Powell unhappy with Super League proposals

New Castleford head coach Daryl Powell has criticised proposals for a new Super League format that could be introduced in 2015. 

The plans, put forward by RFL chief executive Nigel Wood last week, include the possibility of two leagues of 12 teams, which would eventually split into three divisions of eight halfway through the season.

Powell, 47, oversaw a 39-30 defeat to Catalan in his first game in charge of the Tigers on Saturday and expressed his concerns about Wood’s proposals.

Former Featherstone boss Powell said: “The split into three eights is a complicated, highfaluted structure that I’m not sure is the right option. I’d need to look at all three options in detail, but that’s certainly a bit of a strange one.

“There doesn’t seem to be enough balance on how you’re going to get into the top eight initially. You could have Warrington, Wigan and Catalan away (in your first 11 games) – play all the top teams away – and then end up in the second tier.”

Powell isn’t the first Super League coach to raise doubts over the proposals. Warrington Wolves head coach Tony Smith warned that substantial changes would ’cause mayhem’ and Powell echoed the Australian’s comments over the weekend.

“I agree with Tony Smith in that it may be too much over the top in terms of innovation. I think they can make it a little bit simpler than that, but I’d need to look at all three options in detail. But that’s rugby league, isn’t it?”

Any new structure reshuffle is unlikely to be adopted before 2015, when the current three-year Super League license expires.