14 Team Super League (Resurrected Thread)

[hunsletgreenandgold]

4 hours ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

It could easily lead to missing more games but that's not affecting the protocols in any way shape or form.

Sure, that’s all I meant

[yipyee]

16 hours ago, gingerjon said:

To create a league fixture list for 14 teams (identified by letters A to N), with the following constraints:

• Each team plays home and away against every other team (i.e., a double round-robin format).
• Only one game per day is played.
• Each team has a guaranteed minimum rest period after each game.

We'll need to:

1. Calculate the total number of matches.
2. Design a schedule that respects the rest period.
3. Ensure home and away balance.
4. Spread matches over days with only one match per day.

---

Step 1: Total Matches

In a double round-robin format:

• Each team plays every other team twice (home and away).
• Number of matches = n(n−1)11n(n−1) where n=14n=14

So:

• Total matches = 14×13=18214×13=182
• With one match per day, the league will span 182 days.

---

Step 2: Scheduling with Rest Periods

To ensure a minimum rest period (e.g., 2 days) between games for each team, we need to:

• Track each team's last match date.
• Only schedule a team again if at least 2 days have passed since their last match.

---

Step 3: Generate the Fixture List

This is best done programmatically to ensure all constraints are met. I’ll now generate a fixture list using code that:

• Assigns matches randomly but fairly.
• Ensures each team plays every other team home and away.
• Enforces a minimum rest period (e.g., 2 days).
• Limits to one match per day.

Let me run the code to generate this fixture list.

Analysis

Here’s a league fixture list for 14 teams (A to N), where:

• Each team plays every other team home and away.
• Only one match is played per day.
• Each team has a minimum rest period of 2 days between games.

Sample of the Fixture List

Here are the first few days to give you a sense of the structure:

Day 1: A vs B
Day 2: C vs D
Day 3: E vs F
Day 4: B vs A
Day 5: D vs C
Day 6: F vs E
Day 7: A vs G
Day 8: B vs C
Day 9: D vs E
Day 10: A vs F
...

The full schedule spans over 195 days, slightly longer than the theoretical minimum of 182 days due to the rest period constraint. This ensures fairness and player recovery time.

You don't realise that Easter weekend was amended as 2 rest days once a year wasn't enough.

You need 5 rest days minimum to appease the players union

[lucky 7]

12 hours ago, Anita Bath said:

Only if that expectation applies to all current SL clubs as well.

We all believe in a level playing field dont we? Well except for french teams of course.

With Cornwall folding this year and Salford most likely as well, the RFL are going to have to find 2 news clubs to make up the short fall in teams, and I can't think of 2 teams in the M62 corridor would would want to join the semi pro ranks, and certainly no team outside the M62 corridor would want to join the semi pro ranks if they have to pay travelling expenses for visiting teams.

[Anita Bath]

They dont have to find any new teams. There are no commandmants fixing in a number of clubs.

[lucky 7]

Just now, Anita Bath said:

They dont have to find any new teams. There are no commandmants fixing in a number of clubs.

Teams will lose a home game revenue in no other teams enter the Rugby League pyramid is the point i was making.

[Anita Bath]

Not necessarily because by combining the divisions each team will have more home games…thats one of the rationale for combining. 

[Omott91]

Which teams are most likely to be included. I'm Aussie so haven't been following daily updates. 

[Blind side johnny]

4 hours ago, lucky 7 said:

Teams will lose a home game revenue in no other teams enter the Rugby League pyramid is the point i was making.

1. It isn't a pyramid.

2. A combined lower league will not involve clubs playing home and away against every other club, hence no home game revenue would be lost.

[lucky 7]

15 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

1. It isn't a pyramid.

2. A combined lower league will not involve clubs playing home and away against every other club, hence no home game revenue would be lost.

I must have missed the statement where the championship and league 1 will be combined for next season.

[Tommygilf]

18 hours ago, Omott91 said:

Which teams are most likely to be included. I'm Aussie so haven't been following daily updates. 

Several Bullish options:

1) Salford out, IMG next best in (possibly Toulouse if they win the Championship), plus Bradford and London.

2) Salford out, York, Bradford and London in (one on IMG)

3) Salford strategically review themselves and change their name to Manchester... all hell breaks loose and Bradford and London are in.

4) Other than the 4 championship teams mentioned, Oldham, Widnes and Doncaster have all said they will be applying for places 13 or 14. Though Oldham are clearly best placed financially to do that at the moment.

[Blind side johnny]

5 hours ago, lucky 7 said:

I must have missed the statement where the championship and league 1 will be combined for next season.

If you want to bet against it I know plenty of people who will take your money. The final decision, including playing structures, will be announced within a couple of weeks but the consensus is that it has to go to one league.

[dkw]

Amazing that we've had a huge multi page thread that ran for ages, thats been shut down, a new one opened that is now multi page all before we've heard a single new piece of information about the 14 team league. Everyone on summer holidays, or just figuring out which of Big Niges several roles will actually announce things?

