Hull KR have set up a rugby league academy in Northern Lincolnshire (outside of their traditional ''territory'' with the hope of attracting new players and supporters of RL. “The rugby league academy is giving youngsters in Northern Lincolnshire an opportunity they haven’t really had before to play the game and is helping the sport grow beyond the traditional heartlands.” www.grimsby.ac.uk/index.php?news=890 Should this be the focus of RL to grow the game around the heartlands first rather then fast tracking remote areas of the country?

Hull KR have set up a rugby league academy in Northern Lincolnshire (outside of their traditional ''territory'' with the hope of attracting new players and supporters of RL. “The rugby league academy is giving youngsters in Northern Lincolnshire an opportunity they haven’t really had before to play the game and is helping the sport grow beyond the traditional heartlands.” www.grimsby.ac.uk/index.php?news=890 Should this be the focus of RL to grow the game around the heartlands first rather then fast tracking remote areas of the country?

Very Sensible indeed. Nottingham would be the next step from Sheffield, Liverpool from Widnes and Saints. Carlisle from the Cumbrian teams, then into Scotland. There are large parts of Yorkshire Lancashire and Cumbria that are RL deserts.

Apart from the spectaclular success of Le Cats and probable future success of Toulouse other expansion has hardly been a great success story, Quins Gateshead and London Skolars and the Crusaders are battling gamely but struggling a little. I'm sure they can be successful but why not throw resources at areas nearer to the heartlands eg Merseyside, Mancherster, Lincolnshire, Scottish borders and Nottinghamshire?

Before expansion can really take off we need to be really strong in the heartlands where it should be strong.

Surely another team in NZ would be great and a team in PNG is essential for the future of RL. Tonga and Samoa spring to mind also. Get a team in spain and create more interest. Widnes, Leigh, Halifax... are all teams in the heartlands who have not reached their potential as clubs. Just look what happened when other clubs have come up and stayed up, Hull KR for one example... now I can't imagine super league without them.

Cumbria needs sorting out really, we just need someone rich to come in and make it happen although super league will not suffer without a cumbrian team. many fans I have spoken to from cumbria say they are happy where they are as well.

I think Barrow are Cumbria's only real SL prospect. Sheffields move to Bramall Lane shows great ambition, why not Liverpool Manchester, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire next? Barrow in the SL would merit quite a bit of interest from the Scottish borders and Carlisle. The heartlands have contracted VERY badly in the last 20 years, Chorley, Carlisle Precott/Highfield all biting the dust. Carlisle could be a strong RL area?

For those who already know this, my apologies, but .....

Carlisle Border Raiders 'merged' with Barrow Braves in 1997 (?). Carlisle is a soccer mad city but their pro RL club - the 'Border Raiders' struggled to get a decent following and eventually a 'merger' was the only way they could survive (albeit in name only).

As you would expect for 2 clubs 90 miles apart, the small band of travelling Carlisle fans soon dwindled although members of their BOD joined the 'merged' club BOD and stayed there for many years. I believe there are still a few Carlisle fans who attend the odd Barrow 'Raiders' game. On the playing front, a fair few Carlisle players joined the 'merged' team including Darren Holt - who went on to become Barrow's all-time points scoring record holder.

Carlisle have been re-formed on 2 occasions that I know of in the conference with mixed fortunes.

History lesson over ...... sorry !

So what are you saying?

Carlisle have potential to be a super league team, or not?

Its a real shame about Keighly also.... in addition to my above post.

Not really saying anything, just a bit of background.

For what it's worth, I don't think Carlisle has the appetite for RL - certainly nothing like the South and West of the county.

Didn't know Keighly were in the as well.

I obviously disagree. With the backing we have now, I think Widnes can have a similar effect to what Hull KR have had - maybe not to the same degree, but certainly I wouldn't expect us to be just making up the numbers at the bottom of the league year after year.

If people remember back to 2002, in our 1st season in SL, we did very well and just missed out on the playoffs in the last few weeks of the season. IMO it was a big missed opportunity that we didn't build on that season. If we get back into SL, we will have had 6 seasons out of the top flight and in that time we have maintained an u18's, u21's extensive community dept as well as nationally if not internationally recognised sponsors. We might not be the exciting choice such as Paris, Toulouse or somewhere in Spain, but then again last time I looked Castleford, Salford or even St Helens were not exactly exciting places to visit either. IMO we have earned the right at another shot at SL and if it doesn't work out SL won't be any worse off after 3 years.