I suspect any change in the status of Odsal won't come about for a few years yet. The RFL will want some water to pass under the bridge first. If we have some drama free years and show that we're capable of ticking along then it becomes more likely. At the moment it's too soon.

However I think it will happen at some stage. Whether the lease is sold to the club owner or is just handed back to the Council who knows.

As for a place at the top table. I think we'll be back but it might be as long as 10 years. I heard that more than one SL club had to appeal for financial help from the RFL last year and that precarious position won't be helped much by helping themselves to the paltry amount that shared between C1 clubs. It's not in their interest to let us wither and die.

But how is that interest measured, and who is measuring?

because so far as the SL clubs are concerned, we've been dead for years and there's no imminent Lazarusesque return. I would be interested if someone could work out what the absence of a top-6 level Bulls has likely cost the SL clubs. (Hypothetically, as the net worth of the wounded and limping animal we were immediately before being put down is not the best yardstick)

On the subject of the benefit of away fans, somebody else on the Forum wrote:

JESUS WEPT HOW MANY TIMES?????
£20 a ticket and £15 on beer and merchandise.....so an away fan is worth £35. At best, 1,000 is the average away support split across 11 rounds and I am being really generous here, so Toronto, replacing say Wakefield will cost a SL club £35,000.
The minimum turnover of a SL club is £4,000,000 so Toronto instead of Wakefield is worth less than 1% of a SL clubs turnover.

There are many valid reasons for and against expansion into America, but "AWAY FANS" isn't one of them.

Is that really the average away support for an entire season? Only 1000 people? For the top tier of any sport that is dreadful if accurate.

From what I see on Sky I'd be surprised if it was that many...

Clubs aren't going to attract any neutral fans so it's down to them to build up their own followings. Some just don't seem to be able to that it very well like Salford and Hudders for instance. If they take 1000 fans to away matches I'm Brian Blessed.

Gordon’s alive

We took 2,000 to York in League 1. Surely take more in the Super League.

Except we didn't. I attended every home and away game back when we were in Super League and I remember the last couple of years when the away following had massively dwindled. It was nowhere near 2,000.

I think we can get back to that level. Provided we continue to progress.

I can understand that as losing means people dwindling especially from going from WCC Champions to bottom of league. It seems our away following has increased since we were relegated but home support has dropped drastically.

I know the players and club go on about atmospheres but unless there is 7k or more in Odsal there isn't one. Maybe the smaller grounds and proximity to the pitch of away grounds provides that atmosphere and that's what draws people to away games. It's far more entertaining to be in that kind environment.

Cougar Park Sunday

That's correct Hamster, and to be fair, only shows how much the fans making up the current away following are investing in the management and coaching set up. The club is much smaller now on just about any scale you choose to use but the "buzz" around the place is massive.