Does this signal the termination of the dual-registration bollox?

I hope so.

My biggest worry is that Superleague reverts back to the short-termism we saw prior to licensing. I was a supporter of the licensing system & think it should’ve been given more time (4.5 years isn’t long enough).

For the new structure to work, the RFL & Superleague Clubs need to agree to uphold the maximum of 5 non-fed trained players, and the minimum of 5 home-grown players in their squads – at the very least, to ensure the good work done bringing through youth so far is carried on.

The dual-reg system / U21’s / reserves also needs a re-think.

Championships should have to meet minimum criteria to enter SL (even as promotion winners). Nothing as stringent as what was the current licensing criteria, things like a minimum stadium capacity, must be running an academy etc.

Championships to receive a much larger proportion of the Sky money, enabling them to (if they’re not already) to go fulltime & invest in their youth.

Championship salary cap needs to be made bigger, as currently the gap is way too big.

Does this signal the termination of the Tragic Weekend?

Agree with all of this, although the franchise system was fatally flawed from the off as there weren't enough clubs able to meet the minimum standards needed to break even. This made it difficult to grow when you're doing all you can to keep your head above the water in a competition you can't afford to be in.

The way I would like to see it work would be as the revised 12/8 system. The clubs could either sell season tickets for all fixtures or split it in two parts.

I don't know why people think the 12/8 proposal is complicated. The first part is a straight 12 team league and the second part is just an extended play-off system, which is actually fairer and simpler than the current systems used. I'd like to see this end with a top 4 straight knock-out play-off for the championships. 2 semis (1v4 and 2v3), winners to the grand final, high pressure games and none of this 2nd bite of the cherry nonsense.

The top four qualifiers of each 8 could get the extra home fixture from the 7, assuming magic can't be moved to this part of the season.

Although the bottom 8 would seem less valuable, they could still be crowned SL3 champions and have some prize money and a trophy. It would also be an opportunity for more sponsors to be involved (assuming the RFL employ someone with some marketing nous).

All this relies on a more even split of cash. Will the big clubs agree to a cut in central funds though? The system should ensure higher attendances, so extra income there. The top 24 clubs need to be pushed towards full-time environments.

It's not complicated. It's just a stupid, gimmicky farce of an idea.

Fricking ridiculous, most of he country don't understand RL and we are now going to make it even harder to understand what's going on. If they are serious just introduce three ten club divisions, one up one down. SL salary cap - 1.7mill, div1 - - 1mill, div 2 - 1/2 mill. Stop messing with the game will you rfl. For an organisation that can't even get a sponsor does anyone have any faith in this not being a total screw up and changing again in 2018?

Hope not - why would it?

3 games each day.

Any 2 from 5 to get releagted. Broncos, Castleford, Wakefield, Widnes, and Rovers.
More has beens and never was players from Australia = less invesment in junior development.
GB have never won an ash's series or a world cup with P & R in place
Even less chance of finding a sponsor for super league now with the competition shrinking.
There will be no increase in sky money when the present contract runs out. There even might be a reduction in sky money = the game might have to go back to being part time = the better players moving to union = less sky money = less club sponsorship money as reduction in people watching the game on sky.

What purpose does it serve?

And given the reintroduction of P&R, it'll skew the fixture lists giving some teams an advantage over others.

The fixtures will have be random, otherwise you are right about advantage.

There's pluses and minuses to both ways of doing things, but I can't help feeling p&r might just spark some enthusiasm back into the game. End of the day a competition should be a competition. With such a large play-off contingent and absolutely nothing to play for in the bottom half of the division - the league season itself just seems to be going through the motions these days. Scraping into the playoffs is more about sharing an extra pot of money for most clubs, rather than believing they're actually in with a chance of some silverware.

Added to this - however many people deny it - whilst we have licences, SL is a closed shop. What have the likes of Leigh, Halifax, Fev etc actually got to play for when even financially imploding SL clubs are allowed to remain with barely a slapped wrist?

