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Super league structure 2019 super 8s gone

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
I think it’s probably for the best there’s too many meaningless games being played in the current system.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
5,276
So I guess that if Tolouse and Toronto go up, their chances of going straight back down drop. All they both have to do is avoid last place.
 

Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,022
and if Catalans stay up it would at least make it very difficult to lose all the expansion teams.

Any word on expanding the number of teams?

seems like P/R would very quickly revert to the same teams being promoted and demoted each year unless there are more teams at the bottom to compete against (which then leads to more uncompetitive games for the top teams).

The only exceptions would be well funding expansion teams (Toronto New York?) who come up through the pyramid
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
I think it’s probably for the best there’s too many meaningless games being played in the current system.

They are obliged to still meet the same number of games for the current SKY contract.
So they'll be padding out the regular season with meaningless games anyway.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
They are obliged to still meet the same number of games for the current SKY contract.
So they'll be padding out the regular season with meaningless games anyway.

What is the number of games they have to play?
Could it be offset by adding more teams to the comp?
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
What is the number of games they have to play?
Could it be offset by adding more teams to the comp?

http://www.totalrl.com/for-your-inf...-more-after-seismic-robert-elstone-unveiling/

key points

funding to Championship and League 1 clubs will remain unaffected until at least the end of the current TV deal with Sky Sports, which runs until 2021

Leeds has the shits

"With no Super 8s, the extra games will be made up from so-called ‘loop’ fixtures. That would mean 11 at home, 11 away, a Magic Weekend fixture before a series of randomly-drawn games to bring the number of games up to a level around what it is now. That, primarily, will satisfy Sky’s contractual demands: they have an agreement to show a certain amount of games per season. They do not, however, have agreements to show a particular structure or format of rugby league."

Also think I read elsewhere that SL and Championship would be staying at 12-12 for now.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
http://www.totalrl.com/for-your-inf...-more-after-seismic-robert-elstone-unveiling/

key points

funding to Championship and League 1 clubs will remain unaffected until at least the end of the current TV deal with Sky Sports, which runs until 2021

Leeds has the shits

"With no Super 8s, the extra games will be made up from so-called ‘loop’ fixtures. That would mean 11 at home, 11 away, a Magic Weekend fixture before a series of randomly-drawn games to bring the number of games up to a level around what it is now. That, primarily, will satisfy Sky’s contractual demands: they have an agreement to show a certain amount of games per season. They do not, however, have agreements to show a particular structure or format of rugby league."

Also think I read elsewhere that SL and Championship would be staying at 12-12 for now.

Argh sadly it looks to be totally half arsed then.
I do think auto P&R is the way forward but it needs to be worked from the ground up.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
Ok must have missed this earlier on but the million pound game stays between the top two championship clubs?
What the f**k is that about? If they had it between top and bottom there is the justification of making sure the championship side is up to SL standard, I still wouldn’t want it though. But this is just shite.
 

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
The championship grand final as the million quid game makes perfect sense..the winner gets promoted then gets the SL money the following season...it's actually worth more that £2m+ to the team that wins

It's like out the football league play off final,too see who get promoted to the premier league,its often called the £100m+ game..

It's the same thing..
 
Last edited:

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
And what I'd do to pad out the fixtures to fulfil the sky contract is have a series of "on the road" games and have a "blockbuster weekend" where we pick 3 big stadiums to host 3 double headers to try and break the attendance record..

Manchester's ETIHAD,cap 55k
wigan v St Helen's & Salford v catalan

Leeds elland rd,cap 39k
Leeds v cas & Wakefield v hudds

Sheffield, hillsborough,cap 39k
Hull v hull kr & Warrington v Widnes

That would smash the attendance record imo
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
A simpler/normal structure over the convoluted Super 8s is no doubt a good thing.

Personally I'll miss the MPG in its current format. I was hoping for a smaller version of the Qualifiers. 4 teams instead of 8 (SL 9th has no business being in relegation zone, and vice versa for Championship 4th).
But I see the logic.
Hopefully top Championship clubs still get a big stage at the back end of the season somehow.

30 regular season games + finals looks to be maintained until at least the end of the broadcast deal.
Hopefully it is reduced then. Simply too many. Clubs might have requested more games for gate takings but I don't see how it is a positive for fan interest, intensity of competition, etc. Who wants to watch the same clubs play 4-5 times a season?
Home and Away + Magic + Challenge Cup + Finals. If clubs can't make do with that, big questions have to be asked about the viability of.. everything.

The "random draw" of extra games is a blow-up about unfairness waiting to happen, especially with relegation at stake.

12 clubs is the right number. The drop off at the bottom end of the table is pretty big as is, putting another 2 championship quality sides up a grade would lower than standard of BOTH competitions.

The tried-and-true top 5 finals system is the way to go at the end of the season. Simple, effective, rewards the league leaders heavily.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
Call me a masochist but I quite like the middle 8's gave the season some interest for the lower teams. It was insane to be relegated in the way we did but that was no ones fault but our own (and Albert kelly's!)

Going back to one up one down the reality is the season could be pretty much over for half the times early on, especially if goes back to 14 teams and a top 5 play off.

14 clubs x 13 home games plus Magic weekend = 27 games. More than enough with playoffs, CC and WCC for some clubs.

With a 14 team comp Id go top 6 straight knock out
1v6 2v5 3v4
highest ranked winner through to GF, winners of other 2 games to play for other final spot. Would add more drama and chance of someone other than usual suspects winning.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
Wow they actually made it worse. Hands down dumbest administered sport in universe.

I don't think it's worse.

I don't agree with all the details and some need to be ironed out still, but the major point of going back to a simple, easy to understand structure is a good one.

The only sport I can think of with a structure that is BOTH complicated and necessary is NFL, and the necessity of that complexity is fitting 32 teams into 16 weeks.
Rugby League comps have no such challenge and no excuse for convoluted nonsense.
 

t-ba

Post Whore
Messages
55,528
Problem for me is the content one. We looking at weeks of friendly fixtures?
 

LeedsStorm

Juniors
Messages
715
Don't play well throughout the season and you get dragged into a battle for superleague status. No surprise big clubs voted against this. Look at Leeds this season. Start losing games and the next few look critical. 1 up 1 down would mean there is now zero to play for. Yet again a stupid decision. How about sticking with the same format for a decade and then deciding if it works?
 

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