Expansion can only happen through marketing and providing a great game day experience in areas identifies for expansion, and the RFL should be contributing to the marketing budgets of Newcastle/Gateshead, South Wales, Coventry and London (don't care which London team). It's criminal that there seems to be no clear strategy from the governing body for growing the game outside heartlands other than get a little giddy when a rich person comes along for a few years with a big idea to build a club (see Toronto). I agree with a poster above, if this does not happen then the game will die in 30-40 years.

So more teams would spread the money further , to acomodate 2 clubs , neither of which pass Barrie's reasonable criteria

So filling up SL with more poor clubs is what you're suggesting , all decided by committee

I actually believe Toronto and Toulouse are two of the clubs likely to pass the criteria, (which you agree are kind of a minimum expectation for a top flight). Obviously as you say not straight away, but you half to ask which championship clubs would/could reach most of my criteria. Maybe KR, maybe Bradford (if run properly) maybe London, though crowds have always been a problem.

I have nothing against Leagues below super league, I have family that are Hunslet fans and have been to their games as a fan, and also when the team I coach have played curtain raisers etc, and I've really enjoyed it, but with the best will in the world there are some clubs in the championship and champ 1 who are never going to be a top flight team.

And while I get you fell out with the game when your club was not on the top table so to speak, and while I'd like to think I'd be high and mighty and take it as a 'for the good of the game' if I was ever in that situation the chances are I wouldn't. (Even when I think RL is the best specatator sport in the world).

I'm simply advocating putting everyone in a position to grow where they are comfortable and not encouraged to shoot themsleves in the foot chasing the dream, whilst also making sure everyone knows what is expected of them.

Whatever the answer is for the game in this country, it's not refusing to run academies, it's not being content to play out of small, no longer fit for purpose grounds, and it's not imo, being happy to run at the level SL is currently at.

The whole attitude in the game at the minute seems to be 'Well it's good enough'

Too early to make any judgement on Toronto ( although I do hope they are a success ) ATM , Similarily Toulouse , yes it's a massive city , but from when I visited during their last Championship spell , a lot of work to be done , I struggled to find much interest from the locals

Bradford ? , well something just not right there , it cannot be just down to a succession of bad management , Odsal perhaps ? , and if it is , just what are their options ?

London , not going to happen , they fail on 4 of your 4 main criteria , stadium ,crowd , financial security , not sure on academy

It wasn't that Leigh weren't in SL , it was that we couldn't get in , no confidence that we would ever be offered a franchise/licence given previous history , so it just felt boring , or maybe ' comfortable ' , that isn't why I go watching RL , I don't want it comfortable , I want it exciting , scary , it needs to bring out emotion in me , a franchise be it outside in the Championship or in it in SL just doesn't do it for me

It is kind of a catch 22, I agree that if nothing else the p and r had brought the excitement etc, and we do need that, particularly for clubs that find themselves at the lower end of the spectrum.

But at the same time I believe we need to give clubs safety in which to build and develop without the potential long term damage that relegation, or chasing promotion and failing can bring.

Rock and a hard place springs to mind.

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What it does show is that you cannot just isolate the Championship , which is essentially partly what this thread was about in the 1 st place , it is intrinsically linked to SL