Same couldn’t be said of last years scenes.

Good to know. I sincerely hope you are fine

We are used to NOT being in SL, I just feel sorry for our owner 'splashing the cash' for 1 season in the top flight.

This is the problem that the sport is facing.
Whilst I understand the reasoning behind franchising, what does the closed door policy do to clubs which ate outside of the top tier. Would I be right in saying that being a Leigh fan became alot more interesting once the middle eights where introduced. There certainly is more to rugby than Super League, but ultimately it myst be the ambition of every team to be part of it.

Indeed, trouble is the likes of Halifax, Featherstone, Batley, Sheffield, Dewsbury are NOT full time, and therefore have no chance of promotion to SL.
The only ambitious clubs are Toulouse, Toronto, and maybe London. When Bradford Bulls get their act together, they WILL be one major force. But for now, the only M62 clubs who might gain promotion to Super League, are ourselves and Bradford Bulls (2019 ?).....unless Fax & Fev go full time.

Quite right. But even with the teams mentioned, there are I would say, around 15 teams who see themselves as top tier teams.
By my reckoning, there will be at least one dissapointed team when (if) the restructuring takes place. How this team (teams) react to this will be key to how the sport progresses imo

We are almost inevitably going to end up with more North American teams too. Part of the reason I don't think it would've been the blow many thought if Catalans were relegated as Toronto and other possible North American teams look to be the way forward and leave interest in Catalans behind.

HKR fan Woody by any chance?

Slight difference in circumstances don't you think between the 2 games?

Salford were 2 scores behind with 90 seconds on the clock and dead and buried. What then transpired was arguably the most ridiculous 2 1/2 minutes in Rugby League history culminating in a 50m winning drop goal. The release in emotion from players and fans was understandable. Were his teammates expected to turn to O'Brien, offer a firm handshake along with the words "spiffing field goal old chap, well done!". Whilst I have every empathy with the HKR players and fans I defy anyone to have acted differently in the same situation.
Granted Koukash went too far tho.

Saturday's game was over well before the final whistle so most of the emotion had already been drained from the situation and relief rather than disbelief & euphoria were probably the overriding feelings at the final whistle.

A phrase that aptly sums up his tenure as a SL club owner.

i do feel for leigh, they were/are a progressive club despite there small town status, they are typical argument for franchising, give them 3 year lease and they would be more competitive.

i really don't like p&r its franchising for me, the RFl should be looking at having the 12 strongest best supported clubs with the best facilities and infrastructure, and be looking at adding 2 more and eventually up to 16 teams. think they bottled franchising last time when if was apparent they would not relegate 2-3 sides who were not cutting the mustard.

did not Batley Fev abnd halifax all say they would not accptep promotion if they won it as it was a poison chalice.

Leigh should be an assert to super Leauge not kicked out.

i do however think they may get a repprive, with koukach gone can anybody possibly see how salford can be sustainable next year with 2k crowds and no sugar daddy. they will be in administration by mid season. the RFl should make sure leigh are kept up if salford cannot produce a sustainable business model for next year.

The problem with your approach ("the 12 strongest best supported clubs with the best facilities and infrastructure") is that it effectively creates a closed shop based on a snapshot at a period in time. Just 4 or 5 years ago Castleford would have been a no-brainer to be excluded from SL on that basis - on a long losing run, crowds dwindling, at the bottom of the table and in a stadium that had looked out of date in the 1970s. Similar comments could be made about Wakefield.

Both teams had previously been relegated to the Championship, but had made it back through promotion. I think it's very doubtful that Cas or Wakefield would have found it any easier to get themselves into a credible position to be awarded a SL franchise than the likes of Halifax or Featherstone.

As an aside, I doubt very much that there's any evidence of anyone at Fev saying they wouldn't accept promotion. Mark Campbell has pumped huge amounts into the club for years to try and achieve just that.