One of the problems at the moment is not all clubs are operating on a full cap.

Sure Tony. I assume you are volunteering Warrington to move into the Championship to help this happen?

Thought not. C0ck.

Two conferences of 10 teams.

Play each other home and away = 18 games

Top four from each conference qualify to play off for SL title.

GAME 1 1ST CONF A v 4TH CONF B

GAME 2 1ST CONF B v 4TH CONF A

GAME 3 2ND CONF A v 3TH CONF B

GAME 4 2ND CONF B v 3TH CONF A

SEMI-FINAL

GAME 5 WINNER GAME 1 v WINNER GAME 3 (highest placed winner has home advantage)

GAME 6 WINNER GAME 2 V WINNER GAME 4 (highest placed winner has home advantage)

FINAL

GAME 7 WINNER GAME 5 v WINNER GAME 6

No second chances producing half hearted matches, perform or you’re out regardless of who you are or where you finished. In time this should breed the intensity to match the NRL.

I’m sure Peacock et al will be more than accommodating with reduced pay due to playing less matches, easing the strain of having more SL teams on the SKY TV purse.

I've mentioned this a couple of times on here already, but view is that SL should be split into two divisions, which operate side by side, not one on top of the other. The divisions would be loosely based on the heartland regions, one for Lancs and one for Yorks with expansion clubs in each. The divisions would have 10-12 teams in each. Teams in each division would play each other home and away in the league and would come together for the CC and the top three-four teams in each division would play each other in a play off series.

This way you increase the talent pool and numbers of pro players, you increase the numbers of both heartland and expansion clubs, you reduce the number of matches in a season, but the majority of SL matches would be local derbies (better for away support).

Also by doing this the likes of Paris, Barca and Toulouse could be included with Catalans. The RFL could establish a date when these four teams have to leave the two SL divisions and create their own SL division covering Spain and France with the possibility of Italy. Again these teams compete in CC and play off.

A further development could be set up after this whereby Welsh, Irish and Scottish teams are included in the first two divisions and eventually have to leave to create another SL division.

From there Germany and Holland?

Well there you go.

SL just needs re-organising, with a bye week or two thrown in. Scrap the “Magic Weekend” and we could be playing a similar amount of games as the NRL TP, if not even less. We could even possibly go to 16 clubs in the future.

There is the Challenge cup to think about, but the early rounds are often used to rest high profile players anyway. So the amount of games we play needn’t be that much more than what the NRL TP play.

No need for an unsustainable two tier SL or conferences

And that figure CAN be changed you know?

I would be reluctant to based the conferences on geographical grounds, in my mind that would reinforce the parochial nature of the sport.

I would like to see the make up of the two conferences drawn at random each season ensuring the games do not become stale. It could generate a bit of interest in the off season. The fixtures could then be announced a few weeks later.

I agree with Tony Smith and Jamie Peacock, Lets reduce the number of teams and the number of games. Then we can reduce their wages as well for doing less work

16 clubs is no good. We need the talent at 12 clubs, it's about quality games. We don't have enough to spread to 16 clubs let alone 14.


Don't get me started on the Challenge Cup.

If, or when, ready.

Back to the good old days then a Yorkshire League and a Lancashire League, then a play-off.

Actually I like the idea of 2 leagues/conferences. To satisfy the club's demand for games these could be padded out the same way as they do in NFL... each team plays a random selection of opponents from the other conference.

Just to reiterate, our current playoff system does lend it's self to a two-conference system of 8 each, and it could prove useful for reducing games, whilst keeping all of the local derbies each way. It also gives an easier scope to introduce an origin-style mid season competition, as one league vs the other, either with Origin-Type Rules where their first SL match was played, or current rosters. Finally, it doesn't work with P/R too well, but is much more easily implimented into a controlled franchising system. Could probably work along the lines of:

[iRed Rose Super League[/i

Wigan Warriors
Warrington Wolves
St. Helens
Crusaders
Salford Reds
Widnes Vikings
Catalans Dragons
Tolouse Olympique

[iWhite Rose Super League[/i

Leeds Rhinos
Bradford Bulls
Hull FC
Hull KR
Wakefield Wildcats
Castleford Tigers
Huddersfield Giants
Harlequins

Although personally I would be inclined to grow South Wales Scorpions, A further London team and maybe a Cumbrian/North Western team.

