Interesting topic on the cas forum about loop fixtures. Shows how we have been royally shafted and how the big clubs have been looked after. How on earth have these been decided? It stinks

We are a big club






We are just in waiting

Stolen form NottinghamTiger...

Wigan - Wakefield (10th), Leigh (12th) and Warrington (3rd) = 25.
Saints - Hull KR (11th), Salford (9th) and Catalans (4th) = 24.
Leeds - Wakefield (10th), Castleford (8th) and Hull FC (6th) = 24
Warrington - Castleford (8th), Leigh (12th) and Wigan (2nd) = 22.
Hull FC - Huddersfield (7th), Salford (9th) and Leeds (5th) = 21.
Huddersfield - Catalans (4th), Hull FC (6th) and Wakefield (10th) = 20.
Catalans - Hull KR (11th), Huddersfield (7th) and Saints (1st) = 19.
Castleford - Warrington (3rd), Leeds (5th) and Salford (9th) = 17.
Hull KR - St Helens (1st), Catalans (4th) and Leigh (12th) = 17.
Leigh - Wigan (2nd), Warrington (3rd) and Hull KR (11th) = 16.
Salford - St Helens (1st), Hull FC (6th) and Castleford (8th) = 15.
Wakefield - Wigan (2nd), Leeds (5th) and Huddersfield (7th) = 14.

Don’t see anything wrong there. All are beatable with the right mindset.

The championship is decided on play-offs anyway (as it has been for 100 of the 126 years of the sport), so it doesn't really matter.

A lot of Cas fans are still sore that they've never won the championship even though they finished top of the league, whereas we've won 2 championships (albeit a while ago) and never finished top of the league.

You don't?

With unbalanced fixture distributions like this, Wigan are more likely to finish in the top 4 and Wakefield are more likely to finish in the bottom 4.

Then Wigan get richer, Wakefield get poorer, the young talent gravitates to Wigan, as does the overseas talent and big sponsorships.

Then next year, Wigan are more likely to finish in the top 4 again, and Wakefield are more likely to finish in the bottom 4 again.

Then Wigan get richer, Wakefield get poorer, the young talent gravitates to Wigan, as does the overseas talent and big sponsorships.

Then the year after...you get the idea.

I'm all for promotion and relegation, and for loop fixtures, but they have to be done in a much fairer way. The genuine vagaries of sport will sort the table, free from manufactured advantages,

Wigan will still be more likely to be at the top and Wakefield nearer the bottom, but that difference is much more reflective of a fair playing structure.

So, finish high and play mainly teams that finished lower, and vice versa. No surprises there.

Or distribute the fixtures so that there is little disparity. Fairly.

The way it is ensures the bottom teams stay at the bottom.

This fictitious table is based purely on last seasons league finishing positions?

Surely the lower down the table that you finished last season would mean that you have to play against more sides that finished above you does it not?

Wigan and Saints will be top 2 next season irrespective of who they play loop fixtures against in 2021,but outside of those 2 sides I reckon that SL is wide open this season

If Wakey had finished first last season and Wigan, Leeds had Giants had finished ln the bottom 3 would that have made these fixtures easy ones in 2021?

As a Leeds fan I have seen Cas, Wakey and Hull FC recently beat us

Maths not your strong point then?

Regardless of where you finish in the table, the fixtures can be worked out where every team plays a set of loop fixtures that mean everyone plays a collective opponents that span the league positions fairly.

It's not about saying team 1 can't beat team 2 on any given day, it's about having a balanced challenge for every team in the competition. The fixtures favour the big clubs.

I don't suppose that you'd care to show us all how the loop and Magic weekend fixtures should have been fairly chosen?

Or are you just having a good whinge about it ?

Really easy. Each team plays one from the top 4 one from the middle 4 and one from the bottom 4 for the loop fixtures and for magic from your group of 4 from last season.

This.

Better idea......
Just get rid of them.

Or, how about something completely radical, how about ALL teams play each other home and away just once, and then league positions are not compromised. I know this means scrapping the loop matches, but hey ho!. I posted on our(HKR) forum, about being a bit miffed about our home loop match against Saints being played at SAINTS.. Really fair aint it?
The bottom line is that the format unbalances the competition by all clubs competing against a different mix, and if relegation is to be included, whoever finishes bottom, which could be potentially be by one point or points difference could feel seriously aggrieved. Even if it was Hull FC, it would amuse me, but would still be unfair.
We(HKR) avoided it last time because the season was cut short, and we knew in advance so played a few young players at times, but also because we were crocked by injuries, but yes, to call off relegation early was the right call.
The point being, is that the comp is unbalanced, and unless the RL correct it, I don't think relegation should happen until they do, but this is the RL so don't hold your breath.

I don't think anyone would disagree with that principle.

The fly in the ointment is that clubs need a minimum of 13 home league games to make the money work.

You either grow the division, or you have loops.

And of course there is the massive positive (if only for TV event exposure), of Magic Weekend.