Perhaps if you look at the policy review document as prepared by NW in Sept. 2013 you may have a better idea of how-what and when the new singing and all dancing League structures work...It's that Eureka moment folks>>>>Yawn a lot!
Just Google RFL policy review for the full PDF by Nigel Wood.
Pages 10 to 16 to save you time.
Here are the pertinent extracts to begin the process..
Pages 10 to 16 of this truly riveting read.
However, of paramount importance was an estimation of the impact that
would be felt to the gross consolidated match day income generated by
the sport. It is clear from the analysis that the league structure which has
the greatest potential to increase revenues flowing into the sport is the
option to create two 12 team competitions that dissolve into 3 x 8 team
play-offs.
5.1.7 In all proposals, it is accepted that there needs to be jeopardy at all levels
i.e. two teams finishing at the bottom of the second tier would be
relegated into the divisions below.
PROPOSALS
5.1.14 From 2015 the Super League (Tier 1) will comprise 12 teams.
5.1.15 From 2015 the Championship (Tier 2) will comprise 12 teams.
5.1.16 Both divisions will play a main league format of 23 matches, with every
club playing each other home and away and a Magic event in both
leagues.
5.1.17 The Magic event will be staggered to give each division an opportunity to
attract significant media attention.
5.1.18 After 23 rounds the season Play Offs will commence with the 24 teams
splitting into three groups of 8.
5.1.19 The top 8 will compete in the Super League Play Offs.
5.1.20 The middle 8 will compete in the Super League Qualifying Play Offs.
5.1.21 The third 8 will compete in the Championship Shield.
5.1.22 Each Play Off group will comprise 7 fixtures. In the Super League Play
Offs and the Championships Play Offs (i.e. top 8 and third
the four
highest ranked clubs will receive the benefit of four home fixtures.
5.1.23 In the Super League Qualifying Play Offs (the middle
the four teams
who have qualified from the Championship will receive the benefit of 4
home game fixtures.
5.1.24 Thereafter, in the Super League Play Offs and Championships Play Offs
(top 8 and third
, two Semi-Finals will be contested with teams as
follows; 1 v 4 and 2 v 3, with home advantage being available to the
highest ranked side.
5.1.25 From the two semi-finals the Super League Grand Final and
Championship Shield Grand Final will be constructed.
5.1.26 In the Super League Qualifying Play Offs no Semi-Finals or Grand Final
are envisaged. The first three teams in this ‘mini league’ will qualify for readmission
into the Super League competition for the following year.
However, at the end of the Play Offs series, the team ranked fourth will
play the team ranked fifth in a one-off game to determine the last Super
League place for the following season.
5.1.27 In the top and third 8s, league points will be taken forward into the Play-
Offs. Clearly it will not be possible for the middle 8 to carry points forward.
5.1.28 The bottom two clubs from the Championships Play Offs will be relegated
to Championship One (Tier 3) for the following season.
5.1.30 The clubs contesting the Super League Play Offs in any season (i.e. the
top 8 clubs) will join the Challenge Cup in the Fifth Round in the following
season.
5.1.32 However the current description of Tiers within the sport is amended to
be:
Tier 1 – Super League Competition.
Tier 2 – Championship Competition.
Tier 3 – Championship One Competition.
Tier 4 – Conference Leagues.
Tier 5 – Regional Leagues.
Tier 6 – Merit and other Leagues.
(for the purposes of this report and to assist the reader by avoiding
confusion, the assumption is that this structure has been adopted)
5.3 CLUB SUSTAINABILITY AND THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF RFL SUPPORT FOR CLUBS
Each remaining Super League club receives increased distributions.
Clubs 1 and 2 in Tier 2 will receive 50% (or very near) of a full Super
League share (in addition to any one off specific transitional arrangements
that may apply in 2015/2015).
All other Tier 2 clubs receive increased central distributions, with
significant meritocratic distributions in favour of clubs 3 and 4.
All Tier 3 clubs receive a uniformed central distribution. This should be
regarded as a base minimum which clubs can rely on for 2015 and 2016.
5.3.7 Salary Cap and Financial Sustainability regulation remains core to the
financial health of the sport and viability of most clubs. The principle of
clubs spending up to 50% of their relevant income upon player salary
costs (subject to personal guarantees from directors/shareholders) is
sound and must remain at the heart of any future regulation. However an
element of flexibility must be introduced into the Salary Cap to allow
financially sustainable clubs to recruit and retain elite talent (in particular
players that have been trained and nurtured by that club).
5.3.8 Furthermore, with the likelihood of Tier 1 (Super League) and Tier 2
(Championship) teams playing in an expanded Play-Off series to qualify
for the following season’s Super League competition, it is essential that
this Play-Off series is competitive with uncertainty of outcomes. On that
basis, the Championship Salary Cap must be raised to enable those
clubs that can afford to operate full-time or predominantly full-time squads
to do so.
PROPOSALS
5.3.9 The current regulations restricting member clubs to Total Aggregate
Salary Cap Liabilities of 50% or less of their total club revenues (subject to
personal guarantees from directors/shareholders) will remain beyond
2015.
5.3.10 The finite Salary Cap for the Tier 1 competition will remain at its current
position of £1.825 million for 2015 and 2016.
5.3.11 In Tier 1, the current Elite Squad Representative Dispensation Allowance
is removed, to be replaced by regulation that limits the Salary Cap Value
of a Club Trained Player at a nominal value of £100k (i.e. for any Club
Trained Player with a Salary Cap Value of over £100k, his Salary Cap
Value will be assessed at £100k only with any additional wage not
included in his salary cap value). This would reward clubs for producing
elite talent and give them an opportunity to retain this talent in the face of
competition from other sports and competitions.
5.3.12 The Tier 2 Salary Cap for 2015 would be increased to a maximum of
£900k. As in Tier 1, the Salary Cap Value of a Club Trained Player would
be limited to a nominal value of £40k (i.e. for any Club Trained Player with
a Salary Cap Value of over £40k, his Salary Cap Value will be assessed
at £40k only with any additional wage “off cap”). This would reward clubs
for producing talent and give them an opportunity to retain this talent in
the face of competition from other (primarily Super League) clubs.
5.3.13 The Tier 3 Salary Cap would remain at £150k, but with the opportunity for
clubs to receive dispensation to spend up to £200k.
5.3.17 Central distributions into each section of the sport should be linked to
ensure the whole sport moves together, free from division and internal
squabbling.
5.3.18 Clearly the income flowing into the sport is likely to change as a
consequence of adopting these proposals and it would be both premature
and inappropriate to guess that impact in this report. However it is
recommended that the impact of these structural changes should ensure:-
- Each remaining Super League club receives increased distributions.
- Clubs 1 and 2 in Tier 2 will receive 50% (or very near) of a full Super
League share (in addition to any one off specific transitional arrangements
that may apply in 2015/2015).
- All other Tier 2 clubs receive increased central distributions, with
significant meritocratic distributions in favour of clubs 3 and 4.
- All Tier 3 clubs receive a uniformed central distribution. This should be
regarded as a base minimum which clubs can rely on for 2015 and 2016.
