V interesting. I have always been a firm believer in P&R but this post has got me questioning it.

Good luck in your quest Frodo!

If we want to reduce the teams in the playoffs how about two legged play off ties? More competetive games without the loss of revenue.

Just copied me above - except for the Championships.

I'd have 12 teams



Saints

Wigan

Leeds

Hull

Hull KR

Wire

Castleford

Wakefield

Bradford (newco)

Catalan

Huddersfield

Widnes



Then a combined lower league Co-operative National Division 1 of 20 teams including Salford and Leigh etc



(Yes I'd have my own team in the lower league, can't see any positives even with the new stadium and next season will probably prove me right. Don't see anything but the usual struggle for crowds because of our city being a football strong hold and us being s[ihi[/ite for the last 30 odd years)

12 teams only:



=#4000FFNecessary teams:



Wigan

St Helens

Warrington



Leeds

Bradford

Huddersfield (Birthplace, good stadium, not close to other clubs)

Hull FC (powerful fan base, juniors, excellent stadium)

Hull KR (great rivalry with FC, devoted but not huge fan base)



London (strategic location, great junior development)



Catalans (strong fan base, good stadium, youth)

Toulouse (will have good stadium, youth development, local derby).



=#FF00FFPossible remaining teams (debateable):



Wakefield (assume new stadium, strong but not huge fan base).



OR



Salford (strategic location).



_____________________________________

Two French teams creates local rivalry, is necessary to develop game of RL in France among youth, and strengthen national team, which will bring more money to French RL and Super League (eventually French clubs will be supported by Al Jazeera TV money, and 10 English teams can share Sky money).



When only 10 English clubs London can buy more quality English players, and better quality coach, than when there are 13 as is the case now.



Later increase to 14 clubs or 16 clubs only with new expansion clubs from England, Wales and France.



Castleford and Widnes are good clubs but cannot help the profile of rugby league in Europe or even in UK. Toulouse is big name in European sport, esp rugby XV, so will bring more French attention and more TV money to Super League.

10 teams with a 2 million cap. First for the drop are ones who can't afford cap without financial cripple.



The best players from the four dropped go into the weaker teams left in the ten, thus making them better and more likely to challenge the big teams.



Higher cap means imports will be better quality, also increasing quality of remaining 10 teams.



Bring back promotion / relegation so the 4 teams dropped (and other lower league teams) can fight their way in (provisionally) and stay in once they get a decent backer, can spend to the cap and build a quality Super League side.



and on a final note, 10 teams would mean less games so International fixtures, Exiles matches, Lancs vs Yorks, Magic Weekends, ect... could be expanded to keep the Sky people happy.

So you suggest that the new SL structure is based on loss making companies with a wealthy backer chucking money down a plughole? Preposterous ide.... oh, wait.

He's not far off though, if he had 2 FT 10's.

Certainly need £2m cap with a £1.8m min in the top tier, £1m spend in the second.

I don't see how saying decent backer means to you wealthy backer. There is a difference for me. A decent backer to me is someone who runs a club well.



1.65m cap for 14 teams is 23.1m.

2m cap for 10 teams is 20m.



So over all less money would be spent, the sky money would be split up between 4 less teams, which would cover the 400,000 rise in cap.



Where is this loss making structure you mention? Because by my reckoning we are making more of a loss now than if you adopt that system.



Not to mention a higher gate take for the cubs as games would be more competitive. Wigan get an extra 8-10k supporters at the ground for the game against Warrington compared to games against London for example.



If fans knew they were not going to get a blow out they might turn up for more games. Close competitive games will attract the part time fans, and ultimately sky would love to have more competitive games on the tv, and then we could demand more money for the better product.

10 Teams, top 4 Playoff.



1 vs 2 [Winner to GF, Loser to week 2

3 vs 4 [Winner to week 2, loser eliminated



Week Two



Loser Game One vs Winner Game two



Week Three



Grand Final [Winner week one vs Winner week two

Whatever the outcome, I'd like to see more emphasis on finishing top of the league and less play-off places. Too many teams are happy to just finish in the 8 and have a play-off game to look forward to.