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Blind side johnny said:

If you want to bet against it I know plenty of people who will take your money. The final decision, including playing structures, will be announced within a couple of weeks but the consensus is that it has to go to one league.

I thought there was going to be a follow up meeting? Will there be an announcement without that?

[LeeF]

Just now, gingerjon said:

I thought there was going to be a follow up meeting? Will there be an announcement without that?

I’ve read on one of the clubs sites that after the last meeting the RFL were taking back 2 proposals, both of a combined league, and would be looking to make a final decision within 2 weeks.

26 matches were mentioned so presumably the 2 options were how do you get to 26

[Blind side johnny]

2 hours ago, LeeF said:

I’ve read on one of the clubs sites that after the last meeting the RFL were taking back 2 proposals, both of a combined league, and would be looking to make a final decision within 2 weeks.

26 matches were mentioned so presumably the 2 options were how do you get to 26

This.

The meeting to decide the format is off the RFL Board, having taken written representations from the clubs. It is felt that 26 games would be optimum but how this will be achieved is still subject to discussion. Some are speculating that it would be a hybrid of clubs with similar playing records, as judged by this season's final placings, sprinkled with a number of local games. I doubt that the clubs would simply play 13 other clubs H&A, but who knows?

I also believe that only one club from those at the top of L1 and bottom of the Championship is in favour of the playoffs going ahead. The rest seem to think it would be a pointless waste of money and I agree with that sentiment.

[DEANO]

I would say there’s 6 contenders for 3 places. Unbelievabley Salford!!!  London why would hethrington go there. Toulouse if they’re not in is there any point them carrying on?  Bradford purely for away fans. York and Oldham are chucking a lot of cash about

[Anita Bath]

36 minutes ago, DEANO said:

I would say there’s 6 contenders for 3 places. Unbelievabley Salford!!!  London why would hethrington go there. Toulouse if they’re not in is there any point them carrying on?  Bradford purely for away fans. York and Oldham are chucking a lot of cash about

 No mention of on field performance...how IMG have changed our world.

[gingerjon]

18 minutes ago, Anita Bath said:

 No mention of on field performance...how IMG have changed our world.

This is all on the real rugby league people who installed the current leaders of the RFL who want to create a real and lasting drawbridge.

IMG's shared plan with the RFL gave a structure for ambitious clubs. That's about to go because some clubs who don't ever want to bother with Super League and some who don't ever want to leave it got together to come up with a system that locks everyone in place in perpetuity.

[lucky 7]

10 hours ago, gingerjon said:

This is all on the real rugby league people who installed the current leaders of the RFL who want to create a real and lasting drawbridge.

IMG's shared plan with the RFL gave a structure for ambitious clubs. That's about to go because some clubs who don't ever want to bother with Super League and some who don't ever want to leave it got together to come up with a system that locks everyone in place in perpetuity.

So it will cost the game money to cut IMG and nothing to show it for it if we ignore their proposals it seems to me.

[Dave T]

10 hours ago, Anita Bath said:

 No mention of on field performance...how IMG have changed our world.

Catalans didn't prove themselves on the field before they were admitted. In the NRL they have added plenty of clubs that havent proven themselves on the field. This isnt new or an IMG thing at all.

And broadly speaking, the clubs being touted are doing pretty well on the field in their comp, probably minus London.

[Gooleboy]

8 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Catalans didn't prove themselves on the field before they were admitted. In the NRL they have added plenty of clubs that havent proven themselves on the field. This isnt new or an IMG thing at all.

And broadly speaking, the clubs being touted are doing pretty well on the field in their comp, probably minus London.

Probably London? They are hopeless.

[Harry Stottle]

10 hours ago, gingerjon said:

This is all on the real rugby league people who installed the current leaders of the RFL who want to create a real and lasting drawbridge.

IMG's shared plan with the RFL gave a structure for ambitious clubs. That's about to go because some clubs who don't ever want to bother with Super League and some who don't ever want to leave it got together to come up with a system that locks everyone in place in perpetuity.

P&R will return in 2027, after the 'promoted' clubs have been given a years grace in 2026.

[Dave T]

25 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

Probably London? They are hopeless.

Yeah I was thinking wider than this one season in terms of proving value on field. It was only 18m ago they won promotion on the field.

[Harry Stottle]

31 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Catalans didn't prove themselves on the field before they were admitted. In the NRL they have added plenty of clubs that havent proven themselves on the field. This isnt new or an IMG thing at all.

And broadly speaking, the clubs being touted are doing pretty well on the field in their comp, probably minus London.

How could Catalans prove themselves? In the mish mash that was the FFR in 2006? Nope they were just catapulted into SL.

And in the NRL how could new clubs entering the NRL, who were 'new born' prove themselves, they were originated to enter the NRL.

[Dave T]

Just now, Harry Stottle said:

How could Catalans prove themselves? In the mish mash that was the FFR in 2006? Nope they were just catapulted into SL.

And in the NRL how could new clubs entering the NRL, who were 'new born' prove themselves, they were originated to enter the NRL.

Yes. That's my point. Clubs/teams are admitted into comps via business cases all over the world.