Eight clubs will be involved in the new-style set-up, which will be played over a four week period, and culminating with the Grand Final at Old Trafford on Saturday, October 10.

The format is being introduced following consultation and discussion with Saints and the 13 other member clubs and according to top brass will bring tremendous added excitement and interest to both the regular season and final decisive phase of the competition.

The new structure has been developed by the RFL and they say it is not a direct copy of any eight-team format operating in other sporting elsewhere in the world.

The opening week of fixtures will see all eight teams involved in four matches - the league leaders facing the fourth-placed team, second will play third, fifth will take on eighth and six will lock horns with seventh.

The two matches involving the top four teams will be known as qualifying play-offs and the winners will progress directly into the third week of the series.

However, the losers of these two games will have another opportunity in the second week as they face the winners of the week one elimination play-offs which involves the other four teams.

The losers of these games will clearly take no further part in the competition. All fixtures in week three will be sudden-death semi-finals with both winners progressing to Old Trafford.

Nigel Wood, the chief executive of the RFL, said: " This new-style play-off series is a tremendous development for the sport and the competition itself.

"It will create great drama and bring an added dimension to what is already the most exciting period of the season."

Mr Wood said: "The increase in the play-off places will also add extra interest to the regular season by giving more matches added significance as clubs battle through the weekly rounds to give themselves a shot at the title."

He added: "By introducing an element that allows the highest-placed qualifier to select their semi-final opponents in week three, we have again shown RL to be a highly innovative and progressive sport.

"This new feature will also create more opportunities for broadcasters and the media to generate exciting coverage and we look forward to working with the member clubs to implement the new system."

* Full play-off structure: Qualifying play-off 1: 1 v 4. Qualifying play-off 2: 2 v 3. Elimination play-off 1:5 v 8. Elimination play-off 2: 6 v 7. Preliminary semi-final: 1: QPO 1 loser v EPO 1 winner. Preliminary semi-final 2: QPO 2: Losers v EPO 2 winner. Qualifying semi-final 1: QPO 1 winner v PSF 1 winner.* Qualifying semi-final 2: QPO winner v PSF winner.* Grand Final QSF 1: winner v QSF 2 winner. *Subject to choice of highest-placed winner in week one.

PRIZE WINNERS in week no. 44 of the Saints' Lottery were S. Cooch of Eccleston (£1,000), Mr Heyes of Thatto Heath (£200), Mr K. Appleton of Sutton and J. Atkinson of Haydock (£100) and H. Kerr of Prescot and L. Hilton of Rainford (£50).