The Virtual Terrace • 10 TEAM SUPERLEAGUE?

SUPER League could be CUT to 10 clubs and a second tier of the competition formed under controversial alternative plans for rugby league’s future.

And about half of the game’s current pyramid may face being left to fend for themselves if it gets the go-ahead.
Top flight clubs are talking about the future of the competition after seizing more power from the Rugby Football League over the off-season.

It is expected they will vote on whether to increase the top tier to 14, with much stricter off-field rules on eligibility to play in Super League, for the 2020 campaign.

But SunSport has learned of another proposal that would see it cut from 12 to 10, with another tier of 10 underneath.

However, all central funding would go to those 20 clubs, meaning anyone outside them would have to find money themselves or wither and die.

In the plan, which is believed to have support among some clubs:

· TWO clubs would go up and down between Super League 1 and 2, with parachute payments to sides that drop

· ONE would go up and down to and from the lower league

· NEW York to enter Super League 2



These plans are likely to cause uproar if they were to be put to a vote and sources admit it would be a ‘hard sell', especially with the lack of funding outside the top two tiers.

As things stand, all the teams who make the Super 8s and Qualifiers would get in, along with the proposed New York franchise and the top three in the Championship Shield.

But even then they would have to satisfy off-field criteria, including making sure stadia and business plans are good enough.

Clubs were thought to have made a decision on the competition’s structure for 2019 before this season started.

However, failure to do so, with at least two different camps emerging, is thought to have pushed those back a year.

It is expected plans to go to 14 and this one of cutting it to 10 will be discussed in the coming weeks.