So 22 Games, 3 War of the Roses games, 5 CC games and internationals. Still more than the NRL though.

I like the idea of that and it could indeed reinvigorate the challenge cup as well

That would be a completely unsustainable fixture list for practically every team in that league. Attendances would plummet and clubs would go bust. That’s 3 expansion clubs in our league to one in the Yorkie league. With very little away support and two journeys overseas, if not more depending on how many times these clubs are supposed to play each other.

The White Rose league would be better, but nowhere near as sustainable as SL is now imo.

There is also alot of scope to alter the formation and structure in the future if required. But it does allow for internationals/Rep games to be given the attention they deserve.

Not my idea, never going to claim it was, I just tried to put a coherant post of the other ideas here mate cause I liked it.

The fact is, let's look at it from say Wigan's point of view:
St.Helens Home & Away
Warrington Home & Away

Should give their best attendences.

Widnes Home & Away
Salford Home & Away
Crusaders Home & Away

All fairly local games to visit, reasonable crowds could be expected.

Catalans Home & Away
Toulouse Home & Away

One away game if you are lucky here really, but every other year the Toulouse match could replace what the Quins away match is now, as they would only visit Quins every other year in regular games. Catalans finally get a local derby too.

In where now?

Have you been sharing TS's English coach





It doesn't even mean anything

don't like this idea at all, and it'd make the sport look even more 'small town' than it is already.

only the games with Leeds, Bradford and Rovers would generate a big crowd at the KC. And no club can survive with just 3 big home games a year.

I'd be more inclined to call it blunt contradiction

Like I said they would not be my teams of choice.

Maybe I didn't highlight it enough, you would get 7 home games from your league and 4 from the other.

Who would you consider "big" home games now?

Just to clarify you wouldn't play just the sides in your conference you'd also play the likes of Wigan, Saints, Warrington, Widnes, some of which would be at home.

Also it doesn't have to be say a Yorkshire/Lancashire sort of fell to it. You could mix and match the sides in it but from a travelling perspective and derbies it would make more sense to increase crowd numbers of the whole

Let’s look at it from Widnes’ point of view.

Good crowds
Wigan Home & Away
St.Helens Home & Away
Warrington Home & Away

Little or no away support, no atmosphere and little interest.
Salford Home & Away
Crusaders Home & Away
Catalans Home & Away
Toulouse Home & Away

That’s 8 out of 14 games relying entirely on home support. It will be even worse for other clubs than it would for Widnes. I know some people think away support in a red herring, but it just isn’t. I bet even Saints would go out of business if that league ever went ahead. It would be a complete disaster imo.

Edit

Salford don't bring many.
Crusaders Don't bring many, although I would expect them to bring more than Salford
Catalans 0
Toulouse 0

It would be the same for all of them, although they would have the advantage of Widnes’ away support which, in itself, wouldn’t make up for missing out on visits from the likes of Hull, Hull KR, Leeds and Bradford ect…

That's a fair point, I'll just have a look at this...

"If Widnes Replaced Salford now" VS "Widnes in RRSL"

Wigan Home & Away VS Wigan Home & Away
St.Helens Home & Away VS St.Helens Home & Away
Warrington Home & Away VS Warrington Home & Away
Crusaders Home & Away VS Crusaders Home & Away
Catalans Home & Away VS Catalans Home & Away

Would be the same

Bradford Home & Away
Leeds Home & Away
Hull FC Home & Away
Hull KR Home & Away
Harlequins Home & Away
Huddersfield Home & Away
Wakefield Home & Away
Castleford Home & Away
[i
OR[/i

Salford Home & Away
Toulouse Home & Away
Leeds Home OR Away
Bradford Home OR Away
Hull FC Home OR Away
Hull KR Home OR Away
Harlequins Home OR Away
Huddersfield Home OR Away
Wakefield Home OR Away
Castleford Home OR Away