Premiership bosses remain comitted and confident to completing the 2019/20 campaign but exactly how the season will be structured remains an area of constant discussion.
There have been a number of proposals made in the wake of the coronavirus shutdown, such as playing all nine rounds in July behind closed doors or even staging all those matches at Twickenham, but the latest reported idea is to split the division into three mini-leagues to decide the title and European qualification.
According to Rugby Pass, Premiership Rugby have been asked to consider placing the current top four - Exeter Chiefs (45pts), Sale Sharks (40), Bristol Bears (38) and Northampton Saints (35) - directly into a play-off style format for the title.
That will also ensure their places in the European Champions Cup next season, while the next four teams in the standings - Wasps, Bath, Harlequins and London Irish - would compete for the remaining two places.
Finally, that would leave Gloucester, Worcester, Leicester and Saracens effectively playing dead-rubbers as Sarries relegation was confirmed in January due to their breaking of salary cap rules.
From the Bears perspective this would, of course, not only put them two games from a first Premiership title but also fast-track them into the Champions Cup, Pat Lam's primary goal at the start of the campaign.
However, the second tier of clubs will undoubtedly bring opposition to the idea as Wasps lie just two points behind fourth-placed Northampton and Bath a further three points back.
Rugby Pass quote a leading Premiership official who said: "No one is going to be happy in these unprecedented times but all options need to be looked at."
