RFL proposal for the league structure, in 2015, as explained elsewhere on the internet by Martyn Sadler:

"The idea, as far as I understand it, is that the two bottom teams will be relegated from Super League at the end of 2014, regardless of which teams they will be. There could even be three teams relegated if the clubs decide they want Toulouse in the competition in 2015 with a TV deal possibly on the table from BeIn Sport.

There will then be two divisions of 12 each, which will play each other once (eleven games) in the first half of the season.

In the second half of the season, those clubs will split into three divisions of eight teams, depending on finishing places in the first half of the season. The bottom four Super League clubs will be in with the top four Championship clubs (which may include the two SL clubs relegated the previous season). Those teams will play each other at home and away (14 games) in the second half of the season.

The top four clubs in the second tier, at the end of that season, will then return to Super League for 2016."



What do you think?

Think farcical pretty much sums it up.

I kind of understand it. Had to read it three or four times though

Stupid!
The first thing that springs to mind is 11 games to get into the top 8? Playing each team once, so it would be a bit of a mare to get Leeds, Wigan, Wire, Catalans, etc away and some of the "lesser" teams at home. How would that work? How is it fair? I am not sure the RFL have ever properly understood exactly how a league works.

Bottom 4 playing off with top 4 in championship seems a better idea, or is that too straightforward?

I wonder what they have planned for 2016. Does P/R come back in?

Also, in 2015, when the top 8 super league clubs break off from the rest, what happens to them? Do we still have the play offs and the grand final?

Glad this is only a proposal, not what will definitely happen.

Joke

I think I'd like to know where I can get hold of some of what the RFL are smoking.

Nice and easy for non RL fanatics to understand then...

Disgrace.

exactly.... I work in Manchester and there are many casual observers of the sport who do occasionally say how much they enjoy the sport despite being mad United, City or Bury (!) football supporters....

But

A) they dont understand the rules...
B) they dont understand the fact that the champions are not usually the team that finishes top of the table
C) Thay are amazed an entire squad gets paid as much as Michael Carrick
D) and now another.... they wont even understand the league table.....


Genious.......

Quite a lot of casual viewers don't understand the play off system so this will only add to the confusion. And if I'm being completely honest, I always have to refresh my memory on how the play off format works at the end of each season.

Not sure how it works economically. Seems like the 4 "relegated" clubs will be playing half a season paying SL wages but with very little incentive the fans to turn up? Or have I completely mis-understood it?

No I think that' about the size of it! And in the first half of the season, you may not get any big home games either.
The whole thing is insane!

ROFL

2015 SL 12 teams with relegation and promotion

Not to mention that the the middle tier league will then have 4 SL teams operating at presumably a much higher cap than than the 4 lower league teams. How likely is it they will ever get promoted?

Absolutely: everything is both a joke [iand[/i a disgrace...disgraceful omission.

Nice of the authorities to keep us on lower money right up to the dropping point. Maybe we're seeing why some clubs wanted it so badly?

If there is any truth in this new format,the whole of the RFL should resign now and let Keith Harris and Orville take over

No sponsor for Super League,giving it away for nothing last year when there was an offer on the table for a good few 100 grand

The shambles over giving the bulls sky money to all the other clubs

The ridiculous free play rule

Letting referees be abysmal most weeks with no consequences

Letting linesmen to not see a four yard forward pass from 3 feet away

The list really could be endless

I really hope someone from the RFL reads forums like this

Heres an idea... why not ask the fans what they think ? No lets let a set of numpties who no now't about the game come up with some crack pot scheme that no one understands. Please lock up the crayon box at Red Hall.

Asking the fans sounds very democratic and sensible but, in my experience, ask a 100 fans what they want and they'll ask for 100 different things.

And political correctness gone mad. I wouldn't be suprised if the RFL find a way to keep the Bulls in the top tier given they own them...etc etc.

The best analysis of this complex, irrational idea was penned by Sadler in the RL Express on Monday. He points out the "unintended consequences" and concludes that far from expanding our game it will concentrate power in the hands of the usual suspects.
Let's assume the system applied this season. Using current positions (and I know this cannot be exact) -
Salford and London relegated
HKR ,Trinity Vikings & Cas join 4 of Salford London
Fax ,Fev ,Eagles and Leigh
Given that scenario, does anyone think Hughes would be financing London or, perish the thought Dr K financing the Reds? Would that "second tier" competition be a level playing field? What crowds would be expected? How do you budget at the beginning of the season?
It seems the RFL " took advice" (that means paid large amounts of cash) from management consultants KPMG. I find it amazing that they do not seem to have considered either the NRL model (remember that's 16 not 14 teams) with licensing and no promotion /relegation or the US model (NFL ,MLB,NBA, NHL) with regional conferences which can (and is ) manipulated to allow a reduced number of matches. I am not saying we should copy either --just saying that those competitions are worthy of study. They are both very successful but most importantly have evolved over the years from a stable basic structure.
The sooner the RFL concentrates on bringing money into the game (ie. a main sponsor) the better.

Ganson in charge of referees, the lunatics have really taken over the asylum,
might as well let that guy from North Korea be in charge at Red Hall.

How would a club sell season tickets when for over half of the season they wouldn't know who or where they were playing?

Ans with 11 games in the first part of the season wouldn' some clubs get 6 home games, whilst some get only 5. (unless they use the magic weekend as one of the rounds)