yipyee

I mean of the 12, all other games would be play offs? Magic may have some real meaningful games. .. I was referring to scotland having top playing bottom to decide promotion. ... works for them?

Wouldn't the league leaders get the league leaders shield and thus become the champions? The split which you quite rightly say is about P&R.....Its in essence a play off system that incorporates a round robin...doesn't the Scottish leagues use a similar system without the RR? I don't like the system either, but my concern is that its a fad, that after a few years will lead to the same teams in the same groups and the whinging will start again......

What I can see happening is the top 8 keeping fully pro set ups and being a closed shop top 8, this is much the case now but will be intensified by the budget cuts to the lower SL clubs... Middle tier upper teams will earn enough from the start of the season to fund an on field pro team but not pro set up...the lower middle tier teams will struggle but will probably interchange with the upper teams at certain points, these will also have a pro team on the pitch.... This again would probably end up a close shop as they have more money than the bottom 8, but not enough money to break into the top 8.. The 4 clubs that end up in the bottom 12 will walk over the semi-pro clubs for 22 games, in the top 12 the bottom 4 will be battle hardened after fighting there way through 22 tough fixtures... this again will probably lead to the same split of 4 and 4... This will leave the semi-pro clubs who will be in the bottom 12 pitching themselves against pro teams.....they may win the odd game but will naturally finish in the bottom 8. This would mean that they would stay semi-pro and be even further away from the elite! there is also a chance they could fall into the fourth tier after a couple of seasons of overspending takes its toll! For me this system would be reducing the elite to 8 clubs.... 8 more that would be signing cast-offs from the top 8 (they wont be able to afford academy's, top 8 will naturally be the big draw anyhows..) that is the current 14 clubs + 2 more (fev? sheffield?).... So for the other 12 current championship clubs they will probably be in a worse position than now and i can foresee 2 years down the line the same fans moaning how the top 16 is a closed shop! lets say Halifax win the third tier of 8 what have they won? who would care? This will end up 3 set divisions with no mobility!

Yeah I get that 2 current championship club will join the middle 8 but what of the rest? They will only be able to afford semi-pro? Unless a backer comes in.... Also widnes has had a backer and in their first year finished 14th, this would relegate them to the bottom 12? I cant see a way in this system how a championship club could break into the SL proper, also when the leagues settle down I can't forsee how a bottom 8 club could break into the middle 8?

Is this system the answer? Thinking about it i came to this conclusion. .. The worst 2 SL clubs would drop down a division and be in the second 12, they would remain pro but make cut backs... They would be certs for the middle 8... Looking at Sheffield and crusaders momentum they would also be strong contenders for the middle 8? That would mean the middle 8 would consist of 6 current SL club's and two current championship clubs, Lets presume sheff and crusaders make up the 8 would this create a glass ceiling as the extra revenue would in essence create a financial second tier? (Presuming two clubs would gamble and turn fully pro) Where would that leave fev, fax,leigh, etc stuck in the third tier of the game? Even further from super league? (For arguments sake you could change sheff/cru for any current championship club) As a side note if leeds and Hunslet both qualified for the middle 8 would Hunslet be allowed to field half the leeds team to take points off leeds rivals?