Absolutely none!

Why supplant a team playing a foreign sport into Flintshire when the good folk of North Wales are wedded to the round ball game, they don't even have a strong tradition in the 15-Aside code?

2,600 for a game in any professional sport's top flight represents a failure, and they finished in the 8 last year, lord help them if they'd tanked!

I really feel for Widnes, the chemics should get that license this time around and let the Crusaders earn their next bite at the cherry or as I suspect without the RFL bankrolling this folly, wither on the vine. As for any North Wales residents who really have got the bug for the greatest game, it's only 26 miles to the Stobart

BTW, for Quins see above!

What was the fan split between Crusaders and Bradford?

There were about 350 noisy ones in the builders stand. Some others dotted about in the other stands.

I must admit I shocked at the poor turnout for their first home game of the season. I'm pretty sure that Halifax get similar if not larger crowds in the NL. Still seems a bit disorganised down there too, nowhere open in the ground to buy food or a coffee until 25 mins before kick off?

You do have to feel for a team like Wakefield who look likely to be kicked out whilst the Crusaders are kept in due to being an expansion club. Have the RFL stated when the Crusaders have to abide by the same quota rules etc?

Not wanting to make to many excuses but,
Wrexham football club where playing 60 miles away,
Wales were playing a six nations in Italy game at 2.30
Then there is the political stuff regarding the football team, asset stripping etc and also the Crusaders administration.

TBH, I think Crusaders came up far too soon. It was clear that the RFL allowed themselves to be duped by the original board at Crusaders as they claimed they were more stable than they were. The step up and cost of running in SL was too much for them to deal with, as proved by them having financial trouble at the end of every year. I think Crusaders would have been better served by staying in the championship and building their brand for the last 3 years, rather than getting a fast-tracked, free pass into SL.

I understand the point of expansion clubs. But the RFL needs to get tough with them. They seem to think that they'll be protected simply due to their expansion status. If they get bonus points for their geographical location, they should get a similar number of points deducted for failing to meet the average 10k crowd that the RFL put in place.

Well I hope they do make a go of it but it is surely impossible to sustain a SL club on those sorts of crowds. I'd be surprised if the factors you highlighted account for the extra 3-4k you need to be coming through the gates. Massive amount of work to do in Wrexham to make them a strong and credible SL club. Do the new owners have the cash to support the long and promote the club?

We are relying on away fans to keep the gate above 4,000. We have a hard core fan base of 1500 plus targeted newbies. Changing our regular games to Friday night, will I feel come back to bite us on the butt
Your kit looks good this year and "the Van man" looks very useful

According to my research, the following Welsh based clubs all played professionally, and competed in the Northern Union or RFL- Aberdare, Barry, Ebbw Vale, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid-Rhondda, Treherbert, Cardiff 1951/52, Cardiff 1981-84, Bridgend 1984-85, Pontypridd and South Wales 1996.

In addition, the following Midlands, North East/West and Southern based clubs have all played professionally, yet eventually disbanded Acton & Willesden, Streatham and Mitcham, London Highfield, Kent/Southend Invicta, Carlisle, Newcastle upon Tyne, Coventry, Mansfield, Scarborough and South Shields.

Add to this the recent nomadic nature of Fulham/London Broncos/Harlequins and Celtic/Crusaders, together with their low attendances, one would have thought those powers that be, would have long since concluded that, professional RL does not work in Wales, the South or far North.

To be fair, there were some vans outside the ground selling food and hot drinks an hour (maybe a bit more) before kick off. I got some fish and chips (quite decent actually) from a van round the back of the stadium. Talking to the guy who ran the stall, he wasn't too happy about the organisation though. Though he was a regular at the football and had been there last year for the rugby, he hadn't had any communication from the club about what was happening this season and just turned up on spec. I guess the organisation fell to pot a bit in the whole mess of the financial meltdown.

Not much use when you're in the ground already though!!

You'd think that the food stalls inside would be open around an hour before kick off to be fair. One steward told me they didn't sell food in the ground, another told me about the snack shop the corner that finally opened around 5.15.

Seeing as Crusaders just advertised a whole load of jobs for marketing, admin and financial people - it appears that they currently have very few resources to do anything at the moment. Poor crowd for opening game of the season; hopefully they'll get better! Be difficult to justify them gaining a SL license though, unfortunately.

The shop was shocking. Nothing in it at all.