European RL Season : 2017

For those who are not au fait with RL in the UK, you are at the right place. This explains the current system, which seems to be working well. It provides excitement through the season and there is much to play for with virtually every match.

It is in two parts, this being the first covering the top two leagues, Super League (first division) and the Championship (second division). Both divisions have 12 sides each and they play 23 games. Once those games are completed, the following occurs.

Super League Super 8s: The top 8 from SL enter this stage with their season's points carried over. After seven matches the top four go into a knockout stage to determine the grand final winner. The other four teams finish their campaign.

Super League Qualifiers: The bottom four from SL and top four from the championship combine and all start with zero points. After seven games the top three are assured of SL status next year, the bottom three go into the championship for the following year. Fourth and fifth play off to see who goes up to SL and who goes to the Championship.

Championship Shield: The lower eight from the Championship carry over their points earned so far and play seven games with the top four going into a playoff to see who wins the shield. 5th and 6th remain in the Championship but 7th and 8th are relegated to League One (division three).

							SL Super 8s
							1	Castleford	50
	Super League						2	Leeds	40
	1	Castleford	40				3	Hull FC	35
	2	Leeds	30				4	St Helens	33
	3	Hull FC	27				5	Wakefield	32
	4	Salford	26				6	Wigan	31
	5	Wakefield	26				7	Salford	28
	6	St Helens	25				8	Huddersfield	25
	7	Wigan	23
	8	Huddersfield	21
	9	Warrington	20				SL Qualifiers
	10	Catalans	15				1	Warrington	14
	11	Leigh	12				2	Widnes	10
	12	Widnes	11				3	Hull KR	10
							4	Leigh	8
	Championship						5	Catalans	8
	1	Hull KR	39				6	London	3
	2	London	36				7	Featherstone	3
	3	Featherstone	31				8	Halifax	0
	4	Halifax	32
	5	Toulouse	30
	6	Batley	22				Championship Shield
	7	Sheffield	20				1	Toulouse	42
	8	Dewsbury	16				2	Batley	33
	9	Rochdale	15				3	Sheffield	26
	10	Swinton	12				4	Dewsbury	24
	11	Oldham	11				5	Rochdale	17
	12	Bradford*	0				6	Swinton	16
							7	Oldham	14
							8	Bradford	10

* Bradford had 12 points deducted for entering administration.