Well today is the day apparently that the League structure is sorted,or is it? Personally I don’t think anything will be agreed and it will just keep rolling on.

Unfortunately, I don't think the structure that they decide upon is particularly important. Whatever they pick will have it's advantages and disadvantages and will probably wear out in 3-4 years time.

What is important is 1) how we are going to bring more money into the sport (spectator and audience figures are falling) and 2) how we get more youngsters playing the game ( the numbers continue to fall and hence so does the overall quality of the youngsters).


I hear that Fev played their last match with only 14 players because that was all they had available (despite being partnered with Leeds). I think that probably says it all for me.

The partnership with Leeds, is likely to be have been to a cause of the problem.

Dual registration is NOT allowed during the play-offs.

The 2 clubs must decide which team a player is eligible for prior to the series commencing & then said player can only be selected for that team only.

Essentially this robs championship teams of players that have played lots of games for them previously, since Super League teams opt to retain their players to cover for injuries to other players

Sounds like the SL proposal has been voted through, with 66% in favour.

You have to have played so many games in the regular season to be eligible to play in the 8s...Morgan Smith and Pat Moran have continued to play for Rochdale but can also play for Warrington, hence they are in the squad for tonight.

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... h-super-8s

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... h-super-8s

Another change. The RFL is a laughing stock.

So the format was changed to Super 8s in 2015 to address a problem. Has that problem gone away now?


Remember back in 2014 … RFL chief executive Nigel Wood believes that the changes herald a new era for the sport.“The changes will ensure that every minute of every match in every competition matters and are being implemented following the most comprehensive consultation process in the sport’s history,” he said.
“The return of promotion and relegation in a format that is financially sustainable for all clubs should ensure fans are entertained from February to October, with an exciting season punctuated by a series of world-class events commencing with the World Club Challenge and finishing at Old Trafford with the Super League Grand Final.”

Fully expect another change in 3 years or so. The problem isnt the structure it's low intensity games, boring games played at silly times.

Totally agree finish bottom off you go..finish top you get promoted.. Its reward for a seasons hard toil..and justice if your bottom of the pile...no 2nd bite of the cherry...seems logic to me

All true, particularly the last bit - if you've got falling attendances then making the games more difficult to get to (by playing Thursday night) isn't the solution! It is all very well saying that we need the TV money but we also need money from fans coming through the gate - most SL clubs are far more dependent on attendances than say a PL football club.

The Middle 8s at least made things interesting for the lower half of the SL.

So what are these "six additional fixtures" that are going to be played after the regular season and before the play-offs? I may have missed it, but in all the articles I have read about the restructure, there has been no mention of how these six fixtures will be decided upon. Whatever it is, it doesn't solve the problem we've had for years now (thanks to Magic Weekend) that the regular season isn't a level playing field. I'd have much preferred a 16-team Super League (and we're actually at a rare point in time where there might just be enough depth for that), with home and away fixtures equalling 30 games. If you still want a Magic Weekend (and I don't), simply make it a regular round of fixtures played at one venue, with teams giving up their home advantage in alternate years.

Except of course promotion will be decided via a top 5 play off, the same format as the SL structure- so although unlikely the team fifth in Champ can be promoted

From memory, it will be odds v evens based on league fixtures the previous year

1 v 2, 6 and 10 at home and 4, 8 and 12 away.

2 v 3, 7 and 11 at home, 1, 5 and 9 away.


Also it appears that the Magic fixtures will NOT be against any of the teams in the loop fixtures to avoid over saturation as in Wigan v Wire this year.

To me the loop fixtures offer an opportunity to go on the road again. Responsibility for the marketing and projection of the fixture to be by both clubs with the revenue being shared. After all as I understand it the intention is to improve and project the competition and this is a way to do it.Possible venues to be at those interested in hosting at RLWC in 2021
Saints v Wigan at Coventry
Cas v Wire at Villa Park. Etc

Rogues, you have seven additional fixtures here, is that correct? I thought that the season was 29 games next year, I assume that includes Magic Weekend, and six others, plus 22 regular season games?

Ignore me, I should read stuff twice on a Sunday.