Super League- OPINION: Repetitive loop fixtures are holding rugby league back- but it should be an easy fix

Super League has enjoyed an incredible few weeks.

From a Wigan Warriors perspective, the last three fixtures have been superb spectacles.

The Battle of the Borough proved to be another fantastic event for Leigh, as they welcomed their highest home attendance of the Super League era.

Following that, the Good Friday Derby speaks for itself.

The game at the DW Stadium saw Wigan attract their biggest home attendance since 2005, with 24,275 fans turning out for the occasion.

Warrington also received a club-high Super League crowd at the Halliwell Jones Stadium when they welcomed Matty Peet’s side last week.

Of course, the sport can’t enjoy this level of success every week- it just isn’t realistic, but more could perhaps be done to get close to it.

We are now in the period of the season where we start to endure loop fixtures.

Of course these are unavoidable because a certain number of games have to be played.

The issue is the way some of them are planned.

For example, the Leopards faced Salford twice at Leigh Sports Village in the opening eight rounds.

It’s hardly the best experience for fans to have the same teams meeting at the same venue in such quick succession.

It’s the same for Wigan this weekend, as they welcome Wakefield to the DW Stadium for the second time this season.

The two sides only played this fixture in round two, so why has it come back around so soon- especially when they’ve not faced every team in the competition yet.

It just seems like poor planning.

Yes, certain games do have to be repeated at some point, but why not play the reverse fixture first?

Minimising any repetition is key.

Even when big derbies are played more than two times in the regular season, they lose a bit of a spark as well.

At one time, there was a rumoured suggestion of having a group stage in the Challenge Cup.

This would certainly create a bit more edge, even if it was still the same teams playing each other.

As well as this, it would also create the possibility of having more clashes between Super League and Championship sides- which could help to improve competitiveness over a number of years.

Rugby league is missing a bit of variety in its schedule, so having more cup ties would do this.

As seen across almost every season, it’s always good for lower league team to welcome some of the best talents in England.

It’s a whole new type of occasion, that would be a better alternative than the same Super League fixture in the space of three months.

Of course we’re still pretty early into this season, and not that deep into loop fixture territory, so no doubt a similar rant will be published again at some point.

There are probably many complex factors behind the scheduling, but from the outside looking in surely minor alterations for now would be simple solutions.