A dose of reality - what the 'Middle 8' really means : Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:39 pm  

Well a lot of people keep talking about making the top four, but what is really in store for the teams that do?
Round 5 of the Challenge Cup should tell you if you haven't already worked it out.

Leigh 22, Salford 18
Wakefield 44, Halifax 16
Sheffield 12, Hull FC 34
Bradford 30, Hull KR 50

The current top 4 Championship sides played SL opposition. One just managed to win (and well done to Leigh for doing so), the other three lost by more than 20 points.
Let's face it, there will be no more promotion and relegation under this system than there was under the last one.

Re: A dose of reality - what the 'Middle 8' really means : Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:22 pm  

I wasn't surprised by this - though some people felt that Leigh would go the same way too. My take on it is that Leigh might well finish in the top 3 of the middle 8.

I hope the current system is maintained because it will take time for the gap to narrow but the RFL have back-tracked on what they promised for the Championship and I wouldn't be surprised if this experiment doesn't last long.

Re: A dose of reality - what the 'Middle 8' really means : Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:05 pm  

Colly2 wrote:

I wasn't surprised by this - though some people felt that Leigh would go the same way too. My take on it is that Leigh might well finish in the top 3 of the middle 8.

I hope the current system is maintained because it will take time for the gap to narrow but the RFL have back-tracked on what they promised for the Championship and I wouldn't be surprised if this experiment doesn't last long.

I've highlighted the flaw in your argument...the RFL never stick with anything for any length of time.
Leigh away to Wakefield will be a cracking game. If ever Wakefield needed to lay down a marker, then this is the game because I see these 2 sides meeting in the Million pound game at the end of the year.....

Re: A dose of reality - what the 'Middle 8' really means : Wed Apr 22, 2015 11:08 am  

Yes but the promise of the opportunity for promotion HAS improved things.Look at last years 4th round results. The Pies beat Dewsbury by over 50 points, Cas' beat Batley by over 30 points, Bradford Oldham was admitedly SL vs 3rd tier and then Widnes beat 'Fax by 24 points.

Leigh have grasped their opportunity, the others need to take note, though would Hull or Wakey beat Bradford at the momment?

Re: A dose of reality - what the 'Middle 8' really means : Wed Apr 22, 2015 4:11 pm  

Ah well that's it then let's all pack up and go home, at least now we know it's all for nothing we can stop worrying.

So what would people prefer 1 up 1 down?
2 up 2 down? Problem with that is like we saw last year you can have such a bad season last 6 7 8 games not worth playing because the outcome of season already decided.
What they could do is lock the top flight into a cycle, maybe a 3 year system, but make limits on who can be in maybe use a points system to gain entry on stadium, that way you can make sure the financially stable clubs are there. Oh hold on tried that didn't really work.
Tell youwhat why not try summat new and see what happens.
maybe then a club can build over the seasons and compete with the worst of the top flight teams.
I stand by what I think, there will be a change, 1 champ team will go up and 1 sl down possibly with a second sl team sweating it out and taking it to the wire
At least it's making every game count

Re: A dose of reality - what the 'Middle 8' really means : Wed Apr 22, 2015 6:19 pm  

Do all (any) of Wakeys games count between now and the middle 8 bash?

Re: A dose of reality - what the 'Middle 8' really means : Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:53 pm  

wire-quin wrote:

Do all (any) of Wakeys games count between now and the middle 8 bash?

Nope.
They just need to concentrate on beating Leigh at least once (second game). I think Leigh are in with a shout, but only in regards to Wakefield, with Hull and the other candidates for the bottom 4 of SL being just too strong.
There will be 7 rounds of 4 games in the 8, with a final match at the end. I can see some real pastings being handed down, especially to the Champ clubs who qualify 3rd and 4th

Re: A dose of reality - what the 'Middle 8' really means : Thu Apr 23, 2015 5:29 pm  

mickyb1234 wrote:

Ah well that's it then let's all pack up and go home, at least now we know it's all for nothing we can stop worrying.

Is that really what I said? No, but this is the internet so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you've extrapolated until you hit the most extreme position.

Let me flesh it out a bit. The licensing system had nothing to do with the good of the game and everything to do with a clique of club owners who wanted to make sure that a 'big club' like Wigan never had to fight relegation again. When the system singularly failed to deliver any of it's promised gains and it became obvious to all what a sham it was, the RFL could no longer resist calls from the lower leagues for the reintroduction of promotion and relegation.

But they came up with the wizard wheeze of a system that looks like it offers the chance of promotion, but is structured in such a way as to almost guarantee it won't happen. The 'big club' owners can sleep easy.

I have to agree with Colly2, the experiment won't last long.
I also have to agree with gutterfax/enigmatic/Jim Pooley, there will be some real pastings handed down.

mickyb1234 wrote:

So what would people prefer 1 up 1 down?

Yep, that'll do me just fine.

Re: A dose of reality - what the 'Middle 8' really means : Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:02 pm  

Why 1 up 1 down why not 2

Re: A dose of reality - what the 'Middle 8' really means : Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:31 pm  

mickyb1234 wrote:

Why 1 up 1 down why not 2

Are you being argumentative purely for the sake of it?

Leigh are head and shoulders above everything else in the champs and are still only an outside bet to go up....Bradford, Sheffield and London (should we make it) will be lucky to get 3 wins Between them from the 18 games they will feature in, in the middle 8...and that will be in the games they play each other!