Does anyone know the fixture format in the top eight.
I know the top four teams will have 4 home games and three away games with the bottom four teams playing three times at home and 4 away, but which teams will the team finishing top play at home. Has the format already been agreed or will the RL decide like the magic weekend I hope not.
Would welcome some clarification

top team plays something like 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th at home and 6th, 7th and 8th away. possibly not exact but you get the gist. higher you are more advantages you have

Isn't' it second, third, fifth and sixth at home, fourth, seventh and eighth away? Something like that.

Definitely 2nd & 3rd at home.

something like that yes mate. like I said I wasn't sure

There's a chart at www.superleague.co.uk/rlnewera

There's a chart at www.superleague.co.uk/rlnewera

1st place

Home vs 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th
Away vs 4th, 7th, 8th

next weeks fixtures might have a huge bearing on the top 5, if leeds, huddersfield and castleford win then suddenly wigan are down to fifth

True I was just thinking the same after today's result. Hudds and Castleford's form might cause a shake up to what I think we all expected to be the top 3 of Leeds, Saints and Wigan by the time the split happens.

We can afford to lose to Wigan this week and still finish top with winnable home games coming up against Salford and Catalans. But if we can pick up the win it not only gives us a nice gap ahead of that cluster of teams behind us but could put Wigan in a bit of bother. Given their away form they really wouldn't want to finish 5th and have more away games than home in the Super 8's.

Similarly if Hudds beat Saints then their's a chance Saints could still end up outside the top 4 come the split. Castleford have a good set of fixtures left and really could pick up 6 points from a possible 6.

LEE 29 (205) - WIG A, SAL H, CAT H.
STH 26 (115) - HUD H, WAR A, HKR H.
WIG 25 (12icon_cool.gif - LEE H, WID H, HFC A.
HUD 24 (133) - STH A, CAT A, WAK H.
CAS 24 (45) - HFC A, WAK A, WAR H.
WAR 20 (44) - WAK A STH H CAS A
CAT 20 (10) - WID A HUD H LEE A
HFC 18 (-9) - CAS H HKR H WIG H
HKR 18 (-49) - SAL A HFC H STH A
WID 15 (-45) - CAT H WIG A SAL H
SAL 15 (-11icon_cool.gif - HKR H LEE A WID A
WAK 6 (-459) - WAR H CAS H HUD A.

Currently:
Home vs. St Helens Wigan Warriors Castleford Tigers Warrington Wolves
Away vs Huddersfield Giants Catalans Dragons Hull FC.

I'd take them fixtures anyday.

The first week of the 8s should be when the Magic weekend is held, thus giving every team, 3 home fixtures, 3 away fixtures, and 1 neutral venue.

Couple of problems. Not knowing who'll make the 8 or who'll play who and on what day of the weekend until the week before would hit ticket sales massively.

Secondly with the football season about to start I doubt football teams would want that event to take place on their pitch just as their season begins. (Premier League actually kicks off the same weekend the 8's start)

All season I couldn't understand it and didn't like saying.Now I do thanks very much.Are any of these super 8 games included on the season ticket? I would hate them to be crowds like CC ties because they do look very exciting games

I think the new league format has been very successful so far. Most of the table has been very tight all season and remains so. Most matches seem to matter.

The clubs and the fans will take a couple of seasons to get their heads around it fully, but match intensity seems to be one early benefit...

I doubt any team would want Catalans away as a preference.

Especially when we don't know when that game could be if it were to happen.

1st week of the 8's? Very little time to plan and prepare for the trip which the club always likes to plan well ahead for.

IF we get through to the CC Final it could take place the week before or after which isn't ideal either.

So we need Catalans to take that 6th spot. Which to me makes Thursday's game very important. Win it, and we can potentially (assuming results go that way) have a bearing on Catalans finishing position, with us playing them last match of regular season.

Yes all Super 8 home games (the 4 of them) are included in your season ticket.

For them to get to 6th I think it'll mean Warrington have to drop down to 7th. Not ideal going there either given this year's results and recent away trips there.

Looks like whoever wins the Hull Derby in Round 22 will get the 8th spot. If HKR make the 8 and then win their CC Semi I can see them just going through the motions in the Top 8's as they couldn't catch top 4 and would have all eyes on Wembley.

One thing also about the Top 8. We could if we play Catalans away, face them the final or penultimate week when it might be mathematically impossible for them to make the Top 4 and could see those teams in 6th/7th/8th play with no motivation. Still quite interesting to see WHEN you play certain teams in that cluster or 7 games. Will some teams like Wigan have to navigate themselves around Wigan Athletic's schedule? They've had to move a playoff game before because of short notice/Athletic had the ground that weekend.

we went to catalan in the play offs at short notice and won. we are a professional club. we'll cope just fine

Well personally if their away form is anything to go by, they could drop out altogether look at their final three fixtures

We know who would play who in the super 8s but it will be interesting to see what factors play in what order the matches are. I presume stadium availability will be one thing plus I guess Sky might have a say somehow.

Catalans? Hull & Hull KR are both 2 points behind them and have to play each other, so the loser has a *maximum* of 22 points, and a worse points difference than Catalans.

Catalans need to win one game of their last three to be pretty much guaranteed the 8. Widnes (a) Hudds (h) Leeds (a). I'd expect them to win one or two of those. Even if they lose all 3 they could still go through because I'm not sure Hull will win another game.

Surely the first matches are the top four at home against the next four? Bearing mind that is the extra game.

Don't know, depends on stadium availability. Could easily be - A,A,H,H,A,H,H. I don't think theirs any set pattern to the order of your games.