As I understand it if you get to the GF you will have played 32 games

and how can anybody expect players to play internationals? Teams are going to need bigger squads on less money, so they will just sign past it or useless overseas players.

They had a perfect opportunity to give the MW a real purpose with this revised format, but it appears (from the snippets that have been released so far) that in fact they have done the opposite and persisted with an extra league fixture. If not moving it to after the split, I'd rather they did last 16 of the CC or a standalone 9's tournament. But when they worked out the new format and realised they had 29 fixtures to play with you would have thought someone would have realised that this odd game out could have been used as the MW.

I know the fixture calendar wouldn't line up as it does now, and to have the MW after the spilt would mean moving it to around July/August (perfect opportunity to move the CC final back to May) - but keeping it as an extra fixture when we're already increasing the number of games seems ludicrous to me.

So if you do the double you'll have played 32 SL games and 5 C Cup matches.
A 37 game season?
They're not just mad but absolutely bloody barking!

As for the Magic, it should be in the C Cup and at the last 16 stage where the 12 SL enter the comp!

Can the CC not be structured for the top 12 to enter later ie last 16, scrap the exiles

It makes you wonder how we got so close to the Aussies early 90's. 30 game league, County cups, Regal trophy and CC plus ashes tour or test series every other year.

Don't we play a maximum of 36 games as it is?

The maximum number of games under new structure is only one more than now. The main thing about this new structure is that the regular will now mean something and every game matters - surely the most important thing!

It also means we could potentially have 6 saints wigan derbies in a season

I'm not too worried that there are too many games, like the above posters have said its going from a potential maximum of 36 (37 if in WCC) to 37 (38/WCC). They could easily put the 12 SL teams in to the CC a round later to level it out. My issue is we seem to be having a MW for the sake of it, when there are plenty of potential options which give it an actual purpose without resulting in a lopsided fixture list, which in turn would probably make the event more appealing to fans.

Wouldn't that be a good thing with Wigan and Saints being such a big game and crowd?

Would it remain so if it happened that many times? It definitely feels like milking a cash cow dry.

It is possible for it to happen 6 times now, but under the new proposals becomes far more likely. I also believe the minimum has gone from 2 to 3 (assuming Wigan and saints are going to be in the top 8 for the foreseeable future)

Can see your point mate but I think Wigan v Saints will always be a big draw no matter how many time you play each other, only time will tell mate good luck for the season from a Leyther.

Hasnt failed what planet you on. featherstone Rovers have built 2 new stands and a state of the art training centre that Cas and Wakey are wanting to rent because it blinds there facilities. Yet those 2 clubs have had millions more from the game than us and 6 years free from threat of relegation to build infrastructure, they have criminally wasted it. Last week we beat Wakey easy in a friendly and all there fans could say was we will be ok when our 3 overseas players arrive. Yes it really has worked hasnt it

Will it?
Will you have to buy a second season ticket for the (3 or 4) home games?
Then it will definitely go tits up (sorry)

Will the fans of clubs in 7th or 8th position with little or no chance of making the top 4 buy 2nd stage season tickets.
Will fans of clubs who finish in the bottom 4 buy 2nd stage season tickets for games against the likes of Leigh, Sheffield, Halifax etc. (no disrespect to those teams btw)

I hope I'm wrong but I can only see it being a disaster.

For some reason i assumed the split to top 8 was for the playoffs