In case you didn't notice, Toulouse is being groomed for a place in Super League.

Also, Wakefield's inability to get a Super League standard stadium will likely doom its reapplication bid in 2011.

Leigh has been deemed redundant by the new head of Sports England.

My guess is that in 2011 we will be informed that Wakefield have beeen relegated, and new licences have been granted to Toulouse, Widnes, and either Sheffield or Doncaster.

2014 may well see serious consideration of a second London club bid, as well as Newcastle/Gateshead, a Scottish club, an Irish club, Paris and Barcelona.

Those of the above not successful, or not considered, in 2014, are likely to be considered in 2017.

Do you have a link to that ?

Not that I dont believe you , I do , it's just it would be funny to actually see him saying it

the point of my original post is that what would be the point in relegating anyone? you'll just have for example the salford/celtic 2011 squad bar a few exceptions playing in a 2012, widness/leigh/tolouse strip as they'd all be released on the teams relegation and be looking for a club granted the cream of the squad will to snapped up by other teams but the journeyman players will be looking to the new team for a job

Dead right , it would be crazy to drop any club as it would probably completely destroy that club , It's one thing awarding a SL place 3 months before , but an entirely different thing taking one away with 3 months of the season left , with no prospect of getting back for at least 3 years but more likely ever

Several of the clubs, especially Wakefield and Castleford, were given licenses on a kind of informal probabtion. Richard Lewis warned clubs that they had to satisfy certain explicit criteria, including an adequate stadium, if they were to have their licenses renewed. Wakefield will fail the stadium criterion, and possibly other criteria, in 2011. This will ease the west Yorkshire saturation of the Super League roster, and make room for some new, commercially attractive expansion clubs, like Toulouse, Sheffield/Doncaster, Newcastle/Gateshead, East London etc. in 2011 and subsequent years.

No link then

Appreciate it thanks

aren't sheffield and doncaster in west yorks ok southwest. write them off then. toulouse i can see that however what is the average away attendence to the dragons. basically can people afford to head overseas twice. or will this be a detriment to a game they may have watched in the uk.

newcastle/gateshead. why not a cumbrian outfit?

east london would be foolish quins ground is hardly creeking at the seams with the attendences at home games is there really enough potnetial support to justify another team in the captial? instead i'd suggest say birmingham. big city very central not to far south to really affect away travel, good road and rail links etc.

The only scenario I could see a club losing their license would be a club going the same way as Halifax did in 2003.

Oi we'll have none of that , this is a Franchise thread , no sensible posts allowed on either side

Only totally outlandish predictions or doom laden recriminations allowed on here

What by finishing bottom and playing a lot of young local lads? Thought that was to be applauded?

I take your point but with the various franchising criteria the club that gets relegated may not necessarily be the worst performing on the field. That I think is the point of franchising, to assess performance over a number of different criteria not just on field.

They seem to keep forgrtting that one Bill

It's a business after all