Don't fully understand it tbh, but from what I have read it just seems very complicated and I'm not sure how we can have full time professionals against part timers. One sided games etc maybe. Not good

Wonder how it will impact on us paying fans? We will probably pay a season ticket price for the first games then have to pay inflated prices for the second part.

i only hope that we can too yed as i would hate to turn into a mediocre side like bradford as some pundits have predicted

I'm sure the usual suspects will get to the play offs , but is the idea to get mini play offs in the divisions of 8 till they find enough teams for the end of season play offs ? Can't beat keeping the competition simple.

i actually believe that there is an incentive here under this new proposal to win the majority of your regular seasons games and finish as high up the top 4 as you can

i also believe that regular season ticket holders would see a far more competitive league and thus get a better value for money product with not having 27 rounds of meaningless fixtures

if i am correct would this not eliminate sides from just tossing it off in the regular seasons games to finish in the play off positions, rather than sides making sure they win enough games for a guaranteed top 4 finish and thus treat the regular rounds more seriously?

How will the groups be made up though ? After 23 games will it be 1-8 ,9-16 & 17-24 finishing positions to make up the groups ?

Top eight make up the top league of 8 and that's the grand final play offs.

The middle league of 8, made up of the bottom 4 of Superleague and the top 4 of the championship, play off for promotion to the Superleague.

The bottom league of 8 seem to be playing for nothing.


This is how it seems the new system will work.

How I understand it.
Top League of 8 - regular season followed by 7 games, then a play off of 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 for GF spots. Points accumulated during regular season retained for final placings
Mid 8 - This will involve 8 full time clubs, it will consist of the bottom 4 SL1 in the regular season and the top 4 in SL2 regular season. The SL2 clubs are likely to be the 2 relegated 2014 who will probably remain FT with the payments being rumoured and this seasons top 2 in the championship as they get £600k. The odds will be favoured in the bottom 4 to retain SL status but you could have a Wakey on its backside for example playing on a reduced budget in the eight with a fev on a higher budget due to financial stability, investment and the 600k - the top 3 from this eight retain status with 4 v 5 for the last SL1 spot. The SL2 clubs play 4 home games. That 4 v 5 game will be huge
Bottom 8 are playing to avoid relegation as I understand 2 go down

This was proposed last year so may be changed before we get the details confirmed.

I see it as the elite have a more intensive comp, with only the top 4 involved in the play offs - everything to play for all season, clubs wont be able to field weakened teams as often by choice and there should be one hell of a scrap 4-10.

I expect like many things in SL this will get scrapped after a few years, probably 2015 and 2016 fans will criticise it and the RFL will insist it is working, then 2017 coaches will start becoming more and more outspoken against the system, England will lose the semi final or final of the World Cup and we will have a review of our system and there will be a great fanfare announcement "SL returning to its former format from 2018"

I can see the rationale behind it, they want to provide some incentive for clubs that don't make the playoffs and make all the end of season matches count. However for this to work we will need at least four clubs in the second division to be able to run full time professional squads, for that middle group to work.

The danger is we will see clubs like Widnes, Wakefield, Castleford finishing outside the top 8 of Super League but having enough about them to cause upsets on their day beating the top clubs, because they do have some pretty decent players. Then they will drop in to the mid tier for the playing against relegation battle and we will get results like Wakefield 76 Halifax 8, Widnes 64 Featherstone 2 and there will be no real excitement about the 'promotion' battle.

Remember that 1997 World Club Championship thing where our clubs just weren't at the races to compete with the Aussie teams so you got Auckland Warriors who were bottom of their league, smashing 60 odd past Bradford who were unbeaten at the top of SL...

Thanks fevfan76 , i am going for a lie down in a dark room now with an ice pack on my head.