Think about it. Under a 3-year licencing system, the Championship club would be facing a team at the bottom of Super League that has had 3 years to develop, and not just one like Widnes. So, it may not be as easy as you may think.

Under P&R, then the club you face wouldn't be in a position to grow slowly and experiment with young players and inexperienced coaches. They would have to be much better in order to avoid the bottom, even if they inevitably don't. So, you probably wouldn't be facing a Widnes side that is as poor as it is now.



But why is that better than the team that finishes bottom of Super League just having to accept their fate, while two evenly matched teams battle it out, in a culmination of the Championship season, in order to win the right to replace them?

It seems a fairer way of doing things to me, while guaranteeing that Super League will get fresh blood.

The only problem that I see is that, under the licence system, this could be a death sentence for some Championship clubs, because they will be locked in there for 3 years. You can see what that did to the Crusaders. That's why Widnes got the licence. Under a licence system, that makes sense, but the major flaw in that situation is there for all to see. So, a return to annual P&R would have to happen, in order to make any of this feasible for most, if not all, Championship clubs.

Like you say, it is unlikely that there will be an about face by the RFL anytime soon, and licencing will remain anyway.

there would'nt be a 3 year licence system....

Which is why I also addressed the same situation under P&R, and why it was still an unfair way of deciding who goes to Super League. Even with Widnes as poor as they are, the odds are still massively stacked in their favour. If we had P&R, then Widnes would not have the team or coach they have now.

Why chose such an unfair system, when we already had a very good way of deciding who goes up and down, long before licencing was ever thought of, and is clearly a much fairer option?

Licensing is here and for the foreseeable is here to stay. Some politician decides to talk about bringing P&R back. If he'd of looked on RLFANS he would have seen that what he said had been said on here years ago.

In the Championship, there are maybe 2 or 3 teams who could possibly with a lot of hard work, get into Superleague, but as you can see from Widnes this season, there is a massive gulf in class. I'm afraid that unless you have crowds of 10k plus or someone willing to bankroll you indefinately then you wouldn't survive in Superleague.

Franchising is a good thing and is good for Superleague, its just that the RFL aren't doing it right. Just because we used to have P&R doesn't mean we should always have P&R. We used to roof our houses with asbestos. Would you still do that now?

LifeLong HKRFan,
You had better hope Mr Hudgell continues to fund you then because you don't have a 10,000 average, in fact your crowds are dropping and Mr Hudgell has stated he cannot subsidise the club indefinitly.

Hull KR bridged the gulf in class when they were promoted. Maybe Widnes did just not do such a good job. They had a poor team in CC last year, and their coach has never set the world on fire. Perhaps their recuiting was also sub standard.

Licencing is here to stay, it is neccessary to protect the financial support given to around 50% of current SL clubs, without it we could see the demise of several clubs in the next few years, as it is only London look like failing ( unless the RFL and or SKY come to their rescue, correctly IMO )

However it is making the gap between SL and the Championship wider and ultimatly it is damaging the clubs outside it , what is required is a change of direction by the RFL in the way they see the semi pro competitions, they seem to think the Championships are just a poorer version of SL, but it is very different, the TV coverage is worthless and therefore should be dropped apart from the NRC final and the GF s, they need to be marketed to their local populaces, and that is where the RFL should be looking to find and spend money

That is of course if they value the lower tiers at all.

Quite right, I hope he does carry on subsidizing them because if he didn't then we would be in a mess unless we can get a 10k average. My point is that you either need a 10k average or someone to back the club. Widnes have a backer, London also have a backer. Has any of the teams currently in the Championship have a wealthy backer to fund them in Superleague?

Franchising is not going to go away and I don't believe it should. Maybe there is a better way of doing it but P&R is not the answer.

The only reason Hull KR stayed up for that year was because there was a team even worse than us in the Superleague. Hull KR were the exception and most other teams who have been promoted during the P&R days went straight back down and it would almost certainly be the case if we brought P&R back.

HKR went for broke in 2006, failure would have seen them probably back in administration. They went for broke because they knew the drawbridge was almost up.
I have a lot of respect for the HKR 1500 hardcore who kept the club going for the Glory boys to jump back onto in 2005/6/7
How is the lad with the 10-5 flag doing these days, great bloke.

Works perfectly for me. Said it before myself.
The only thing I'd add is that the top team in tier 2 can chose not to go up and keep getting the money, so they can build at their pace rather than going bust trying on first attempt.

But the licencing system is snapshot of the League as it existed at the time it was introduced - more or less. If that snapshot had been taken before Hull KR, had been promoted they'd be marooned in the championship trying to maintain the same standard for three years. As for promoted teams going straight back down, what about Wakefield, Huddersfield, Cas, Hull FC, Salford - all promoted in the P&R era -all still there. The only promoted team to bring P&R into disrepute IMO are Celtic Crusaders/Crusaders with their inelligible players and last minute withdrawal last season.
When under P&R did we have a player suing the RFL because of a failed transfer?

Huddersfield and Hull were saved from relegation due to going bust etc. The others were promoted when Superleague was still in its infancy. P&R would not work now due to the gulf in class between the 2 leagues. The only way it would work is by bringing the SL clubs down closer to the championship level. That wouldn't be fair to the SL clubs after the hard work they have put in over the years just so the championship clubs can have a crack at super league. It is up to the Championship clubs to improve vastly which I can't see happening.