Nail on the head! Loads of people will just moan regardless

(Some) People don't like change.
I think the new structure could actually work (but cash has to find its way to the second tier, or it [iwill[/i be a joke).

I think the licensing system could have proved itself, given another cycle.

The problem is that there are too many vested interests in Red Hall & elsewhere around the game to be properly impartial, and they all have too much of a short term view. I don't see or hear any planning for 8 or 12 years ahead, for example, which is what there has to be if we are to truly prosper & not just chase our tails.

The top four play off was because, way back in time, there was just one big league and too many teams to allow every team to play every other team home and away. For instance a Lancashire team played every other team from it's county twice but not so Yorkshire teams. It was therefore considered that the team finishing top could not be called true champions as they may not have played the same fixtures as the teams below. Thus a top four play off was brought in. That is not now the situation and the play off is just a way of screwing the attending public for more cash. The side effect is that clubs don't go all out to finish top if they can see an advantage in resting players for the play off series. Do you honestly believe that Huddersfield would have finished top last season if there had been no play offs. It's a crazy system and one that other major sports find unbelievable. Better to have replaced it with a second cup competition. The magic weekend could have been the first round of this competition and not the daft extra league fixture as exists.

I think you misunderstand. In business, organisations change for a reason - what reason has been given for moving from the franchise system to the proposed new structure? When was that communicated in detail to us, the RFL's largest stakeholder group?

I love this game but I cannot see why they want to introduce a new model so soon after introducing the franchise which has allowed clubs to develop a wealth of new talent? Fans are leaving by the droves, Championship crowds are pathetic and over half of the current Superleague clubs suffer from the same problem i.e. they cannot attract new punters - why? I would like to see a clear rationale from the RFL which sets out their case for change and a strategic plan.

As I have said before, we are sleep walking into a disaster

My point was merely that the suggestion of the team finishing top or a top 4 play-off (irrespective of why it was introduced) is not novel as was stated by a previous post. These have both been used before.

However, my view is that whichever system is used the 'best team' (as opposed to 'the most consistent team' usually wins the competition and is crowned Champions and so I don't have an issue with that. Having some sort of play-off system maintains interest until the end of the season. I don't go along with the assertion that it is just to generate money. So the question for me then is which is the best play-off system? Of those tried so far I prefer the top 5 system (because it gave more reward to those finishing higher up the table) although the top 6 system had it's merits as well. I am keeping an open mind on the new system which I think could actually work quite well.

I was being sarcy!

Top 8 play offs has eroded the importance of regular season fixtures for the top teams, and the lack of threat of relegation hasn't exactly proved an incentive/safety net for the lower teams to improve. Meanwhile we have got the likes of Leigh and Fev in the championship who have shown at times that they can compete with SL teams yet have the door shut to them in favour of the likes of London, Salford (pre-Koukash) and Wakefield.

I want regular season games to matter, and the opposition to have a reasonable chance of beating us, or at least get within a couple of tries of us. Far too often the current system doesn't provide this.

I agree that the new system is potentially better than the current discredited one. However pointing out some of its some serious flaws must be classed as moaning regardless in your happy clapper eyes.

The majority of fans I speak with are unhappy with the league, and the main reasons (other than the NRL and RU cherry-picking our stars and the standard of refs) seem to be that they dislike the top 8 play off system, how meaningless regular season fixtures have become and the amount of batterings during the season because the league is too big and teams like London are guaranteed a spot. The RFL get blamed for all of these things, so they go ahead and make a change to rectify these problems, and most people still criticise them.

I do think overall the game isn't run very well, mainly because the system allows self-interested chairmen to vote for what happens rather than the RFL having the courage to take the reigns, thus changes aren't always for the good of us fans. However, that doesn't blinker me to the fact most fans are closed minded to change and will criticise anything the RFL does regardless of what it is.

Could you imagine if the premier league had a video ref at the sunday and Monday games and the Saturday afternoon games had no video ref, there would be riots every non televised games

Totally agree with you there DaveO, we should have known the full system months ago. I hope the clubs know at least. I can only assume they do though, otherwise surely the likes of Wakey and the two Hulls, who know they are likely to be part of the 'middle 8' equation, would be kicking up a bit of a stink by now.

I must have missed something as I thought we did know the details for next years comp. there will be 2 divisions of 12 teams. The top division will be the current top 12 in SL with London and Bradford relegated to the second division which will consist if those two and the top 10 in this years championship.

In both divisions each team will play each other team twice plus the magic weekend. After which the divisions will be split. The top 8 in SL 1 will retain their points and play the other 7 teams once. The top 4 after that will play 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 the winners going into the GF.

The bottom 4 in SL 1 and the top 4 in SL 2 go to scratch points and play each other once with the top 3 entering SL1 the next year, the bottom 3 entering SL 2 and 4 v 5 in the 'million pound game' for the last place in Sl1.

The bottom 8 of SL 2 play a mini comp.

Which bit isn't finalised?

OP slightly ott but I broadly agree. NRL is way way more competitive and our league needs something far more revolutionary than the split leagues crap our lords and masters have come up with.

Agreed. Wigan, St Helens, Leeds, Warrington, Huddersfield and Castleford are all competitive. Add to that Catalan (although they need to improve away from home), Salford are rapidly improving and if Hull ever get a decent coach they could challenge too.