They won't want Toulouse, surely?

Looks like I’m in the minority that feel this is a positive move. The 14 teams structure needed to happen eventually and when it did there was always going to be a year or 2 of pain to go with it for the clubs coming in so why delay it. Delaying it simply delays the timeline of getting them up to speed. 


We will now have an extra game to show on Sky ahead of the TV deal renewal in 2027 which will assist our negotiations.


Yes there are concerns over player quality and development but it’s a chicken and egg scenario and if the clubs that come up don’t move quickly to put the structures in place then their stay in SL will be short lived until we find a club that does. 


If I’m honest I expect 1 club to come up abd potentially go back down for a year maybe 2 until we get the right balance. 


The awarding criteria is open to interpretation though for the 13th & 14th clubs picked by a panel rather than IMG rating and that doesn’t sit comfortably with me, I think that leaves us open to a legal can of worms. 


If I were I betting man I think York and Toulouse are nailed on.


I also expect Salford to drop out with one of London or Bradford to replace them.

It's just ridiculous that we are constantly changing the top tier of the sport. I guarantee that in 4 or 5 years we'll have another structure or process in place, probably in the form of a buyout from the NRL if this doesn't work. It's very tiring as a fan.


Yes loop fixtures are rubbish, but if the fixture planning wasn't so stupid, it wouldn't be so problematic. Most teams end up playing the same team two or three times before they've played another once.


These changes are always very reactionary to the TV deal renewing. The problem since 2019 has been no serious competition to Sky bidding for SL in the UK and our obsession with free-to-air, not how many teams are in the league or the performance of social media. Now the sports streaming market has completely changed in the last couple of years and is extremely competitive due to Netflix, Amazon and a couple of others spending huge amounts.


We need to do a much better job tendering the product to every service possible to create another bidding war. That's the only thing that will drive the financial state of the sport. The other thing is advertising but right now we are so far away from any attractive brand sponsorships that it's not worth wasting time on.


Stop bothering about the sport being on free-to-air and just make as much money as possible in the next deal. Netflix and Amazon already have 15-17m subscribers in the UK, probably 1.5-2x what Sky have. Just get The RFL and at least 12 clubs into a strong place financially, improve our grass roots, the marketing of SL and the professionalism of everything.


Oh and stop caring about the league and all teams being equal - literally no other sport cares about it. Every single league in the world has 2 or 3 teams that lose every week, it's just part of it.

Listened to Woods on 2 separate podcasts he simply won’t give a straight answer lots of waffle but no straight answer I fear for our sport

Reported Manchester radio that Wigan abstained from voting 

Both Hull clubs voted against expanding, and Wigan abstained from the vote in terms of the expansion to 14 teams

i think all clubs voted NW in, as it was going to go through on a majority, so pointless Wigan voting against him, as he'd just be an awkward B****** and set against anything Wigan would propose moving forwards. Its just shocking to see both Him and Rimmer back involved in the sport, after serious failings and subsequent payouts. And in the main the club owners who voted to get rid, have voted them back in, you really couldnt make it up. Added to those 2 we also have Hetherington off to London, so thats the 3 of them in cohoots and if i was a betting man Bradford and London miraculously (now the IMG ratings for 13&14th placed clubs have been scrapped) end up back in super league

This seems to be just all about Wood's coup in parachuting himself to the top job & his power-grab at the expense of the French clubs. He & his cohorts don't want either Toulouse or Catalans in SL because they don't bring in Sky revenue & don't send more than a couple of dozen supporters over here (if that many). Which are valid arguments until you think about the wider game. If league is to properly move forward & expand it has to include the French (and the Welsh, Scots & everyone who wants - yes, I know the talent pool is tiny) or we become an insular, inward-facing sport doomed to ever call on a shrinking audience with concomitant TV, sponsor & advertising revenue reducing year on year.

One argument is that the contract negotiations would be bolstered by a 14 team league, with the theory that more diverse games would mean more advertising etc.. Except that Sky don't broadcast French home games, so it would have to be 2 new English teams (& with all the will in the world I very much doubt London would be able to sustain any sort of interest & profit for any length of time - so we're back to the M62 corridor again).

Notwithstanding Sport England who have questioned the transparency of Wood's appointment & the governance of the game, have threatened to withdraw funding.

I did think when IMG arrived we'd have a few years' stability. That's gone up in smoke. 

It's interesting that Wigan abstained from all voting. Its an unlike Wigan move so i'd like to hear their motive behind it. Another point is that Wigan haven't acknowledged the change on their social media accounts, like other clubs have. There must be reasons for this but my thought is that Wigan are still pushing for NRL involvement but this would have to be a breakaway as NRL wont deal with Wood. 


In terms of the changes, i think its a year too soon to expand. The league should of stayed in the same format for one more season with a view to add either one or two teams in 2027 depending on the new broadcast deal. Pushing to 14 teams next season will undeniably reduce the quality of the competition. There is a possibility that 3 teams will be promoted next year due to the Salford situation and all now have around 6 months to put a team together. Sky don't care about how many teams are in the competition, they care about the quality.


Removing Magic Weekend is something im not bothered about but i understand the benefits of it, its a way to showcase the game in a different location which is something the game needs to continue to do. Sky get behind it. 


I am absolutely against an 8 team play off system. A team in the bottom half of the table gets the chance in the biggest games of the season? It just rewards mediocrity. We have used this system in the past and had very poor crowds due to the amount of extra games home fans have to pay for as its not part of their season ticket. There is nothing wrong with the top 6 play off system we have currently. 


The changes as a whole just scream as short-termism and I've no doubt the game will be changing the structure again in a few years time because small minded club owners aren't happy. 

I don't think that's totally true. If I was a Sky exec, I'd be quite happy to hear that 2 extra teams are being added as it's an opportunity to add new subscribers, assuming they are UK based. If only 5,000 extra fans from Bradford and York, paying £40 a month (it's probably more) on a 2 year contract, they are worth almost £5m to Sky just from their subscription alone. Then add on advertising revenue, betting etc.




Agree with this completely. Top 8 is an abysmal system for the reasons you have explained perfectly. They are obviously afraid of 'dead rubber' games for teams 7-14th but it just penalises the top teams instead.

Perfect opportunity to break away and start anew without the ones we don't want. Sounds like us and Wire aren't happy. Hull FC have ambitious owners. KR are already in bed with the NRL and Catalans have been treated poorly.  

Imagine if Wigan, Wire, the two Hull clubs & Catalan got into bed with the NRL and implemented a massively increased cap—or no cap at all. Every decent Super League player coming off contract would be easy pickings.

That, combined with the NRL links, would force the hand of semi-ambitious clubs like Saints and Leigh to follow suit. Add in Toulouse and you’ve got foundations of “The Rivals League.”

After all, what other choice would they have? Stay in Super League—a comp now without its best-supported teams? No derby on Good Friday or battle of the borough? A comp likely to struggle for a TV deal, while the other one negotiates global rights as a package for the NRL and the new Super League? A comp with guys like Gould or V’landys versus Nigel “Fat Man” Wood & the Yorkshire RL mafia? All whilst watching every top player they have leave for the NRL or the new SL, on wages they’re not allowed to match?
My god I hope it happens. It isn't hyperbole to see there's division there. I just wish Maurice was alive to split it open. 

NRL Europe can't come soon enough.  Looks like it will have to be a breakaway rather than takeover now.


Wigan, Wire, the two Hull clubs, London, Catalans and Toulouse nailed on and the likes of Saints, Leeds etc will no doubt realise where they need to be.