I don't think any new team will come up, I think all super league teams will come back up next year.
McGuire's contract apparently is dependant on Hull KR gaining promotion which I don't think they will, Mosoe has an option for 2018 to stay at Rovers but again I think he will only stay if they got promotion so I think we will see him at another club next year. Hopefully here

I think moving from the Champ to SL requires a lot of work and money to ensure that when you get there, you stay there. I suspect that only HKR currently have the players and infrastructure to make the jump and I don't expect the other 3 clubs to feature at the top of the 8's. That is why the middle 8's are a bit like the emperors new clothes, I think if you asked Halifax they would say that they don't (currently) expect to achieve SL, and even if they did by a miracle, they would not be prepared for it.

So, the 8's are really all about who drops into the Champ. from Widnes, Leigh, Catalans and Wire. In that respect, it could depend on who gets a bit of momentum going, who is the least nervous and which teams have built a bit of confidence and team spirit team. On paper, Wire should be at or very close to the top of the 8's, but we have seen a very different Wire in a lot of the regular rounds of SL to what we expected. There is still room for upsets / lady luck / lack of team spirit etc to change expectations. It's a very good reason for playing the best team we have against Widnes and getting some momentum.

Hull kr are a cert for the £m game. I wouldn't bet against them vs any of the SL 4.

I think that Hull KR should have a decent shot at coming back up.

Apart from never being an easy trip for those that have them away, they've recently been in SL, have experience of M8's and the dreaded £1m game and would probably see this next phase of games as nothing to lose in comparison to the SL teams.

BTW not saying they are limited to only getting to the £1m game, but, who'd fancy playing them in a one off?

.

Has anyone heard TS use the term middles 8s yet?

I only ask because the recent interviews now it's a cert were in them....he refers to it just as a new competition and doing Leeds. He wont say middle 8s.
Doing a Leeds grinds my gears. Why not do what Wire are supposed to do next season.

Considering the news article of a few weeks ago where going back to a 14 team superleague was mentioned for as early as 2018 ,does Mr Smith know something we don't & could the format change over the next 2 weeks?

Look at the scenario ( Toronto Toulouse Catalan). If it hasn't by 2019, it means there could be only 9 British teams in SL.
Meaning for much of the season, there can only be 4 all British games per week at the most.

Wire
Catalans
Hull KR
Leigh v Widnes in the cretinously titled 'Million Pound Game'

2 big games in championship this weekend, but as it stands now with Leigh beating Salford it looks like.

Catalan
HKR
Leigh
Featherstone at home

Widnes
London
Halifax or Toulose away.

Thought i would feel miffed to have to play Widnes away but now it means we have Leigh at home and not away I'm not bothered. How does everyone else feel about it?

Well i know we have a decent record at Widnes, but i would of prefered them at home. That pitch is awful and it always feels dark there, really poor lighting.

And that's at 3pm!

London have a similar pitch