There are flaws with the new system and I really think that extra fixture in the 2nd phase of the season should be used for magic but I'm quietly optimistic about it.

totally agree..and further more crown them as champs..

Our season ticket prices (Leeds) have gone up to reflect the new structure. For my seat it is an increase of £36 but for that you get 11 homes games of the regular season and then 4 games of the 'super 8's' (if we finish top 4 in the 'regular season') or 3 games if we finish 5th to 8th so ineffect no increase as we are getting more home games included than is the case now and one extra if you finish top 4

1st play 2,3,5,6 home- 4,7,8. away.
2nd play 3,4,6,7 home- 1,5,8. away.
3rd play 4,5,7,8 home-1,2,6 away.
4th play 5,6,8,1 home- 2,3,7 away.
5th play 6,7,2 home- 1,3,4,8 away
6th play 7,8,3 home-1,2,4,5 away
7th play 8,1,4 home- 2,3,5,6 away
8th play 1,2,5 home- 3,4,6,7 away.

It would be our luck that if Wire finished top we'd get away games at both Hull clubs and Catalan!

Sorry for the bump....just thought it would be interesting to see how this season would look using the new structure now that the regular season is done. Assuming it will be home then away:

Stains (A) Wigan (H) Hudds (A) Leeds (H) Castleford (A) Catalan (H) Widnes (A)

How's that for a set of fixtures?!

Alternatively, we'd be in the top four stage by now and... well sorry lads, we'd be out already.

I'm so excited for this next year, every game really will matter! Imagine if our last game was v Widnes to decide which of us went to the knock out stage!

I'm sure the club are having more season tickets printed on the strength of the new format.

I think this is much needed and will be great!

When it sunk home that you don't have to finish up the top during the regular season (and when you do, you don't particularly earn that much more money and fans of other clubs are constantly saying "it means nothing" if you win the LLS), it really has dropped a level.

Sky have made this sport a one game sport. They put so much emphasis on the Grand Final that they've made it feel like that's the only big game of the season. They ignore the Challenge Cup too which devalues that competition. They barely mention it, just because they don't really show live games (the odd one) or have the final; the BBC don't show Super League games but have a highlights show on it.

There may be other factors too like the lack of decent Aussie quality coming over and more of our top quality leaving to play there or in Union, refs letting teams get away with lying on in big games just because that's what happens in State of Origin which I think doesn't work for our games (even though it does in SoO, as strange and hard to explain as that is), the lack of biff and the total overreaction when it does happen ...but I do feel we've gone a bit stale as a sport.

These changes will be great! I think this will give this sport a kick up the it needs. The new World Club Challenge format will be fanstastic for the sport as a worldwide entity too. I think the Aussies will have some decent sponsors involved in that too.

We need this sport to grow. Not just in this country but in other counties around the world too. Let's hope this is a kick start to that happening!

The main problem with any WCC is that teams are coming into it cold ,straight from pre season with probably a very different team to the one that qualified them to take part.
I would think a better way would be to put the emphasis on top of the table being champions ,top four from here & down under in the WCC & remainder of SL teams to play off for a sky end of season trophy ,final at OT.That would still produce some good competitive matches.

So, I think I'm with it.

Can (and how many, if so) any League 1 teams be promoted into the Championship? and conversely, can (and how many, if so) any Championship clubs be relegated into League 1?

The more I think about the restructure the more i like it. The big problem that most people have seemed to have with the current structure is the perceived apathy to the weekly rounds as clubs only really have to be in the top 8, which for the better sides hasn't proved to be a problem. The issue the rfl had is that when it was a top 5 or 6 there were too many dead rubber games which also didn't engage the fans.

Under the new system the teams at the bottom will find they are in a promotion battle after the first 20 rounds, the top 8 face a really big battle to make the 4 and there is the potential for well run clubs in the championship to make the transition to the top 12 having already played superleague sides and proved their worth to get there. Also the sides who find themselves in the bottom tier have a trophy to play for rather than just trying to avoid relegation or being happy to make mid table.

There should be very few dead rubber games under this format, I really like the way the rfl have thought outside the box on league structures. Also good luck to any team with any aspirations to make the top 4 if they think they can show any apathy to the weekly rounds, this season has shown that it is not easy to make the top 4. With only 3 points separating 1st and 5th every single match should be viewed as a must win.

Now all they need to sort out is the standard of the officiating and the removal of Eddie and stevo and everybody will be happy.

Every game would also be meaningful if top meant champions.