CRAIG Lingard is delighted with the 'sensible' decision to change the fixture format in League One, with all 14 teams to play each other home and away in 2018.

Next year's schedule, which was released yesterday, will see Keighley open the campaign at home to Workington Town on February 18 before the eagerly-awaited derby clash with neighbours Bradford Bulls at Cougar Park on March 11, with their first away trip sandwiched in between on March 4 when they travel to Newcastle Thunder.

Head coach Lingard dubbed the previous format 'ridiculous', not having to play everyone twice and the balance between home and away games varied for each team before the league split in half.

The Super Eights and League One Shield format has been scrapped for 2018, with the champions going automatically and the second to fifth-placed teams entering play-offs after 26 games.

And Lingard welcomes the new changes which will now result in a 'real league leaders table' come the end of the season.

"We saw last year the importance of playing home fixtures," Lingard said.

"Whitehaven played one of the top eight teams away, while everybody else was played at home.

"We all know how difficult it is to go to Cumbria and if you only have to play each team once and you're playing the majority at home, it's to your advantage.

"I think now we've got everybody home and away, it's going to be a level playing field," he continued.

"It's going to be a real league leaders table at the end of the season, rather than you play some teams at home, some teams away, and you might play them a couple more times.

"It was ridiculous that format, but the home and away is a sensible option."

For the Cougars, knowing they will host every team is a big boost. They won seven of their 11 games at Cougar Park last term, while also holding champions Toronto Wolfpack to a draw.

But Lingard is aware they need to improve on their travels if they are to succeed next year, especially in this new format.

"Home form is massively important. We know that and it showed last year as our away form wasn't particularly good," he admitted, with the Cougars suffering seven of their ten losses on the road.

"That's something we're going to have to look at improving next season, without a doubt."

Lingard continued: "We're going to set ourselves a minimum expectation at home and a minimum expectation away.

"We know we've got to be strong at home, but we know we've got to be a lot better away."