Please God no - me and thee do NOT think alike !!!

The 10-point system was never used, it was made up by Angela Powers.

Well it was used to grade licenses once awarded, but no it wasn't a '10 points on offer from these criteria, get X amount and win a place in super league'.

Only one club meets the championship club criteria anyway. Coincidence?

No, absolutely not. That's fate mate

So, they will decide which Championship club WILL be promoted to SL in March - several months before they consider and decide upon the existing SL club applications.

Thus leaving the clear possibility that worst SL application is still better than the lucky promotee. Which I fancy would easily be worth a quick lawsuit, as perverse.

They don't even bother to explain why they have "confirmed" this certain promotion, let alone address the (obvious) potential legal morass it will raise. I find it unlikely in the extreme that the unlucky SL club that gets the boot will either agree that its application was inferior to the promotee, or will go quietly.

Especially as by "next summer" when it learns its fate, the said SL side will already have entered into contractual arrangements not least with players, sponsors etc which won't change the day they learn they are out and will all still need to be paid.

What a ludicrous and predictable mess.

The criteria, whilst at first glance looking rigid is actually quite subjective. Whose to say whose youth program is better than the other? The finances - can the losing club match Steve O'Connor's millions? etc....etc...

The RFL knew with a racing certainty that Widnes would be in a position to beat at least three current SL clubs.

The RFL certainly won't be making that promise again though.

Exactly Rich they'll know who they want in and will have compared that to a few 'at risk' SL sides and decided yes there better!

Plus the SL side will be told later so they don't lose sponsors & fans early in the season!

All playing contracts etc will be subject to holding SL status.... any clever SL club knowing they may be at risk will have done this... if not proof there not upto scratch really?

The race for oblivion is probably the most hottly contested competition in Super League at the moment, which is a sad state of affairs.

[uCrusaders[/u - After a promising start have nose dived crowd wise and have serious questions over their financial stability given the off field goings on there.

[uSalford[/u - With a new stadium they would be like a completely new franchise. Salford as they are now have about 1,500 supporters, a poor side, a poor youth production line and the worst facilities in SL. It's like their very existence has been geared around losing this fight. The new stadium [icould[/i solve their problems for them. Personally I'd like to see a new identity for them, something fresh and new. 'Trafford RL' sponsored by the Trafford Centre perhaps?

[uCastleford[/u - Inadequate facilities that will apparently be replaced with a new stadium. Political interference from their cousins could scupper their hopes. Crowds are reasonable and perhaps exceptional given the tin pot nature of Castleford the place. Attenandances are roughly 20% of the population aren't they? Doesn't scream potential to me, but they deserve their place if they can get a new stadium, but only if they can.

[uWakefield[/u - An utterly useless club at present. A new stadium could improve things but they aren't going to get one given the recent decision. They for me have got to be forerunners for imposed demotion.

[uHarlequins[/u - Another club who's performance on and off the field begs the question of whether they want a licence for Super League. They are one club in this list of undesirables that have made strides off the field. They have invested heavily in their youth setup and are now producing more first team players from their academy than Wigan. 10 years ago Wigan probably had 4 overseas players and Quins 10, now it's the opposite. BUT that improvement hasn't been matched by improvements to their matchday experience, their marketing and ultimately their attendances. I can't see how they are a long term option for SL as without an incredibly wealthy and generous benefactor they surely won't last long. I'd love to see their accounts, they must be losing hundreds of thousands per season.

[uCatalans[/u - Strong for a franchise operation in terms of attendances and community involvement but again their finances must be questionable. There were rumours of severe financial difficulties earlier this year and their Chairman has repeatedly threatened to walk away from the idea. Their disappearance would be an utter disaster for SL and make it a much more boring place.

For me one club that has gone from certain outs to certainties to stay are the Giants. They've improved their youth system, they've improved their first team, they've improved their crowds. Why can't the other sides listed above (Bar Catalans) at least try?

The Cas and Wakey merger has been muted by their council I believe. Common sense to me if they can come up with a name for it that means something to the people of that area.

My list for the chop:

1 - Wakey
2 - Salford
3 - Quins
4 - Crusaders
5 - Cas
6 - Catalans

Can the Wakefield fans shut the door on the way out please? We have plenty to discuss.

But it also raises the spectre of bringing up a side that deserves their place no more than those leaving. Toulouse whilst a positive for the competition would be fragile and Widnes would run mid/bottom of the table on the same 5/6k crowds and given their location and financial history I don't see any reason at all for them to be brought in.

Nail on head.

The RFL should scrap this pantomime so that fans can focus on the game in their respective competitions. Close the SL plughole and spin shut the Championship submarine hatch. If the RFL then want to invite/kick out a club in future, let them do it behind closed doors and by committee, with short sharp shock announcements.

widnes will replace on of salford, cas or wakefield. i think this is now for certain. those three super league sides have been deemed weakest by most who have an opinion for the past couple of years. the failure of any to deliver a stadium is a big problem for them, despite the state of the economy. salford, it seems have stolen a march on the stadium front, and have started recruiting big name players. it will be hard to chose between cas and wakefield. they have so many similarities, and that will go against one of them. so much store is set on the new stadium these days by the rfl. hkr will have to improve by the time the next applications come around. my thoughts are that we will lose one of the yorkshire sides. which one, as yetits too close to call.

There's only three in danger imo: us, Wakey and Salford

and no, neither the council nor anyone else has mooted a Cas-Wakey merger (well, anyone else who matters, not random posters on here

). The council did suggest one stadium development and a ground share: Wakey said 'not interested' and we responded with 'we'll press ahead with Glasshoughton). The bit question, imo, is what, if anything, happens with those stadium developments, esp Glasshoughton and Newmarket, but also Salford, between now and April. As a minimum, building work needs to be actually taking place (as for instance it will be at Saints

) - but we've known that for three years really.