[Frosties.]

Re: The most interesting relegation battle in history : Tue Aug 06, 2019 6:39 pm  

Leeds v Catalan - So Catalan could be without 13 in total for the game Friday. Big opportunity for Leeds to put more points on the board against them. - Leeds win.

Wigan v Hull KR - Wigan playing well and big opportunity to close in on the top three. - Wigan win

Castleford v London - Castleford will want to write the wrongs of last weeks and put in a big performance - Castleford win

Salford v Huddersfield - Salford playing well with Lolohea and Hastings, looking at claiming that top five spot - Salford win

Wakefield v Hull FC - Wakefield brought reinforcements but only can play Escare, still a number of players out and Hull FC look to cement the top three spot - Hull FC win.

Re: The most interesting relegation battle in history : Tue Aug 06, 2019 7:49 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

So many people moan about the "quality" of the bottom 4 or 5 sides that are in SL at the moment and to add a further 8 into the mix will dilute the quality further.
In theory the 2 conferences sound like a good idea but, we would end up with some very poor fare and although the competition would warm up, when the top sides from each half met, even this would only be the same as we have with the current regular rounds.
Increasing to 14 clubs was an option but, even that boat has sailed.
It will be interesting to see whether anyone can spoil the Toronto graduation ceremony this time around.
You would expect that they would heave leaned plenty from last season but, I'm sure that Leigh, York or Toulouse would love to pee on their chips.
For me, I just hope that Trinity survive to play the promoted side as they look screwed right now and their best hope is to survive on points difference.

It wouldn't dilute the quality as much as you seem to think. London are doing reasonably well with essentially the same squad that didn't exactly set the Championship alight. All they are proving is that there's virtually no difference between the top of the Championship and the bottom of SL...

Re: The most interesting relegation battle in history : Tue Aug 06, 2019 8:12 pm  

Mr Dog wrote:

It wouldn't dilute the quality as much as you seem to think. London are doing reasonably well with essentially the same squad that didn't exactly set the Championship alight. All they are proving is that there's virtually no difference between the top of the Championship and the bottom of SL...

I agree. Yes the teams at the bottom would get a few spankings to start with, but players get better by playing against better players/Teams and we would see the standard rise as time went by. Let's face it, we have had 4 Sides (now 3 in SL) win the comp to date, and more often than not the upper middle set of 4 clubs see's only one visitor (ie, wakey the last couple of years, Salford this year joining Hull, Wire, Catalans & Castleford).

Frosties. wrote:

Leeds v Catalan - So Catalan could be without 13 in total for the game Friday. Big opportunity for Leeds to put more points on the board against them. - Leeds win.

Wigan v Hull KR - Wigan playing well and big opportunity to close in on the top three. - Wigan win

Castleford v London - Castleford will want to write the wrongs of last weeks and put in a big performance - Castleford win

Salford v Huddersfield - Salford playing well with Lolohea and Hastings, looking at claiming that top five spot - Salford win

Wakefield v Hull FC - Wakefield brought reinforcements but only can play Escare, still a number of players out and Hull FC look to cement the top three spot - Hull FC win.

Wire v Saints not worthy of a mention then?

Agree with all your predictions and a Saints win

[Frosties.]

Re: The most interesting relegation battle in history : Tue Aug 06, 2019 8:24 pm  

Leeds (26) - Catalan H, St Helens H, London A, Salford H, Warrington H

Hull KR (24) - Wigan A, Wakefield H, Catalan A, London H, Salford A

Huddersfield (18) - Salford A, Hull FC A, Castleford H, St Helens A, Catalan H.

Wakefield (18) - Hull FC H, Hull KR A, Wigan H, Warrington A, London H.

London (18) - Castleford A, Catalan A, Leeds H, Hull KR A, Wakefield A.

Can’t call it between London, Wakefield and Huddersfield.

