Relegation

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

Who do you think will go down?

All season, like most people, I’ve been convinced it’s going to be London. However with 4 teams on 18 points and London having a favourable run in, I’m starting to have doubts. 

[Oxford]

I won't vote for this, having been through it, and not being a fan of P&R, I can't register with this one as it's bad enough for those clubs and more importantly fans it happens to.

I often think that only teams who've been never in the bottom half can be happy with P&R.

I'm not very keen on people being happy someone goes down either.

[whatmichaelsays]

40 minutes ago, Oxford said:

I often think that only teams who've been never in the bottom half can be happy with P&R.

I wouldn't be so sure on that. My (admittedly anecdotal) experience suggests it's fans of the 'smaller' clubs that insist that the game needs P&R to retain interest at the bottom end of the table. 

I think most fans of the bigger clubs would rather not have it as a side show to what should be a focus on the top-end of the table. 

[Treize Hombres]

The promotion and relegation system has made this season the best one in years. It could be argued that the Yorkshire teams on the list wouldn't be in SL if the game was properly franchised and that London would only be there on location. The Broncos promotion last year was on merit and that's the way it should be.

Without P and R this season would have ceased to be interesting weeks ago with teams not putting in the effort like the Broncos have done. And the threat of Championship level rugby next year sure made Leeds pull their finger out as was the case with Wigan a few months back.

My only arguments with relegation is that the fixtures are lop sided due to the Magic Weekend and that we have play offs to decide the SL Champions and who gets promoted to the top tier, but not for who takes the drop.

I too won't vote in this poll on the basis that Leeds aren't on the list...but seriously I can't make my mind up about who will be relegated...it's looking like it's going to go down to the last round of fixtures, and that's got to be good for the game.

 

 

[DOGFATHER]

P&R would be fine if there wasn't such a gap in funding between the divisions. That way the promoted team would not have to add too many players to the squad to be competitive and the relegated side would not have to drastically cut costs. 

[superten]

leeds not safe yet

[Man of Kent]

18 minutes ago, Treize Hombres said:

The promotion and relegation system has made this season the best one in years. It could be argued that the Yorkshire teams on the list wouldn't be in SL if the game was properly franchised and that London would only be there on location. The Broncos promotion last year was on merit and that's the way it should be.

Without P and R this season would have ceased to be interesting weeks ago with teams not putting in the effort like the Broncos have done. And the threat of Championship level rugby next year sure made Leeds pull their finger out as was the case with Wigan a few months back.

That’s the key thing for me. Competitive tension has forced clubs to be more competitive. 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

14 minutes ago, superten said:

leeds not safe yet

Leeds are very unlikely to go down now but they’ve been added to the poll 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

1 hour ago, Oxford said:

I won't vote for this, having been through it, and not being a fan of P&R, I can't register with this one as it's bad enough for those clubs and more importantly fans it happens to.

I often think that only teams who've been never in the bottom half can be happy with P&R.

I'm not very keen on people being happy someone goes down either.

I too think we should not have relegation, but the fact is a club will be relegated this season and voting in a poll isn’t going to change that.

[Oliver Clothesoff]

Still think London will go down. One of Wakefield or Hull KR will be on 20pts by end of play today. 

[GUBRATS]

8 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

I too think we should not have relegation, but the fact is a club will be relegated this season and voting in a poll isn’t going to change that.

So you also think we shouldn't have promotion then ?

[The Blues Ox]

The thing that some people don't seem to like is that once again the bottom of Super League and the top of the Championship is going to be more exciting than what is going on at the top of SL.

Promotion and relegation is great its just a shame there is not enough money in the game to give the championship teams more money then it could be extended to 2 up and 2 down.

[Mr Plow]

2 hours ago, Oxford said:

I won't vote for this, having been through it, and not being a fan of P&R, I can't register with this one as it's bad enough for those clubs and more importantly fans it happens to.

I often think that only teams who've been never in the bottom half can be happy with P&R.

I'm not very keen on people being happy someone goes down either.

That’s sport I’m afraid. This system is a lot fairer than the Super 8s as well so the worst team after 29 rounds will be relegated. But we could start another thread to debate the pros and cons of relegation.

On current form I’d say Wakefield or London will go down

[ihaveatry]

i think london will go down,heres hoping anyhow.

[guess who]

Not bothered who goes down.

But if Leeds went down then the clubs in the lower league could look forward to a nice pay day.

[Rupert Prince]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

That’s the key thing for me. Competitive tension has forced clubs to be more competitive. 

Yes we want to see competitiveness, but at what cost?  In a 12 team league with very little at the bottom (let's ignore the top for the moment) it's rather absurd to see a huge drop based on what might be points difference.  Add to that, as is pointed out, the lopsided loop fixtures and magic... we see the there could be serious consequences for the bottom team.

Rather than relegation, be game should encourage ambition.  The present clubs should, and need to, consodate. If they cannot then sadly they should be dropped, but not easily...e.g. Salford are on something of a precipice, but are looking upwards to the play offs.  Therefore we need consolidation.

Ambitious clubs should be encouraged, and encouraged to help themselves. Of course investment helps. A number of clubs can be listed, but Toulouse and TWP spring to mind. Pluse others in the mainland.

