Whilst appreciating the finances do not permit an increase to 14 teams at this stage and the need for loop fixtures to create 2 further home fixtures, presumably the 5th loop fixture will be the Magic Weekend. For the first time ever, Magic will have a valid place in the league structure even if the "loop" concept is in itself a destabilising influence. The only pure league format is to play everyone else home and away once. Anything else is detrimental to the integrity of a genuine league so one of Superleague's top priorities must be to expand to 14 clubs with 13 home and away fixtures - PERIOD.

Good

Up the Trin

No, not good. Not good at all.

What makes you say that?

This just isn't progress.
It's good that we've finally given up on the every minute matters nonsense, which always was seriously flawed. BUT, there was a golden opportunity to increase SL to 14 clubs and have a balanced fixture program, plus including Toronto and Toulouse and they've bottled it.
Once again our sport shows just how mickey poor it really is.

29 fixtures before top 5 playoff.
22 round Robin
6 loop games
1 magic

12th relegated

I've seen a few things from Twitter and Facebook with regards to the 6 'loop games'. Does anyone actually know where/how these games are decided?

MC said a while ago there would be 5 loop games against the other odd or even teams in the league to provide the 13 home games which is the minimum required for SL to be financially viable. Presumably the 5th game will be Magic but that makes 27 games not 29. Whilst far from perfect, anything else will be plumbing the depths of nonsensical league structure.

Surely this has all been planned beforehand - it's not Brexit - so there should be a formal, detailed statement made immediately to clarify the proposals.

Don't be too sure, it's the RFL we are talking about.

Whatever the format, some of you would still moan.

It's not though is it. It's Wigan, Saints and Warrington running the show from now on.

Would have preferred 14 teams, but at least we Will know when / where all the games will be.
My wife pleased with that, as she will now be able to arrange holidays and family events more easily. Bad enough for her having to live with someone having a lifelong RL/ Trinity affliction.

I always thought being a Trin fan was a "selling" point


Totally agree about knowing when/where fixtures are going to be. However, I think that Sky will still select certain games for TV, which will still mean some changes.

It’s unlikely but possible that SL next year will look exactly the same as this year (if Widnes work some kind of miracle). From then on it’s 1 up, 1 down (which I don’t mind) but what happens to Toronto, Toulouse, London, (New York, Boston etc, etc, etc)?
How does expansion fit in with this?

They (expansion clubs) will have to finish top of the pile/win the grand final to gain promotion.

The 6 dead rubbers for starters. People complained about the dead rubbers in this system, but that's down to teams not being good enough.

What happens to the championship and championship one regarding funding? Also we won't get to see them on TV unless it's the Challenege Cup, what's the point in having the same 12 teams on Sky every week.

It's just short sighted greed, I'm disappointed if we voted in favour of it, but Eric Pollard, McAnus and Elstone, well the day can't come quick enough when they leave the sport.

I'm glad this is sorted, it's being a farce sorting it so close to the end of the season
Let's hope we stick with this format for good now, 1 up 1 down fine with me with a top 5 knock out

Not a fan of loop fixtures though
I'd sooner us go to 14 teams and I can see this happening

Toronto and Toulouse will be SL clubs imo
If not this season then very soon

This season is a very good season for us but spent most of our season looking over our shoulder until top 8 was sorted, it gave a negative slant on a good season.

Up the Trin

One thing worth noting is that to go to 14 teams for next season would ruin the whole million pound game concept for this year, because both would go up... plus one more. they may expand to 14 teams in the near future and I hope they do because im not a fan of the whole loop fixture idea. Its open to bias, which affects the overall standings of the league.

Agree, generally it's been a good season. It's just that we've lost so many games by a point or a try at the death this year that has taken a bit of the shine off it. I think overall we've been more competitive against more sides this season (which the points difference suggests) than last and we should probably have won at least 3 more games and that's on the conservative side.

it should at least make us safe for a couple of years you would say - can we possible challenge for that 5th spot in the semis?

think its time to dust down the DVD of the 2006 million pound game and relive the atmosphere of relegation of finishing bottom of the pile

A repeat of our consistent 5th sees us in the semis next year.

Yeah, I surprised no one on the VT has mentioned how the RFL & SL have bent over backwards to shoe horn you in!

Leeds are done.

We now run the game!