No other sport in the world 'tinkers' with the rules and the structure like RL. In desperate attempts to make the game more attractive to sponsors, fans and tv viewing. its a complete joke. At the end of the day Sky will decide what format they want. Those who pay the money call the tune!

I was under the impression that so far all the clubs had voted on was whether to go to 2 leagues of 12 and whether to have promotion and relegation back? The issue of a 3 tier split wasn't part of the vote was it?

Sitting in a pub down here the other night watching Huddersfield and Catalans on TV with a few non-believing mates. To be fair they were very impressed with the game and we're all getting together for the Hull match this weekend so I can try and convert them. But they actually laughed out loud when I told them the top eight of 14 get into the play offs and there's no relegation - basically saying "what's the point in the first nine months of the season then?" which was hard to answer. I then tried to explain the passage to the final from 5th and below and couldn't - I got lost at the club call nonsense.

Splitting the league into three will be a disaster. We'll be a complete laughing stock. Who is going to want to win that middle division? Best of the also rans. What are they going to get out of that? Never mind meaningless games now, you're going to have a meaningless division soon.

Two leagues of 12, six in the play offs, one up and one down please.

Totally agree, the sport is a laughing stock. They should never have got rid of relegation. Agree 2 leagues of 12 with one up one down is the only way to go imo and lets see if they can leave it that way for more than 2 seasons without more 'tinkering',

As a sportscaster once said on an episode of the Simpsons - 'The road to the Superbowl is long... and pointless.'

The problems with two leagues of 12, six in the play offs, one up and one down are

1. that we'd be reverting to 2007, making the the licensing era look like a mistake and a complete waste of everybody's time (arguably it was, but you don't want it to [ilook[/i that way, if you were associated with the concept).
2. We abandoned it for a reason - the gap between full-time SL and the part-time second tier had grown so big as to be almost unbridgeable. Unless steps are taken to narrow the gap, we'll be back to square one.

As far as I understood it yes, the 3 tier split was part of it, I may be wrong but I'm sure thats what was said. They were voting on either 2 leagues of 12 with promotion and relegation or the 3 tier split. As I understood most of the players it has to be said wanted just the 12 with promotion and relegation because they would play less games but iirc it was voted on last week at their AGM (again might be wrong, but thats how it came across to me).

The lower leagues will be looked after by parachute payments and their salary cap will be increased.

The players don't want the 3 tier system and if i'm right about 4-5 clubs don't want it either.. (super league)

They can only vote on proposals put in front of them though. It could very well be the case of accepting the lesser evil!

Quote ="Hull White Star"As far as I understood it yes, the 3 tier split was part of it, I may be wrong but I'm sure thats what was said. They were voting on either 2 leagues of 12 with promotion and relegation or the 3 tier split. As I understood most of the players it has to be said wanted just the 12 with promotion and relegation because they would play less games but iirc it was voted on last week at their AGM (again might be wrong, but thats how it came across to me). The lower leagues will be looked after by parachute payments and their salary cap will be increased.'" www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/23264272 I've yet to see anything written anywhere that states the 3 tier system has been voted on and agreed as the best option.

Quote ="Hull White Star"As far as I understood it yes, the 3 tier split was part of it, I may be wrong but I'm sure thats what was said. They were voting on either 2 leagues of 12 with promotion and relegation or the 3 tier split. As I understood most of the players it has to be said wanted just the 12 with promotion and relegation because they would play less games but iirc it was voted on last week at their AGM (again might be wrong, but thats how it came across to me). The lower leagues will be looked after by parachute payments and their salary cap will be increased.'" www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/23264272 I've yet to see anything written anywhere that states the 3 tier system has been voted on and agreed as the best option.

TERRIBLE IDEA THIS SPLITTING LARK........
NO WONDER RL IS IN THE STATE IT IS WITH THESE CLOWNS IN CHARGE...IF IT SPLITS TO 3 TEAMS OF 8...I'LL BE OFF SIMPLE AS.....
AND I THOUGHT THE "CLUB CALL" WAS THE WORST IDEA RL HAS EVER HAD!!!!!!!

