another team volunteers to drop out/goes bust, which would make things a lot simpler!) or add another team.

If they add another team, they won't have long to prepare, and chances are they'd get relegated straight away with the drop to 12 teams in 2015.
Toulouse would offset any bad publicity about retreating to the heartlands but I doubt they could build a squad in time anywhere near able to compete.
Sheffield are currently the best side but don't have the backing.
So I guess that leaves Featherstone. Most consistent side over the last few years. Major backing. Ground improvements visible.

Don't see the damage having them in for one year would do. Would be better than 13 teams and cancelling the Magic Weekend.

Team that wins this years championships grand final

Drop it to 12, apparently all will be fine if clubs smash the lower league clubs, surely there will be no shortage of volunteers to drop for a season and play for an extra season in the lower leagues

thats fine in 50 years time, but what about now?

I'm neither confused or upset, this stupid idea will only benefit my club, the lower levels of the game will be set back about 10years by it, but my team gets more big games against other big clubs and is guaranteed to only ever compete at the top of this rl pyramid.

I'm simply questioning the clear and obvious failure of logic that says SL needs to be restructured because SL needs more money so lets take 2/16ths so the money currently put in SL and give it to the league below which is currently very close on the pitch, and off, so we can create a massive discrepancy in funding in that league, so the top is miles way from the bottom (in terms of funding) and entrench an even bigger gap in funding between the top of SL and the top of the championship.

Also football is an awful example, outside the very top of the premiership the entire game is a big financial Jenga. Plenty of football clubs go buts, plenty are on the precipice.

You think the new structure will set at least part of the game back 10 years. If the new structure is left in place, I believe the game as a whole in this country will be a LOT stronger in ten years' time.

We'll see.

What planet are you on. Castleford's attendances are way ahead of London's. They have a stadium of their own, however humble. London are homeless at the end of this season. I woukld think they produce as many juniors at the broncos. Given the disparity in criowd size, it beggars reason to think that the Broncos sales are any better.

Since Powell became coach their playing record is much improved also. London are rock bottom by quite a distance and leak points like a rusty sieve. London's display in the CC semi final contributed to the image of SL in a most remarkable fashion.

That's the simplest idea put forward yet, It could mean that the team promoted would be the whipping boys but this is what the top championship teams have been asking for anyway. The Grand Final winners should have the option to decline and make a stronger challenge in 2015 and the runners up then have the chance. The whole P+R system is thankfully coming back anyway so whats wrong with this years GF winners having an early crack........................................And even if they were given only a quarter of the funds that have been chucked at the broncos they can't do any worse

Really? What you took from that is I thought London were better than Cas? And that we should compare them to decide who stayed in SL?

You could fit the crowds of the Broncos in a decent sized NCL ground.

Oh we'll if London have small crowds its entirely clear that fev are the new brisbane

All this talk about Magic weekend not been able to go ahead with an uneven number of teams is rubbish.

They could do two days of three matches with he other team having a match somewhere else in the season or even just have magic weekend for the top 8 teams and do it over a day.

No worse than when London play there, maybe better since they have some local players who have some passion for the club.

London Broncos share with a top class RU outfit and the behomoth that is England RU are within spitting distance. In comparison I think Castleford, Fev and Trinity being in close competition is small beer.

You can't have an uneven number in a Maguc Weekend format. It's mathematically impossible and it's been done to death on these boards. Get a pen and paper and pretend to do a season in that scenario. It won't work.

Smokey for your encyclopaedia of all RL knowledge - at least two teams currently in the championship will be FT in 2015, and I will support that with a £500 charity bet if you disagree