If you listen to Fat Boy (not a pretty picture on my 40" widescreen) he states they took advice from the professional assessors and applied it "Holistically". What this means is that they can now get away with saying that the 14 teams were not the best individual cases but what is best for the league. If it is ever proven that our application was better than those of the teams granted a licence then all they have to say was that the admittance of the worse team was for the good of the league in THEIR opinion. Classic slopey shoulders speak.

I still cant work out how a Championship clubs application can be judged on a par with SL teams. We are at a 1.5M shortfall to start with so unless you can find someone to pump that money in ala Widnes then we have seen the last team `promoted` from the Championship.

Unless they make guarantee of at least one championship club to gain entry from 2015

Not a hope in hell. After this last farce, there's no way the RFL will make any promises that are set in stone.

I think they will do this but they will raise the criteria so it is unachievable for CC teams. The great thing is though that they clearly state that teams have to have an average attendance of 2500 which Crusaders will never get. Unless they change the rules for them.

Changing rules IS an rfl rule isn't it?

2 important questions that should of been asked to fat basteward is when he went on about the teams with c grade, sould of been replied with what were halifax graded? if c then why did wakey get in over us and if d then why were we told are bid was successful in march.
the other should of been when he went on about this expert panel, eddie shouldof said was these the same experts who came to agree it was the right time to put celtic in super league 3 year ago

when people say clubs cant take legal action
as Halifax signed any contract stateing that. Also if rules have changed then why should that one stand think they need to look in to it and not take it lieing down

They can change the rules as much as they like for 3 years because on March 31st the Clubs can only apply if they sign in agreement to the CURRENT rules. As long as no rule is changed between then and 26th July then there's nothing to challenge. If that makes sense. Now the RFL can change rules monthly up to March 2014 if they want as only the March 2014 rules will be what are signed against to enter.

All Clubs who think they have a genuine ambition to apply should sign off the rules for the next license period on 27th July this year and thems the rules.

As has been shown the rules are just changing here and there which is dodgy to say the least. We should officially be in the next franchise period now but we're not. 'we don't want this putting on the shelves gathering dust for 3 year before Clubs re think what goes in' said big nige. Well sadly that's exactly what's happening. The first 2 years of a license period mean feck all to most Clubs.

FFS, this franchise bow locks is so bluddy annoying. No other sport does it 'cos it's so darn stupid. Just imagine soccer applying the same dum-feck system ...... the controvesy it would cause everytime franchises were awarded doesn't bear thinking about!

Did you see how much of the screen "Fat Boy" took up? It was like an eclipse. He was at least three times wider than Eddie when they did the side by side shot.

Imagine how it was for me playing hooker when he was my open side prop for a couple of seasons !!! It's a good job Jack Scroby, Colin Dixon & my dad taught me how to "slip my arm", oooh, good old fashioned scrummaging, those were the days....

Your personal sacrifice for the club is appreciated!

Ha ha ! There was no arguing over the shorts in the changing rooms, it was pretty obvious who's were who's !
It was quite comical watching him & Ian Van Bellen doing laps of Thrum Hall to warm up prior to training