London's showing this year is also an argument for looking again at franchising. If they get up to 16 points or more and still get relegated, that's a hell of a penalty for a team built very quickly and with every chance to consolidate in the following years. Instead they'll lose some of their better players and start from scratch.
I know the arguments against expansion, but IMO the game has to grow or die, and if the only way we can get enough games is for clubs to play each other 3 times or more we really are overkilling it.