Re: The most interesting relegation battle in history : Wed Aug 07, 2019 4:41 am  

Call Me God wrote:

I agree. Yes the teams at the bottom would get a few spankings to start with, but players get better by playing against better players/Teams and we would see the standard rise as time went by. Let's face it, we have had 4 Sides (now 3 in SL) win the comp to date, and more often than not the upper middle set of 4 clubs see's only one visitor (ie, wakey the last couple of years, Salford this year joining Hull, Wire, Catalans & Castleford).

Wire v Saints not worthy of a mention then?

Agree with all your predictions and a Saints win

Why would he mention Wire and Saints. This thread is about relegation and this is the only match which doesn't fit the criteria.

Re: The most interesting relegation battle in history : Wed Aug 07, 2019 12:53 pm  

Mr Dog wrote:

It wouldn't dilute the quality as much as you seem to think. London are doing reasonably well with essentially the same squad that didn't exactly set the Championship alight. All they are proving is that there's virtually no difference between the top of the Championship and the bottom of SL...

There is no doubt at all that London are doing extremely well, compared to most peoples pre season expectations and well done to them.

However, right now, they are "ranked" 12th in the country and 2 x 10 team conferences would necessarily include the next 8 clubs in the pecking order, Toronto, York, Toulouse, Leigh, Fev, Sheffield, Bradford and Halifax.

We all know that Bradford beat a woefully out of form side in the cup and again, this was a great result and a massive upset but, really ?
In terms of performance there is already a hefty gap between the top 7 clubs and the remaining 5 in SL and to increase the total number to 20 will see even more blowout scores.

I have been an advocate of increasing to 14 clubs, primarily to test the viability and logistics of having Toronto and Toulouse in the top flight, although there seems little appetite for this from either the RFL or Sky, otherwise they would have been included in the recent re structure, but going to 20 clubs would be a huge backward step for the game.

If you can remember where we were pre super league, the old first division had 16 clubs and usually, by three quarters of the way through the season, there were endless "dead rubbers" and surely, nobody wants to go back to that situation.

In the conference system, there would be some excitement when the top of the conferences came together but, what about the rest ??
It would be worse than the annual paint drying contest, a massive turn off for fans and broadcasters alike.

What we have currently seems about right.
Yes, everyone has an opinion of how it could be a little better but, unless there is a huge pot of extra cash hiding somewhere, we need to stick with it.
We have a system where new clubs can join in the lower leagues and successful clubs make their way up the ladder.
There will always be issues for any relegated club but, I guess, that's sport. Winners and losers.

[Frosties.]

Re: The most interesting relegation battle in history : Wed Aug 07, 2019 6:45 pm  

Castleford v London just got abit more interesting with injuries to Watts, Eden and Minikin

[Frosties.]

Re: The most interesting relegation battle in history : Sun Aug 11, 2019 4:52 pm  

Leeds (-18 - 20) - St Helens H, London A, Salford H, Warrington H.

Wakefield (-137 - 18) - Hull KR A, Wigan H, Warrington A, London H.

Huddersfield (-151 - 18) - Hull FC A, Castleford H, St Helens A, Catalan H.

Hull KR (-205 - 18) - Wakefield H, Catalan A, London H, Salford A

London (-264 - 16) - Catalan A, Leeds H, Hull KR A, Wakefield A.

Re: The most interesting relegation battle in history : Sun Aug 11, 2019 5:41 pm  

I think London are pretty much done for, can't see them winning another game and even so their points difference is like another point behind.
They have performed better than expected but seem to have run out of steam now.

If we assume Toronto come up the teams currently in the danger zone will have to watch their step next season

If they still have the cash available I think they will import a few more players to try and make sure they stay up

[Mild Rover]

Re: The most interesting relegation battle in history : Sun Aug 11, 2019 5:47 pm  

I think Leeds are more or less clear now. Because of points difference, London would need to win three more than them, plus the other three all win two more than them. Given that Hull KR and Wakefield play each other and London play them both, that’d require a pretty specific set of results, likely including Leeds losing all of their last 4.

Hudds, Wakefield, Rovers and London remains ‘interesting’.