SANZAAR chief executive Andy Marinos has labelled criticism directed at struggling Australian Super Rugby teams as "harsh" and says he is pleased with how the new competition structure has played out in the first half of the season.
With Australian teams sitting 8th, 9th, 11th, 14th and 17th on the Super Rugby ladder out of 18 teams, on pure points alone, there have been concerns as to whether Australia has the depth required to field five teams. 
While Super Rugby's expansion from 15 to 18 teams this year did not include any new Australian franchises, Marinos has defended the performance of Australian sides, saying there will always be troughs across the years. The SANZAAR chief also would not rule out a further expansion of the competition from 2018.
"The criticism has probably been a little bit harsh," said Marinos from South Africa. "It has been quite a disappointing season - there's been a whole lot of stuff off the field that has been impacting some of the on-field aspects. One thing we do know is the Australian teams never give up. The Rebels, Waratahs and the Brumbies are in a really good position still where they can fight or they can challenge for a position to get in the finals.
"Obviously it's been a disappointing season for the Reds and Force, but in every season that we've had of Super Rugby, the teams do go through a bit of a slump at some stage but what we can't forget is the national team has been performing really well leading into this competition. There have been previous Super Rugby winners coming out of Australia . . . so there's certainly the capability and talent there."
Marinos was in a positive mood when asked about what he thought of the new conference structure at the halfway mark.
"Overall I've been really pleased with how the competition has gone thus far," Marinos said. "The positive thing for me is that there's been a lot of really good performances on the field. Overall, I think the competition has produced some really interesting and entertaining games of rugby."
Marinos is content, for the time being, with the 18 teams vying for the title, but wouldn't rule out an expansion for the 2018 season or later on the back of SANZAAR's strategic review that will be formulated by the end of the season.
"Where we're currently sitting, that [18] is the number of teams we've sold into our broadcast and in our promotional model, so that's where we're sitting for the conceivable future," Marinos said. "If through this process we find ourselves faced with a proposition that is a lot more valuable, [we] maybe looking at a change in the competition, either expanding it, or manipulating the current model that we've got to try and get a different balance or different outcome."
While Super Rugby's new Japanese franchise, the Sunwolves, were always expected to struggle, the Jaguares have been the major disappointment of the season, with many pointing the finger at excessive travel to and from Argentina as one of the reasons why they have won just a solitary game.
Marinos hoped rugby fans would stay patient with the new teams.
"History has shown any new team coming into this competition struggles. As much as it's a battle of attrition on the field, the mental fatigue is also pretty significant and that takes time for athletes who haven't been used to it to adapt to the rigours of getting up every single weekend."