For every Catalans or Widnes that have benefited significantly from the licence system, there's a hell of lot more clubs who's potential for progression has been halted. Even if it's a single play-off between bottom of SL and top of the championship, it's a massive incentive for championship clubs to achieve and conversely SL clubs to avoid. The path to the top is re-opened and we can still have the salary cap, the overseas/fed players rules and stadium and financial obligations in place to at least [itry[/i and stop clubs going t*ts up.

There’s going to be a fair few clubs sweating over next season.

Probably up to half of the current clubs could be in the bottom two at the end of 2014, depending on recruitment & injuries.

I can see teams breaking the bank in an effort to avoid the drop & expect further Administrations to ensue.

It will also be interesting what happens regarding the fixture list at the Magic weekend, personally I would go for a live draw ala the C.C, because other than that supporters will be up in arms if their team gets a perceived un-preferable draw.

Magic weekend should be based on league position 1v2 etc, only fair system.

I'd give the 12/2 8/3 split a go. I think having magic weekend as the split week would be a great spectacle.

If we stick with a straight 12 team league then I would go with top 6 playoffs and magic weekend as last 16 of the cup with the 12 SL teams going in at that stage.

Top of SL2 at the end of the regular season is promoted with a 1 year exemption

Bottom 2 finishers in super league (which could be 10th and 11th) added to next 4 placed teams in SL2 for a grand final series to playoff for the other sl place which receives no exemption.

Then so-what? Maybe it's times clubs learned to look after themselves properly and not do this kind of thing any more. If they do, **** 'em - they can go bust.

Yes we should have strict financial rules and guidelines, but we can't keep bending the competition itself to protect clubs from themselves any more.

Agreed

Can't wait for 2014. Game on !

I was thinking that myself. The pairing-up for Magic Weekend could be critical.

I’m not feeling sorry for the teams who are prepared to spend what they haven’t got, in order to stay at the top table, just that next year they will IMO.

Any clubs on the edge of administration are more likely to go pop this year now to get the points deduction out of the way whilst it doesn't matter. Points deduction next year would severely hamper their chances of not being bottom.

All of a sudden 2014 season becomes very exciting.

For the good of the future of the game there has to be a SL team in London, not just because I support London. Not because of Sky and advertising but the only way for the game to get bigger is with a decent international game. We haven't come close to beating the Aussies for years and the player pool has to expand for this to happen. It won't if the game retreats to M62, there has to be a pathway to the top of the pyramid down here.

Forget P & R and do franchising as in Aus, merge Cas and Wakey to form one strong club and some others. Stop living in the past and look to the future.

London might not survive another season, that could put the mockers on Magic anyway.

No there doesn't. Otherwise the 14 clubs would have voted differently. The game has spoken. Live with it.

Feel the need to include us because we beat you in our last game together, we're currently 6th in the table and get a bigger gate than you on average?

Broncos are going plus one other. Based on current form that'll be Salford or Cas.

Who's the losers in P & R coming back?

London? Might be a blessing for them to come down a division and have a winning team rather than getting pumped every week. Maybe the people who manage the club might get their backsides in gear now there's a consequence for mediocrity.

Widnes, Cas, Salford? At least they will be playing for something, rather than at the moment playing freindlies.

If you took the bottom 2 our of SL at the moment (I know the points would be different, but just to make a point), you'd have in form Cas 12th level with Widnes, Bradford 2pts clear and Wakey 3 points above them in a group with Saints, Hull, Hull KR, Catalans & Leeds fighting for 5th spot.

Every team in SL would be playing meaningful games, and you know what that means? Intensity, excitment, interest.

People are focusing so much on any negative they can find, without even thinking about the positives.

Personally 2 12 team divisions with top 5 play offs, winner of championship promoted. People don't realise that before P & R was taken away the Championship season finished about 3 weeks after Super League, so all the players had been signed by the SL clubs so the promoted team got Jason Ferris, Darren Fleary etc.

If the Champs season finished a month before SL the club would get the prep it needed to compete.