This isnt going to look good in the RFL`s eyes. If we cant afford the 70K to set up these teams then do we really deserve a place in SL? I really cant believe it has taken so long to get to this. This should have been getting sorted part way through last season.

Because isnt another part of the criteria the level of crowds? To increase your crowds you need a decent and entertaining first team. You also need to win the Rail Cup (I think) to tick a box, something which you aint going to do unless you have a decent team. You also need to reach a certain level of turnover, something which is helped by increased crowds which will only happen by having a winning team.

Its all flawed. Its bloody ridiculous. Promotion and relegation should be decided purely on results and not level of turnover, average attendances or whether the mascots face bloody fits.

You are missing the point - Halifax have found themselves in this situation because the RFL moved the goalposts. A year ago the plan was to create a championship u21s, so Fax quite rightly scrapped their reserves to move towards this new set up. now the rfl have scrapped that idea and stuck with the old reserve system. That means Fax would now have to follow the super league model and create an u20s and u18s and play against super league teams. Widnes to their credit have done that but they have a chairman who pumped a million quid into the club just do it could break even!!! why can't championship clubs have their own u18 competition with players on basic match terms of say £50 a win. Games could be played as curtain raisers to first team games.

What? You mean like all the succesful sports in this country. Surely not, that would be suicide........

Sorry, I think I was possesed by Wood and Lewis for a moment then. On the subject of putting all your eggs in one basket (or team). That shouldn't be allowed. All clubs should run at minimum a 1st and reserve team.....if it means paying players slightly less then so be it. If they still won't run a second team then cut the salary cap to say 75% of the full cap allowed for clubs that run two or more teams.

Why?

If thats the case then it wouldnt suprise me.

fax are building from the bottom up as and when these lads get older and develop. RFL have changed the what they said they was going to, no surprise there really, ie u20,s u18,s

And I applaud that but you chose to use what money you could have invested to plough into the first team for immediate success...the lack of talent coming through previously, your decision to scrap these teams and focus on the first team and your 'recent' decision to re-start looking at this area means that you are now 'behind' where you should be for this criteria point to be met for 2012.


From what I have seen that's all these ever were.. plans. There was no formal decision made that this would happen which meant there was always scope for them to shelve this idea. Personally I'm glad as it means that the considerable time, money and effort spent on our structures would have been wasted just as they are beginning to bear fruit. You are in the unfortunate position of not knowing which system to go with possibly but it is a position entirely of your own making by cancelling these sides back when you did.
The major stumbling block in the article seems to be cost and the fact that you don't have the £70k each year to spend on nurturing your future players. As others have said, you seem happy enough to spend whatever money you have on your first team.
That's fair enough and under the good old system would probably have got you the desired result in a year or two but now it is about an overall good application and Halifax have all their eggs in one or two baskets. You don't seem to have the resources. Even Barrow mentioned in the article seem to be gearing up their youth teams so you might well get left behind on this one.

To allow player development, to allow comebacks from injury. That way you wouldn't have to sign pensioners on stupid salaries and oh look the outcome of that would be you could afford a second string / U21s. It worked for HKR because there was still P&R then, now there isn't you will have 2/3 years bringiong no one through, hence your pensioners and foreigners on EU passports. They will penalise you in the franchise 'war' for having no youth development.

Widnes have scaled back a little on there 1st team and have been succesful at U18 level for the last two years. Leigh have had a successful U21 and then reserve team set up for the last few years, despite what DH Lewis said. To afford 2 teams you pay less to the 1st team, EDITED BY TS. THAT'S AGAINST THE AUP into just one place. Therefore I reckon the RFL should make it compulsory. How many Fax lads are in your 1st team.....one is it? Bet the Crusaders will have more Welshmen than you have players from Fax

But you got relegated last year - so what good did having them sides do you then? I want a Fax team full of Fax players - but at the moment that isnt possible and it might never be possible. Would you prefer a thriving u21 and a 1st team that isnt up to scratch and ends up being relegated? Its a tough to get the right balance.

Whats relegation got to do with it. Anyway according to the RFL we were only relegated due to Gateshead gaining an unfair sporting advantage by paying NRL experienced overseas players but not paying anyone else. Not much different actually from only paying the first team and no other teams The only reason was not because no one was coming through, it was so all the playing budget could go on the first team. But then again Salford lied about their stadium and it got them to SL. You WILL get knocked down a notch or two in the reckoning for 2012, due to your lack of youth development. Where for example will you get your 8 'homegrown players' from? Thems the rules, just like Toulouses exemption from relegation, we all know the rules

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I'd be very careful what you say if I were you. Hiding on a message board does not immunise you against the laws of libel. What are your grounds for making those sort of accusations? 3.1103515625:10