The RL chairmen met at Haydock the other week and apparently 3/4 of them wan't rid of the Super 8 structure. Whilst we as fans think only of the boredom / excitement of a given system, the chairmen also think about ££, and the Super 8's were supposed to result in significant attendance increases - which didn't happen.

Even allowing for the attendance problem, the structure resulted in a club like Leeds playing in the middle 8's, whilst currently second placed Salford were a hairs breath from dropping to the Championship. Koukash was already mulling over withdrawing his financial support at Salford and I think carried on only because they stayed up. If he had left that would probably have been the end of Salford as their attendance income is so poor.

So, what is on the agenda ? Well, apparently most clubs are interested in increasing the SL clubs to 13 next year and possibly 14 the year after. I think the accountants have gone away to see if that will materially affect each clubs income (larger number of clubs sharing the Sky pot). It also throws into doubt what will happen this year. e.g. if HKR are allowed up anyway, it could mean nobody gets demoted to the Championship - like us haha.

It's been a dreadful setup from day one.
And we can speak as fans who've experienced the lot

The dead rubbers in the first year of it.
Winning the league leaders shield in the second year of it.
And being in the middle 8's in the last year of it.

I think we'll end up back at 14 teams in time to get Toronto in. Which will give us a huge media boost which we are desperate for. The game is just plodding along.

So we may not face relegation after all. Assuming we can finish in the top five of the middle 8's

I saw jamie Peacock banging on about the need for 14 teams to stop the repetition of fixtures.
He used a different example but wire and widnes will have played each other four times this season
And could be five if we both end up the million pound game.

Bin the 8's now.

I thought the system we had before this was fine. The RFL always trying to come up with new things. If it's not broke don't fix it. Would be even better with 14 teams.

we cannot get rid of the gf as sky won't allow it so they will forever be tinkering the method in which teams reach the gf

I find that the middle 8s are normally more exciting to follow than the super 8s after the switch as it's normally the top4 decided quite early to add a bit more excitement to this particular format surely it would be better to have a complete reset of top 8 m middle 8 league points so every game will matter??

amd no it would not mean yo have played xxx games for nothing the lls up for grabs and entry to the top 8 structure and as fair and equal anboppertuniyy to get to the gf as any other team at the start of the top8 format

I've been shouting about it being flawed since it was tabled.

It was never perfect and has worked out worse than expected. However, don't forget that the fans didn't like the old system, either, with the 'second chances' for top finishers producing even more meaningless games at the back end of the season. Personally, I think the original SL top five playoff system produced exciting games, rewarded the clubs who finished highest by keeping them out of the playoffs until later, but gave all five at least a shout. I seem to recall that Cas nearly went all the way from 5th one year playing some great rugby.

Not a view shared by many on this board and indeed others though. Most on here and other boards were up in arms at the system that allowed Leeds to win the GF from 5th...two years running and demanded change

If it is decided that a top 8 play off is the way to go then it is no use moaning if the team in 8th position wins the GF.

That will never happen

Not under the current system of retaining league points in the top 8 they should be reseat to make 8th spot as lucrative as 1st once split happens.

I've said it from the start.
All that is needed is a 4 vs 5 jeopardy game after round 30

That will keep the super 8s alive.

There is no solution.

There are two major problems with the structure of Super League, neither of which will ever get fixed.

One is having to have a split competition. One segment will always harm the other.

Only need to finish top 8 to be in with a fair shot of the title (inc. winning it from 5th)? The regular season is devalued. Current system of carrying points over? The mini league is littered with pointless dead rubbers.

Two is that the stakeholders are at odds with proper competition.

A club democracy where every club gets an equal vote, will always vote against any changes to the competition that potentially harms their revenues.

Yet the whole point of the competition, of any competition, is to decide who a single winner is. Teams have to lose along the way.

The clubs and Sky need to accept that the playoffs shouldn't be for everyone - this isn't "every-kid-gets-a-trophy-for-participating-land". It's elite sport. Finish 6th after 23 games? Tough tatties, season over. Any playoff system should be the best clubs playing off for the Super League title.

But that will never happen. There is no solution as long as the stakeholders making the rules are more concerned with protecting their £££, and forgetting that they're part of a sports competition.

If Castleford win their last 4 regular season games they will definitely qualify for the top 4, effectively making all their super 8's games dead rubbers !
They have been excellent to be fair.

The idea of carrying points forward into the play offs is to encourage teams to give themselves an advantage in the play offs by playing consistently well & playing winning rugby & not just settling for a place in the top 8.

Well that's one view and it did not pan out to badly for Leeds did it ??

Imagine we got into the 8s but top 4 mathematically impossible to get top4 and field a load of young players it will have an effect on everyone else in the top8 and not in a good way whereas if on zero every club has the incentive to try n win every game as they should do on a weekly basis anyway ! Would that maybe make the lls more desirable idk but if you can win the gf from 8th it won't necessarily be an indication of you being the best team in the league ??

It all depends on what is considered to be the top prize?

If you zero points of the top 8 what is the point of slogging your guts out to secure a decent play off spot. It's improbable but we could finis 8th and win the GF from an even start which would be nonsense and it would make a mockery of the regular rounds if we started level with say Cas' and how many dead rubbers would they be playing once 8th had been secured?

So you're saying the lls is pointless or worthless strange since you have previously put so much emphasis on last season being a success as we won it?? Put the emphasis back on winning the league and return to the top 8 being an end of season tournament that is also worth winning but not over the lls or cc?? Not new thinking just returning to a system that worked pre sky??

it would be hard to change people's mindset but we would have 24-28 meaningful league games, dead rubbers there will always be teams that are safe from relegation but cannot win anything they need to make changes and improve themselves rather than change the league structure so as many teams as possible could win it! And a few bonus trophies to win in the cc and premiership trophy too !!

LLS pointless? I'm saying nothing of the sort and I'm not sure how you managed to read that in my post. I said it would become pointless if all the teams started on zero as once you were guaranteed 8th it would all be about coasting and it all depends on what is considered the top prize.

I would support say a 14 team league with a FPTP championship and a separate play off tournament as pre Sky, but, I can't see that happening as our paymasters sky wont change their mindset.