Lots of debate last year and no doubt the same this year how the super 8s post session doesn't really work leaving a lot of games dead rubbers with nothing to play for.

With that in mind who has good idea for a post session formate they beleave would be better?

can't really think of one aside from stretching it to a top 5 like the old top 5 play off system that i actually thought worked quite well.

Probably should stick with it a bit longer anyway, i don't think the top 4 will always be as cut and dry as it was last year and appears to be this.

I liked the top 6

Week 1
3 v 6
4 v 5
1&2 week off

Week 2
Winners of week 1 play each other
1 v 2 winner progresses to grand final.

Week 3
Winner of the elimination game v loser of the other game
Winner progresses to grand final.

Week 4
Grand final.

Think this rewards finishing at the top of the table but you are not out of contention if your not.

Change the Super 8s into a group format, wiped points all round, with the higher seed always playing at home. After three games, the two group winners play the opposite runners up at home. Cuts the fixtures down to 26, makes three sudden death games for all teams and has the advantage for finishing higher, that you play every game at home. Quicker, too. In the Qualifiers, the two runners up and third place play each other and the group winner qualifies automatically.

I quite like this, but I'd be more radical regarding the league structure and the eights - I would make it fours.

Everyone plays everyone else home and away, exception being magic weekend which would be the reverse of the Easter derbies, making 22 games (alternate the home team each easter). The league is then split into top four, middle four and bottom four. Everyone keeps their points, but will remain in their four regardless (so the team finishing fourth may not win another game but will remain in the top four come the end of the league season). Top four play each other home and away - six more fixtures, same for the middle four and same for the bottom four making twentyeight games per team in total.

Top four are playing for the hubcap or a 2nd place finish giving a playoff bye. Middle four are playing for the two remaining playoff places. Bottom four are playing to avoid finishing bottom and a one off 'million pound game' against the winners of the championship. There would be very few 'dead rubbers'.

dump the super/middle 8s

wont work once toronto come in and work their way up the league

go back to top 6 play offs and one team relegated from the bottom in superleague


straight 1 up 1 down!

This.

In all honesty, i think something similar to this is what will happen If/ when they decide the 8s system is not working.

I understand the three 8's in principle but would personally prefer top 5 play off & bottom super league & top championship play off for the last slot in the top flight! that gives a bit of excitement for the clubs trying to avoid the drop or make the play offs. But I don't actually think about league position when supporting my team to me its the game I go. Where in the league structure is irrelevant to me any chance of silver wear is just a bonus.

Radical, roiginal thought

Why not the team at the top of the league be the champions, and the team at the bottom relegated?

I know it's a concept some will struggle with, but it has merit. Promise!!!

In a sport with few pro teams and that struggles for media attention it doesn't have that much merit.

maybe not, but when two of the teams, without a colour clash, won't even play in their registered colours, so "new people " to the game

can identify with them, then 100% plus better!!!

the game will never give up the Grand final night play off concept now, and nor should they.70k plus guaranteed and showpiece of the season.Its the one thing that we have stuck with and has grown over the years.

Some people are complaining about games being dead rubbers. The league would be over for most of the teams in it by now.

re-setting points after 23 rounds for the top 8 just rewards teams who have under achieved, you want the semis and the grand final to be contested by the best 4 teams who have performed well over the entire season. If this means we get dead games by teams in the 8 who can't make the top 4 then so be it, they know at the start of the season that they have to perform so only have themselves to blame. We want to raise standards in the game not reduce them by giving no-hopers a 2nd or 3rd bite at the cherry where they may get lucky in one game knockout and make the final.

I think obviously, the idea of the 8's was that all or most teams by the split would have something to play for and realistically be able to make the top 4 at the end.
This year and last year have shown that this isn't the case, whilst it is good for the game to see different teams challenging for the top 4, i don't think the idea of playing 7 dead rubbers for a lot of the teams not increase interest.
This year, my team were challenging for the top 8's and ultimately the top 4, this year we are likely to be in the middle 8's, so at least there, there is something to look forward to, for the teams 4-8 there will be little to attract interest in those games which are perceived as dead rubbers.

I don't think it will always be the case, it's just coincidence that 4 teams have pulled away two years running.

Also, i still think there is lots to play for as far as the top 4 are concerned as home advantage for the semi final is huge imo.

Yeah, the top 4 have a lot to play for, as do the bottom 4 and the top 4 in the championship, but for teams 5-8, very little, if anything to play for, unless us ad you hit some form and others lose some.

I love how everyone blames the RFL for the performances of the teams, just because 4 teams have broken away. As someone pointed out it won't always work out like this. If you change it to top 4 or top 5 or top 6, you will still have 'dead rubbers'. The only way you might do it is make the difference in financial reward based on finshing position a lot bigger from one position to the next. Sadly that isn't possible either as there isn't that much money in our game to be able to do that without probably tipping some clubs into administration.

Resetting the points would also mean that as it stands Hull wouldn't need to turn up again this season til the 8's and the next 3 would need 1 more win til they also might as well field the reserves for the next 5 games. This would then tilt the rest of the league as a team playing the top 4 would have a lot more chance then if they were still playing for position.

In can see Huddersfield making a late charge, we are toast