Five ways to improve the Super 8s
The 30-week regular season is over and rugby league’s new era has, generally, been a success.
Leeds’ dramatic snaring of the Super League league leaders’ shield at the death on Friday, and the financial boost Halifax earned themselves by their win at Bradford on Saturday were the main talking points.
And we’ve still got the Super League play-offs and the Million Pound Game to look forward to.
The RFL are committed to the format and are also willing to make changes for the better to help tweak the structure moving forward.
Here’s a few of our own:
Fixture Format
The biggest challenge that the structure faces is the fact that seven weekly rounds need to be arranged on a very quick turnaround.
Leigh were, in my opinion, hard done to by the format of The Qualifiers fixtures. To be handed three Super League teams in their opening three games was a tall order, particularly as many had already indicated that they may struggle to match the intensity they had shown against Salford, Wakefield and Warrington in the Challenge Cup in successive weeks earlier in the season.
After three games of the Super 8s, the Centurions were already staring down the barrel even if you discount the surprise turnover by Halifax.
Given the disparity in salary cap and supposed squad strength (on paper), the Championship teams are already at a disadvantage before a ball is kicked.
Perhaps in future, the fixture format should be that you play different league opposition in alternate weeks.
It would at least enable Championship to adjust to the intensity of playing teams from Super League.
I’m told this season’s fixture format was decided by a mixture of club requests, the RFL’s decision and the requests of Sky. Maybe next year a more rigid fixture process is needed, so that maybe the order of fixtures is known even before the split and to help clubs sell the games better.
Neutral venue for MPG
When we talk about selling rugby league’s big days, there’s every chance that the Million Pound Game could be another jewel in the crown.
For that to happen, the Million Pound Game needs to be held at a neutral venue, enabling tickets to be sold in advance.
As it is, this season, Wakefield against Bradford will be played in front of a sell out.
But in the bold new era, rugby league wants to move towards playing in front of bigger and better crowds.
Given the farce that descended upon the weekend, with Bradford and then Wakefield both playing weaker sides (OK, perhaps Wakefield wouldn’t had Bradford not), maybe having the home venue for the MPG isn’t as valued as we assumed.
Maybe a neutral venue won’t happen soon, but it’s certainly on the cards for the future development of the Super 8s format.
Final round to be played at the same time
The Bradford and Wakefield scenario may not have happened had both games been played at the same time, which should surely be the case on the final round of fixtures throughout the Super 8s.
There was such incredible drama on Friday when Leeds won the league at Huddersfield, but the fact Wigan had faced Castleford at the same time made it even more dramatic.
We would have lost that huge talking point had St Helens or Warrington, who played on the previous night, been able to have a telling say in where the league leaders’ shield ended up.
Imagine a weekend where the top eight is finished on the Friday, the middle eight on the Saturday and the bottom eight on a Sunday to round off the rugby league season.
League Leaders Shield
The hubcap has had its day. Finishes like Friday are deserving of a trophy of greater significance.
Yes, the ultimate champions will always be the ones who win at Old Trafford (rightly or wrongly), but there aren’t many trophies in rugby league, and it’s time we acknowledged that finishing top over 30 games is an achievement that deserves recognition.
Salary cap disparity
Leigh’s owner Derek Beaumont has been very vocal in his opposition to the salary cap for Championship clubs, and its disparity with those that are in Super League.
It’s a tough issue. The lower Championship clubs certainly can’t afford an increase in spend, but should that hold the likes of Leigh back.
More transparency is needed over what clubs are spending, and perhaps even an additional bonus handed to Championship clubs as soon as they guarantee their top four place.
That would add even more drama to the transfer deadline week.
There’s plenty more up for discussion. The future of the Magic Weekend, whether an international break could be added before the Super 8s phase to help with the fixture planning and should the transfer deadline day be brought forward?
Let us know what you’d change!