9th SL = 1
10th SL = 2
1st CH = 3
2nd CH = 4
11th SL = 5
12th SL = 6
3rd CH = 7
4th CH = 8

Think you always have to go for 1st, just because to win promotion you've got to have that winning mentality. Not sure which is better home against championship or super league. If you win all 4 home gains you're most of the way there & you’re most likely to beat the other Championship clubs. Still not sure it makes a massive difference. How do gates work though, would think with it only being 1 fixture it'd be a spit gate like a playoff game.

Don't see why. You have earned the right for the extra home fixture and technically it is a middle 8 league game.

Unless you were talking about the 4th v 5th playoff. Sorry didn't follow the thread properly Lowton

I think that the million pound game will be at a nuetral venue like the championship grand final.

No it won't

Yes it will.

The fourth placed team will be at home to the fifth placed team.

I can't imagine any team would play for second place and certainly not our team - regardless of the following fixtures.

It's all about risk/reward in that table between finishing 1st & 2nd.

I read it as :
1st gives you the best chance of finishing 4th/5th and getting into the playoff game.
2nd gives you a riskier chance of finishing 3rd and going up by right, but equally a higher risk of finishing 6th & missing out.

But ultimately, I think every head coach will go all out to win every game & the table will look after itself at the end of the regular season.

Will be interesting if our final game at Odsal defines who finishes top or 2nd though!
Lots of opportunity for conspiracy theories.....

Can we revisit this thread towards the end of the season.
A lot of twists and turns before any of it happens!

I think there is a difference between getting into SL and being ready for SL.
We did the former in 2005.
But being ready means being able to compete with and beat the lower SL teams, home or away.
If we are truly ready, the Middle 8 format will matter less with this fantastic set of lads.
We are not going to buy a new team for SL

In an 8 team league where each team plays each other only once I'd be pretty confident of being in the top three with 10 points. Even 8 could be enough and would be sure of top 5. Finishing top would be the best option. I think the way this is set up pretty much means if you go up you're ready. Going to be a great end to the season and well done to the RFL for pushing this through. For once I think they've got it right.