There must be some reward for finishing 9th than 12th you could be busting a gut right to the last game of the regular season to get that 8th spot and just miss out where as the clubs finishing 10 - 12 who know their fate will be resting players fresh for the stay in SL playoffs or whatever it's called.

The reward for finishing 9th would be that you've probably got a better team than those finishing 10-12, never mind those finishing 1-4 in SL2. So, in all likelihood, you're going to do alright in the middle 8, with a very slim chance of finishing lower than 4th, (or even 5th and winning the play-off v 4th). Something very serious would need to happen to miss out on the following year's top 12, and if it does, well that's sport.

My main gripe is the fact that it will actually be a lot harder for the Championship teams to get promoted in this new system. I've always been a supporter of P&R but not in this form. Rather then 1 up 1 down you have a play off with teams that have one set of resources that will be far superior to the other teams. When careers depend on it the SL players won't come up short.

You could also question the merit of winning the championship. That team will get no benefit of a team limping to 4th spot once the play offs commence.

Featherstone have been the most consistent team outside of SL.for the past four years. They knocked Cas out of the challenge cup and gave Wigan an almighty fright in the following round. They are steadily building on and off the field on a most professional way. They also have several multi millionaire directors and one with money coming out of his ears just waiting for P&R to get the go ahead. To write them off in this new structure would be unwise.

would you rather finish 8th and lose your next 7 games, or 9th and win a few?

Ultimately at least 3/4 teams from 9-12th will stay in SL, and I'd be surprised if any of the Championship teams make it up a level.

without quoting one-off friendlies or cup games over the last 20 years, when cas got relegated we put 60 past teams every week and the embarassment was there in having to play/beat these teams.

Over a 7 game period the SL pro teams will come in the top 4. That's the only reason there's a 4th and 5th play off - cause the Championship clubs won't get a look in other than a one-off game as I mentioned at the start of my post

Spot on Al next step a 10 team super league and then a further reduction- money talks for the so called "big clubs"

Giving the 9th club home advantage against the other 3 ex Super League clubs would be beneficial.

If we cast our minds back 15 or so years, Super league, or more to the point summer rugby was going to be the end of rugby league as we know it. The fans wre bound to stay away because of more options of stuff to do in the summer, it would be too hot for rugby etc, etc, etc, well, then came franchising that would be the death of the game because of no p/r, and now this revamp. It is not the end of the world, it will not be the end of rugby league as we know it, change is inevitable, and who knows, we might even like it!

Surely it's right and proper that promotion should be difficult to earn on the field? Better than swapping the best of a bad bunch for the worst of the best without any direct comparison?

Of course it should be difficult to earn but at the same time it should be fair. At least swapping the best of the Championship with the worst of SL doesn't give the SL clubs a back door chance (that heavily favours them) to beat the drop. At least promoted in the traditional way it gives the promoted club a chance of performing on the same financial resources and the same opportunity to maintain their SL status.

Whats one off games got do with it? This situation is completely different. The play off system is over several games. The better players will be at the SL clubs, these players will be used to a far higher level of intensity and the motivation of playing to preserve their full time status (or at least their better contracts). Under them circumstances the SL clubs will triumph nearly 100% in a league structure.

I don't care how many Multi Millionaire directors Fev allegedly have. We've had them all at Wakey but when push come to shove we never seemed to benefit. Are they willing to lose up to a Million a year in SL? It easy to boast about your spending in a small expenditure league with a small salary cap, SL is a different financial animal.

Not sheffield then, champions for the last two years and runners up before that?

I do think you are being unfair to the championship clubs. Also remember that 2 clubs get relegated in 2014 so 2 of those clubs you speak of will be just 1 season out of SL (could be cas or wakey).

Fev have been consistantly building with no hope of being in superleague.