There are problems with expanding the game, but significant downsides to relegation too. I think increasing the cap, to support the successful, and expanding the league, as a start, to 14 to encourage everyone else is a possible way forward.

But no relegation.

 

[ihaveatry]

Just now, Rupert Prince said:

Yes we want to see competitiveness, but at what cost?  In a 12 team league with very little at the bottom (let's ignore the top for the moment) it's rather absurd to see a huge drop based on what might be points difference.  Add to that, as is pointed out, the lopsided loop fixtures and magic... we see the there could be serious consequences for the bottom team.

Rather than relegation, be game should encourage ambition.  The present clubs should, and need to, consodate. If they cannot then sadly they should be dropped, but not easily...e.g. Salford are on something of a precipice, but are looking upwards to the play offs.  Therefore we need consolidation.

Ambitious clubs should be encouraged, and encouraged to help themselves. Of course investment helps. A number of clubs can be listed, but Toulouse and TWP spring to mind. Pluse others in the mainland.

There are problems with expanding the game, but significant downsides to relegation too. I think increasing the cap, to support the successful, and expanding the league, as a start, to 14 to encourage everyone else is a possible way forward.

But no relegation.

 

you,ve got to have promotion and relegation thats what championship clubs are playing for and if it wasnt there the games ruined altogether.im all for a elite super league consisting of 8 teams and a bigger championship league with 2 up and 2 down.spreading the money out fairer throughout aswell.

[Rupert Prince]

8 minutes ago, ihaveatry said:

you,ve got to have promotion and relegation thats what championship clubs are playing for and if it wasnt there the games ruined altogether.im all for a elite super league consisting of 8 teams and a bigger championship league with 2 up and 2 down.spreading the money out fairer throughout aswell.

With success the best Championship clubs, and there are I fear but only a finite number of them, can add to tbe numbers in super league.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I think we should have both p and r and franchising, with 2 tiers of 10, in which the teams play every other team in their tier twice and the teams in the other tier once. 

So, it could look something like... 

Wigan Wire Cas Cats FC Saints Leeds Salford Huddersfield HKR

Wakefield London Toronto Toulouse Widnes Bradford Leigh Fev Fax Sheffield 

Mostly random selections off the top of my head, and clearly question marks about some of the clubs, but I chose the non expansion, non current SL clubs on the basis that I have seen each of them win either the league or the CC (in a few cases both). 

No tediously playing the same teams 5 times, at least one massive derby for pretty much everyone regardless of which division they are in, consolidating expansion, jeopardy but not oblivion... 

[GUBRATS]

42 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

Yes we want to see competitiveness, but at what cost?  In a 12 team league with very little at the bottom (let's ignore the top for the moment) it's rather absurd to see a huge drop based on what might be points difference.  Add to that, as is pointed out, the lopsided loop fixtures and magic... we see the there could be serious consequences for the bottom team.

Rather than relegation, be game should encourage ambition.  The present clubs should, and need to, consodate. If they cannot then sadly they should be dropped, but not easily...e.g. Salford are on something of a precipice, but are looking upwards to the play offs.  Therefore we need consolidation.

Ambitious clubs should be encouraged, and encouraged to help themselves. Of course investment helps. A number of clubs can be listed, but Toulouse and TWP spring to mind. Pluse others in the mainland.

There are problems with expanding the game, but significant downsides to relegation too. I think increasing the cap, to support the successful, and expanding the league, as a start, to 14 to encourage everyone else is a possible way forward.

But no relegation.

 

Then no promotion either ?

[Oliver Clothesoff]

1 hour ago, The Blues Ox said:

The thing that some people don't seem to like is that once again the bottom of Super League and the top of the Championship is going to be more exciting than what is going on at the top of SL.

Promotion and relegation is great its just a shame there is not enough money in the game to give the championship teams more money then it could be extended to 2 up and 2 down.

Like who?

[Clogiron]

I haven't voted as I think it's betwen Wakefield and Huddersfield, they both look to be in freefall and lacking in the nous, quality, and fight to turn it around, probably both will go and win today now I have said that, HKR are not the team you would want to rely on as even with Smith there they are rocks or diamonds week to week

[GUBRATS]

The one disturbing factor in this is the teams Saints have put out against London on 2 occasions this season 

Yes we have loop fixtures which can already skew the placings , and to be fair London have shown incredible resilience this year to accumulate a lot more points than myself and most others on here expected 

But , those 2 wins against substandard teams from Saints are what have kept Wakey,Giants and HKR on the edge with 3 games left 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

2 hours ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

Still think London will go down. One of Wakefield or Hull KR will be on 20pts by end of play today. 

That means nothing. Both of them have to play London. If London beat the loser, they'll go down. If London beat them both, they'll go above them both.

It really is in their hands.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

14 minutes ago, Clogiron said:

HKR are not the team you would want to rely on as even with Smith there they are rocks or diamonds week to week

The key to predicting Rovers games is to look at their last result. 

Their form is LWLWLWLWL, so I'm going for a win this week, loss against Catalans away, win against London at home and loss to Salford away.