The Game Caller is reporting that next season’s fixtures will be one division of 21, with 24 games over 26 weeks, with 12 at home and 12 away.
The playoffs will be a top 10 competition with the teams finishing first and second getting the most advantage.
We will have to wait and see which teams we will have to play twice and how many times we have to travel to Cumbria
With 24 games and 21 teams, it is more about who we will not be playing.
I am sure there is a software program out there to produce a balanced and fair fixture list, taking into account the views of clubs and any other agreed criteria. The FA use an ATOS program. The RFL probably use the back of a fag packet! I suppose Nigel doesn't care and the Championship is irrelevant to his ambitions.
I would include the IMG scores within any criteria, to ensure there are as many competitive games as possible. Personally, I would prefer to be playing the likes of London and Oldham home and away, rather than Goole and Newcastle. I am, of course, assuming that we will be fielding a competitive team in 2026.
James is reporting that we will play 12 of the 20 teams home and away based on last years positions , and 3 others depending on location.
So if they are going to be on last years positions , we will play all the teams that are left in our division, while Division 1 teams will play the other 9 teams from that division and only 3 from the championship. Therefore it’s going to be a lot easier for them to get into the playoffs than championship teams.
Reading that - that should mean each team plays each other once with extra games (4) which to me is the best way to do it- at least each team plays each other at least once, I know home fixtures can be an advantage but how else can you do this ?
@7-vikingnomad The number of home games is important from the income point of view. As a well supported team at this level (and hoping to improve on that in 2026), we need a minimum of 12 home games.
That is why I would prefer the option attributed to James, but does that mean a total of 27 or 30 games for the season? Perhaps James could clarify, if he has any inclination of the options being considered. I would guess our additional 3 teams would be NW Crusaders, Swinton and Rochdale.
I would prefer to have more competitive games. Surely, we must be able to get into a 10 team play-off, even if we are playing the "stronger" sides. I presume that Salford are still in the equation in one form or another. I hope so.
Why is anyone listening/reading anything to do with that Bradford Gobshite.
Paulie xx
Its not just him, James has also written similar things about the makeup of the fixtures for next season.
With 24 games and 21 teams, it is more about who we will not be playing.
I am sure there is a software program out there to produce a balanced and fair fixture list, taking into account the views of clubs and any other agreed criteria. The FA use an ATOS program. The RFL probably use the back of a fag packet! I suppose Nigel doesn't care and the Championship is irrelevant to his ambitions.
I would include the IMG scores within any criteria, to ensure there are as many competitive games as possible. Personally, I would prefer to be playing the likes of London and Oldham home and away, rather than Goole and Newcastle. I am, of course, assuming that we will be fielding a competitive team in 2026.
Frank why do you assume we will not play some teams ?
if there are 21 teams and we play 24 games, the logical solution would be to play each team once plus the 4 extra games.this would ensure that all teams play each other at least once even though it could be away, but that applies to all the teams.
fixture format - put the 21 teams in league finishing positions then team 1 plays 2 at home, 3 away,4 at home etc
team2 plays team 3 at home,4 away etc
this gives 10 home and 10 away fixtures with each team playing each other once, and then the extra 4 fixture 2 at home and 2 away giving 12 home and 12 away.
would rather do that than have a system where you don’t play some clubs but others twice - that could really skew the finishing table for instance we play London and Oldham twice and not Newcastle, Doncaster play Newcastle twice and not London or Oldham
There were proposals made but the clubs have failed to agree the mix of games
I just hope someone in their right mind ensures the fixtures are home/away, home/away and nothing like last seasons absolute farce where we never had a game at home for weeks and weeks. Pretty please👍👍
@martin Absolutely correct, makeup of home fixtures was shocking last season.
Still don't understand why we didnt run with 2nd division of 11, with a top 5/6 play off...bottom team relegated and a 3rd division of 10, champions promoted, 2nd-4th in play off with 10th of league above. Shortfall of home fixtures then covered with an 1895 group stage.
Reading 1985 cup no more or if so no final at Wembley which is a really good thing - after being there for the Sheffield debacle sat with about 8000 people in a 100000 stadium was flat as a wire fart
wonder why that might be - perhaps the yorkies want to keep all their local derbies home and away - bigger crowds and shorter travelling - whereby we are off to Cumbria 3 times, london and midlands, the yorkies have one big trip to Newcastle where they all win anyway
Reading 1985 cup no more or if so no final at Wembley which is a really good thing - after being there for the Sheffield debacle sat with about 8000 people in a 100000 stadium was flat as a wire fart
The whole idea of the 1895 Cup Final was to give non-SL clubs a chance to play at Wembley. If that is not going to be the venue, then abolish it. (Just my opinion)
Paulie xx
It's supposedly being played later in the year....final at a SL ground apparently