THE RFL have explained how the ten-team play-offs in the new-look 20-team Championship will work.

It’s an Australian-style model similar to that used in the old League One in recent times with the aim of giving the highest-placed finishers in the regular season what is on paper the easiest route to the title.

There will be four weekends of action, with two sides eliminated in each case, leading to the two survivors contesting the Grand Final in October (date to be confirmed).

Play-off structure (numbers refer to final positions):

Week 1
Teams 1 and 2 bye to Week 2
Qualifying semi-final 1: 3 v 5
Qualifying semi-final 2: 4 v 6
Eliminator 1: 7 v 10
Eliminator 2: 8 v 9

Week 2
Qualifying final 1: 1 v highest-ranked qualifying semi-final winners
Qualifying final 2: 2 v lowest-ranked qualifying semi-final winners
Elimination final 1: highest-ranked qualifying semi-final losers v lowest-ranked eliminator winners
Elimination final 2: lowest-ranked qualifying semi-final losers v highest-ranked eliminator winners

Week 3 
Winners of qualifying finals 1 & 2 through to home semi-finals
Sudden-death play-off 1: highest-ranked loser of qualifying finals v lowest-ranked winner of elimination finals
Sudden-death play-off 2: lowest-ranked loser of qualifying finals v highest-ranked winner of elimination finals

Week 4
Preliminary final 1: highest-ranked qualifying final winners v lowest-ranked sudden-death play-off winners
Preliminary final 2: lowest-ranked qualifying final winners v highest-ranked sudden-death play-off winners

Week 5
Grand Final: highest-ranked preliminary final winners v lowest-ranked preliminary final winners