Potential loop fixtures based on the most logical formula
SUPER League will take on a new look again in 2022 on the back of another disrupted season.
It will be a 27-round competition, which was the original plan for this season before it was reduced to 25 due to the pandemic.
When loop fixtures were first introduced in a 29-round format in 2019 it was essentially odds versus evens on top of home and away games and Magic Weekend.
The teams that finished first, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th played the sides that ended the previous season in second, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th.
It is not possible to use the same formula in a 27-round competition but there is an easy way of dishing out fixtures.
The most logical solution would be for the teams that finished in odd positions to play the rest of the sides in that half of the competition and vice versa.
That ties in with the formula used for Magic Weekend before the pandemic, when the league was spilt into three groups of four – top, middle and bottom – with odds playing odds and evens facing evens.
Here are the loop fixtures for each side based on odds playing odds and evens facing evens.
Catalans Dragons: Warrington Wolves (MW), Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers, Huddersfield Giants, Salford Red Devils.
St Helens: Wigan Warriors (MW), Hull KR, Hull FC, Wakefield Trinity, Toulouse Olympique.
Warrington Wolves: Catalans Dragons (MW), Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers, Huddersfield Giants, Salford Red Devils.
Wigan Warriors: St Helens (MW),
Hull KR, Hull FC, Wakefield Trinity, Toulouse Olympique.
Leeds Rhinos: Catalans Dragons, Warrington Wolves, Castleford Tigers (MW), Huddersfield Giants, Salford Red Devils.
Hull KR: St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Hull FC (MW), Wakefield Trinity, Toulouse Olympique.
Castleford Tigers: Catalans Dragons, Warrington Wolves, Leeds Rhinos (MW), Huddersfield Giants, Salford Red Devils.
Hull FC: St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Hull KR (MW), Wakefield Trinity, Toulouse Olympique.
Huddersfield Giants: Catalans Dragons, Warrington Wolves, Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers, Salford Red Devils (MW).
Wakefield Trinity: St Helens,
Wigan Warriors, Hull KR, Hull FC, Toulouse Olympique (MW).
Salford Red Devils: Catalans Dragons, Warrington Wolves, Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers, Huddersfield Giants (MW).
Toulouse Olympique: St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Hull KR, Hull FC, Wakefield Trinity (MW).