League split comes at end of season, as RFL hope to simplify shake-up

Top-flight clubs have already been briefed on the idea which the RFL hope will bring more clarity to the previous complicated formula and reduce some of its envisaged problems.

Under the new plan for 2015, there will again be two 12-team divisions but they will play both home and away fixtures plus Magic Weekend in Super League.

When the split into three divisions of eight arrives, teams will play each other once meaning clubs will have seven more matches.

It is unclear how home advantage will be decreed. At the end of that programme, a straight play-off between first and fourth and second and third deems who plays Super League’s Grand Final.

For those who reach Old Trafford, that extends the number of games per season to 32, two more than the current potential.

However, the top eight sides would receive a bye into the Challenge Cup fifth round.

At the end of the regular campaign, ninth to 12th go into the middle eight with the top four of the second division.

After their seven fixtures, the leading four of the resulting table would start the following season in Super League.

The initial plan – unanimously rejected by Super League players – saw the three-division split come mid-season after Magic Weekend but that causes problems regards selling season tickets as clubs would not know which division they would be in for the second half of the year.

The new proposal eradicates that but there are still many issues to resolve, principally the distribution of television funds.

The consultation process continues ahead of a likely vote in August or September but Super League clubs have agreed there must be a drop from 14 clubs to either 12 or 10 in 2015.

Of the three proposals so far, the overwhelming majority of Super League players’ association 1eague3 voted for a 12-team Super League with promotion and relegation of one club each year. There is little support for two divisions of 10 clubs.