Gutterfax quotes the guidelines which were used in 2008 to determine whether clubs which were already in superleague would keep their places. These guidelines are irrelevant to the question of admitting clubs from outside superleague, whether these are existing Championship clubs like Widnes and Barrow or totally new clubs.

SLE is a business venture and any new admissions will be decided on business grounds, particularly whether or not an applicant offers anything new to the enterprise. Success on the playing field has little to do with it. The gap between Super League and the rest is so wide that any new admission would have to recruit a complete new playing and coaching staff.

Widnes already have several strikes against them. The major one is that the region the club is located in is already over-saturated with Super League clubs. Widnes offer nothing new at all. People on this forum remember Widnes's glory days from the 70's and 80's but the fact is that for most of the twentieth century they were an average mid-table side existing in the shadows of St Helens, Wigan and Warrington. Even in the glory days they never attracted either the crowds or the corporate sponsorship needed to support a major club and they always ended up selling their best players in order to survive. Their most recent attempt to survive at the top level failed.

Barrow at least offers access to a region (Cumbria) which has a strong rugby league tradition and should stand a better chance of admission than any other championship club apart from Toulouse. No other club from the tradional regions has any more to offer than the clubs already in Super League.

In my opinion all the current Super League clubs will retain their places next time round although Cas and Wakey may be offered an incentive to merge. If the merger comes off, Toulouse or Barrow may get a place.

Fev played very well at Warrington, Wire weren't poor either like you often see when its SL v Chp. Overall they're the best team i've seen at that level this year. Some of their defensive structures are SL like, very well coached but week in week out (which is where the problems come) their players would be badly found out.

We all know one off cup games v SL sides are a world apart than playing SL games every week, but Barrows recent games vs Wigan home, Saints & Cas away were fairly incouraging, Yes big big changes would need to be in place, but we have to be hopeful or whats the point ?

The point , well the same as it has always been , you go to the game and cheer your team ,

If you are suggesting that SL is the be all and end all , well IMO you are wrong , and you will be eternally dissapointed

I was more kinda trying to say that you have to be hopeful or optimistic or you'd be fretting all the time and thats what i dont see the point of, if you follow my drift.

About what ?