it also shows a distinct lack of original thought, given that, apart from the top teams only playing once in the first half of the season, it is identical to the structure proposed for the top tiers of Scottish football - vetoed about a month ago by a couple of SPL Clubs voting against it

Devil's Advocate: It makes sure that you've (pretty much) always got something to play for.

Although you may not be able to work out what you're actually playing for at any given time.

Crackers.

Spot on GT - expect it to be introduced then.

These were my first thoughts, then I remembered how much relegation terrifies me.

How do you , sell season passes for such a concept , or advertising or sponsorship


buy a £250 season pass , you may have 5-6 games against a leeds or a Hull or a Warrington , however by round 12 , your next home games could be v Barrow Workington or Batley.

It will devalue the potential for the lower 6-7 SL clubs to attract players , sponsorship & crowds , Sign a top drawer player , by march he's playing against Dewsbury , if you have a rocky start to the season .

the 6-7 top SL clubs should not have anything to fear, they get to play pretty much play-off football for the 2nd half or the season year in year out , that will guarantee them top drawer players - best sponsorship & all the Sky coverage

I'd love to construct a reasoned response to this proposal but I can't. It's utter s***e!

If we're having to nick poor ideas from the SPL then we might as well quit right now.

Shocking leadership to even let this piece of 'blue sky thinking' slip outside of the boardroom.

Just when you thought the RFL couldn't possibly make a bigger balls-up than they currently have, they come up with this gem. Do you think they deliberately go out to make RL look like the laughing stock of modern sport?

Sounds like a Gary Hethrington idea, hope not or it will go through.
The RFL often shoots itself in the foot, looks like they are about to do it again. Or is it just proposed ?

It's a great concept for a closed shop top 8 and 16 also-rans. It throws up a lot more questions than answers for me.

this is about taking the game forward, but will result in going back in time time

first of all the first part of the season is unfair when 6 teams play 6 home games and the others play only 5.

then when the league splits some big games may be missing.
if you look at tonights table 3 big games may only be played once. (all 3 are near the line)
Wigan v St Helens
Leeds v Bradford
Hull v Hull kR

and the teams playing in the 3rd group will be playing for nothing

You'd hope that if this abortion does take place that teams in the 2nd tier seek a different television deal and see if they can get the BBC to come on board.

Am I the only one of an increasing age that remembers in my youth live sporting events other than snooker and darts on the BBC? pretty much every week there used to be some form of live team sports event and pretty certain that we would reach a bigger audience than with SKY?

All pie in the sky for me but you'd hope if there is any credence to it that the powers that be flirt one right up Uncle Ruperts crapper.

Listen to you lot.....all of a sudden you feel threatend based on playing ability.
Let's face it in all honesty Salford along with Wakefield and London should have faced relegation on a number of occasions.
I applaud the RL on this initiative.

You might have missed it, but we have more than "faced" relegation on a number of occasions. We have actually been relegated twice in the SL era.

Can we not have a troll filter on here? It's becoming REALLY boring?

So we didn't need a fancy pants stadium after all?

You haven't got a "fancy pants stadium".

Where did I say we had????????

Stop panicking. This story is a big fat red herring and these changes aren't going to happen.

Alas , it appears the scheme, ( the most radical of the 4 proposals ) was voted through by the SL last week.

It is due to be ratified by the RFL Board today and voted on by the Championship clubs tomorrow .

As the Championship sides under the new proposal are due to receive £180,000 a season from Sky , it's unlikely they will say no..

So
two clubs relegated from SL in 2014 ( no dispensation for expansion sides like Catalan London etc )
2015
a SL 1 of 12 clubs ( 1.2M of Sky money )
a SL 2 of 12 clubs ( £180,000 of Sky Money )
each team plays the other 11 clubs once
after round 11
the league structure changes to three teams of 8 playing each other home & away
a SL 1 of 8 clubs ( top 8 of SL1)
a SL 1.5 of 8 clubs ( Bottom 4 of SL1 after round 11 v Top 4 of SL2 after 11 rounds )
a SL 2 of 8 clubs ( Bottom 8 of SL2 )
for SL1.5 all their points are stripped and they start again , mid season from scratch , the other two divisions carry their points forward.

at the end of the season all three leagues have a play-off consisting of the top 4 in each league to determine champions.

at the end of the 2015 season the top 4 teams in the middle teir would be promoted back in the 12 team top division for the start of the 2016 season ..
are you with me so far .....

I'd give it two years max before it's changed to something more logical.

Sounds as simple as the play-offs!

The prefered model was outlined at a routine SL meeting last week. No vote was taken. Not least because the RFL have yet to distribute a lot of info re other models and research backing their model.

Nothing ratified by the RFL board.

Championship clubs and others getting briefings over next couple of days.

RFL Council meeting in July will vote on options.

It was an option that was discussed, nothing more. It isn't the preferred option and won't be the one that's passed.

The fact that this particular option was the one leaked to the press probably allows you to guess who did the leaking and what their agenda may be.

This crackpot scheme will not happen