He looked sort of embarassed to be reading out the announcement, almost as if they drew short straws in the office to get the task.

Speaking as a Donny fan nothing could ever top the feelings of that day in 94 when we beat Batley and finally after years of struggle made it on our own backs into the Big League. Somehow i can't see Widnes fans feeling quite the same feeling of elation today....

IM LOST AS A RUGBY FAN....WHATS THE POINT

Got to agree with all points here.
Barrow should be in SL last year
Fax should be this year! - however difficult that is for me to say given the GF!!!

Its all Bolox, there turning the game into non competitive sport, just exhibition matches. Then they wonder why our international team cant compete

I thought tha'd gone into hibernation!!!

Well been a true traditionalist, I would have thought people would have wanted the teams who won the league to be promoted and in that case it would have been FEV and BARROW.

Well you kind of got that right rugbyball - but I can live with the play-off thing in deciding who has the right.
We got to the semi at your place the year before and canme within a whisker from 6th place! I'd have taken it then so I can't now chelp on about finishing top!!
The game is screwed, and I have no faith in those running the game whatsoever, or in the direction that they're taking the game.
Sadly, my thoughts and feelings count for Jack!

Oh the irony, no to franchising, yes to "one off golden point drop goal athon". If you really think the game should be decided on the field in the fairest way then surely the teams that topped the league in the last two years would have been promoted under P&R. Guess all the modern SKY based stuff is ok when it suits.

We only have golden point so that sky do not have to schedule replays in or large periods of extra time.

And that is the problem, most fans would take promotion through what ever format was "in". Every man for themselves. If fax had got in today then they would have taken it simple as, had fev got in by finishing 6th and winning the play offs they would have taken it.

Im sure we all agree it makes are game very unattractive for people on the outside.

Busy, Silly season er, every fkr wants cement all of a sudden

It was 3 up, 3 down when I started watching in 1988.

There was no P&R when I started watching!!!

The point I am trying to make and one that would work with the league set up we have now is that promotion in should be decided by who wins the league or indeed even the top 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ..... teams, not some one off play off match affected by a massive break in play or some subjective licensing soap opera.

Its just not sport in my mind.