I think Fourteen is too many at Full time/Superleague level there simply isn't enough money to prop up Fourteen clubs

At championship level i like having Fourteen clubs I think the 2013 season has been a really good one though it has been a tiring year for our players in particular with the cup exploits, with no NRC next season i see a Fourteen team championship working much better.
However if we are talking of having promo/rele to and from Superleague from 2015 I would go with 4 leagues of 10 so there is enough money to properly maintain all the clubs in the top flight while also having enough money to properly fund the second tier to make Promo/rele viable to and from the top table. After every 3 years I would look at extending the top flight by two and filling the void from the Fourth league with Two new/development/expansion clubs but it would only be extended if in and by the end of the 3 year period more finances are going into the central funding pot ie decent sponsorship and/or an improved tv deal meaning there would be no loss of central funding for any other club.

Even with a February to September season (which starts too early imho), there are only 35 weeks.

Allocate 4 weeks for the play-offs, an absolute minimum of three for the Challenge Cup (rounds 3, 4 and the final), you're already down to 28. Personally, I'd rather see the Rail Cup come back as a knock-out comp than have an extra four league games.

Duckzilla, I quite like the idea of divisions of 10 presumably teams would play 3 times a season plus playoffs with 1 up 1 down. I would expect the bigger teams would also prefer this option because it means more big matches in a season which equals more money !! However it would mean 4 teams being relegated so in our division could look like Castleford Widnes Wakefield London Toulouse Featherstone Sheffield Halifax Leigh Batley a very competitive division

That would be one hell of a division it would be superb, just a shame we won't get it

I agree but we will probably get a mini version of this if the rfl proposal of the split of 3 groups of 8's goes ahead

There'll be no twelves and eights. People are starting to think the practicalities of the idea through.

Yes most likely leagues of twelve's where the majority of superleague clubs will still struggle to be fulltime and the championship will still be desperately under funded

Great

Will twelves and eights solve that ?

No. It'll make it worse.

No it wouldn't solve that which is why I would go with tens that way Rugby league can justify having a fully pro competition

I'm not even sure that's true, Zilla.

Any Idea when there might be a decision - I thought after Wigan stuck the oar in that they were meeting in December but its nearly christmas now - at this rate they wont make a decision before the new season kicks off. Just shows some of the big clubs - like in football - have no consideration for their fans or the good of the game - just self interest!

There's no rush, is there?

See www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk

See www.doncasterrugbyleague.co.uk

See ?

Loads of time.......

I thought that was very helpful thanks weighman - doesn't matter how much time there is it's nice to know whats going on - we aren't all close to the hub!

Rugby League has a century long record of making decisions on the spur of the moment. Many of which it comes to regret later.

Agree 100%

I like to know what the competition is before it starts

We know what it is for 2014. None up, two down.

The meeting is about the 2015 competition.

Yes we've found out with only 2 months until the start of the season. It's not good is it things like this should be decided on months and months in advance so everyone knows where the game and competition is heading

Announced months ago, Duckzilla. The ensuing debate has been all about what happens in 2015.

it was announced then no one knew what was happening now we know with 2 months before the start of the season

I may be a bit thick but I thought the discussion was about what was happening next year with a view to the structure in 2015 - surely if the structure in 2015 is for a superleague of 10, 12 or 14 the comp in 2014 will be different - I haven't seen anything that says it's deffinately 1 up and 2 down since wigan spit their dummy out and I don't understand why it has to be confidential from the fans - or aren't we important enough to know until the decision is made - well no we aren't or at least the club owners don't think we are!

I think you're mistaken there.

It was announced back in July that there was to be a 12 team $uperleague in 2015 and that two teams would be relegated at the end of 2014 to achieve this.

I don't know what you mean about keeping stuff confidential. How can you know anything before the decision is made ?

It was announced back in July that there was to be a 12 team $uperleague in 2015 and that two teams would be relegated at the end of 2014 to achieve this.

I don't know what you mean about keeping stuff confidential. How can you know anything before the decision is made ?

Doncaster RLFC Chief Executive, Carl Hall, and Chairman, John Scarrow recently attended a Rugby Football League Council meeting to the proposed changes to the RFL structure.

Although most of the information at the meeting has to be kept confidential, the club had made a commitment to feedback to supporters at the recent fan forum any updates that could be made available to fans.

It may have been announced in May but in Sept Wigan and a few more said they were not happy with the proposals for the new structure did they not which is why we are here now still not knowing what is to happen

Sl Statement 23 Oct :- Eight clubs had indicated their support for proposals to reduce the number of clubs in Super League from 14 to 12 from the 2015 season.

However the six clubs blocked a decision on the format of Super League from 2015 on the basis that any debate on change should only take place alongside a review of the competition’s commercial management and governance.

Doesn't look to me as though it a cut and dried decision