Maybe it was just a vote on which option the clubs preferred then and a full vote might go ahead after clubs have managed to garner opinions from different angles?

Simplest thing to do regarding promotion/relegation is to have 2 leagues of 12 teams then whoever finishes bottom of upper league plays against winner of lower league as a curtain raiser to grand final winner to get place in upper league. Job done.

The point is it is the fans who pay the money to the clubs, so should have more input on the proposals.

Not like you to get carried away.

The three split system hasn't been voted on yet all that has been agreed after a vote so far is that Super League will reduce by two at the end of next season.

The Clubs will now discuss whether its two leagues of twelve with one up one down and parachute payments for the relegated Club or two leagues of twelve and split after 23 games to three leagues with the top four teams of the middle league at the end of 30 games re-joining the next seasons super league and the bottom 4 being in the second division. (again with parachute payments for any Super League club going down)

The only thing that has been agreed thus far is two leagues of twelve will start the 2015 season.

Are they definitely having parachute payments? If they're sizeable that'll distort the second tier even more than the last set of yo-yo years. Or did they have them back then too? Be interesting to see if the salary cap is flat in that division then, also.
More sensible with the 3x8 model, than the straight 1 up, 1 down.

I've yet to hear one person think that splitting in to 3 leagues is a good idea, and non-RL fans just look bewildered when you try and explain it!

My understanding is that the 3 way split has been redesigned following the initial communication. I would like e RFL to actually tell us the full details of this idea, assuming they actually know themselves.

I don't think this is the case at all. I've been quite a fan of the licensing system which has (in general) brought more stability financially to clubs as it avoids the necessity of paying over the odds for average players, allowing clubs to spend what they want as their security is confirmed.

As we've seen, this has allowed for clubs to promote youngsters (whether it would be higher or lower should P/R have been kept throughout the last 6 years we will never know, but I'm guessing it would have been less).

Although there are still high scoring games, still showing a gulf between the top and bottom, generally, on their day, anyone can beat anyone. I believe this is due to the fact players signing for clubs already have the security of knowing they will be competing in the premier conpetition in the country year on year. Ok, some (if not all) players have a desire to win and perform every week, but the likes of Chase signing and staying on at Cas and Tim Smith at Wakey, are good quality players choosing to play for mid-low table sides levelling the quality slightly between sides.

With relegation we saw Wigan breaking the rules to stay in super league at the expense of another club. Without this threat, clubs can start building for the future seasons with the knowledge that they can do this without being threatened with being ousted.

Of course there are the sides like Fev, Fax, Leigh and the clubs who go down etc who may be able to keep a place in super league, but at what cost? Obviously no one knows the answer to this, but if it gave us anything, licensing brought security (generally) to clubs and therefore security for players and other staff connected to the club.

Agreed. I don't think P & R can ever really work in a sport where only the top division is full time.

It's the case even in other sports. The perceived need to overspend to sustain top flight football in the premier league has caused clubs all sorts of financial difficulties.

Parachute payment have always been part of the discussions as I understand it and are going to happen but primarily to protect youth development and local player retention of the teams coming down, thats only fair. How they'll actuallly etch that in legislations is not yet apparent

Although there is also a lot of talk at other Clubs of the package including a return to Under 21's with open age places and under 18's.

[url=http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_12626-sinfield-backs-super-league-changes.html?Sinny likes it (whatever it actually is)[/url

Why not have 2 leagues of 12, p&r and add another cup. 2 things to win in a year is not enough to keep it interseting. Used to be better when there was the jp trophy, yorks cup, cc, league and prem.

If they go with the splitting of the league half way through the year, I think we'll see the northern rail cup scrapped. There was talk of splitting the remaining teams outsise of these leagues into north and south conferences anyway, so there will need to be an added comp I feel, also.