If there is a club outside SL, ready for SL. They would be in there. Why wouldn’t they? Why wouldn’t the other SL clubs want them in?

Naturally, I'd hope that were the case. But, imagine trying to put a deal together with financiers to buy and fund a championship side with a view, say, to spend 3 years getting the club into SL. The phrase "Why wouldn't they?" wouldn't be strong enough for most financiers - anything can happen - including existing clubs deciding they've got enough teams. More significantly, you say "ready for SL". But, it could take 3 years or more of investment to get ready, during which time the definition of "ready for SL" might change. Its a different matter though if you can say to investors: "if we deliver on the following plan, we have guaranteed entry".

I'm not saying issuing such guarantees is pain-free or a trivial decision, but seems to me like a step that would add that little extra encouragement to Fev's richest man (or whatever) to go mad and put his dosh on the line.

I accept that a guarantee made 3 years out gives up a bit of flexibility - ideally we might WANT to be able to change (upwards) the definition of "ready for SL" during the 3 years. But the tradeoff is that it makes it harder (much harder in IMO) to make an ambitious investment in a non-SL club. I'd take the minor downside of slightly reduced flexibility in order to make a statement that says to potential backers of non-SL clubs: "Here is your route to SL status. This is what you have to do, and we promise not to move the goalposts for 3 years or to reject you because someone else happens to have done even better"

If what you say - "They would be in there" is true, then offering a guarantee shouldn't be a big deal in any case.

Crusaders got a guarantee

I can’t agree. I thnk it makes it massively more attractive to invest in, and sustain a club which has the growth potential to be at the very top of SL. Under P+R it was virtually impossible, its one of the reasons that we have had such a poor history of introducing new clubs. Now an ‘investor’ can look at an area, put in place the infrastructure to build, and plan and budget and aim towards a promotion and growth from that jump in a fairly clear and manageable fashion. This would be a club which would add to SL

What it has made less likely is that a moderately rich local guy done good will go in to a small club, throw cash at them to get them up, have none of the necessary infrastructure in place and no further plans or sustainability to do anything other than have a season in the sun. This wouldn’t be a club adding anything to SL.

I think if a Gary Hetherington or an Ian Lenegan takeover for instance Sheffield, set out their plans and vision for a sustainable project there, SL club chairmen would be bending over backwards to welcome them and help them achieve it.

Here we go again this old chestnut how many times a year does this crop up sick of it let the powers in charge do it and mess it up not us the fans thank you

Then the criteria were wrong ( or not properly imposed )

Forget about promotion and relegation, super league should go down to 12 teams.

Just to clarify, I'm not arguing for P&R, just the ability to know for certain, say 3 years out, that your effort will be worth it should your club meet a predetermined absolute ( as opposed to relative to other clubs at that three year point ) standard.

Just relegation then.
Would you pull up the drawbridge to protect the 12 remaining clubs in SL and who do you drop out ?

Totally understand why there is no P & R and a big part of me agrees witrh it. My head says it will kill my club though and that hurts.

I think its the only fair way to bring a team in, as apart form Catalans the franchise thing as not worked.
If a team was promoted and it was allowed the promoted season and one more, I can see no arm in this and they would make way then for another team who IMHO deserves a chance.
Obviously all the top SL teams fans here aren't going to agree, just in case their team were ever in the frame to be relegated.
It would also make the season more exciting from day one till the last day, the crowds would improve because of this, as London v Salford with the team losing going down would get more crowds then at present were you would be lucky to have a couple of thousand on. meaningless games would then become interesting again.
Make the playoffs 6 teams again too 8 is too many.

Doesn't union have franchising without calling it that? There's no automatic promotion for winning the Championship, you have to fulfil certain criteria.

i believe Union did, but didn't the club who won the championship take them to court becuase they was not going to be allowed in and won, so got promoted in the end?
not sure of the full in and outs tho

London Welsh got Premier Rugby's decision overturned in the courts, as they were denied entry on the basis they were not the "prime" tenants at their chosen home ground (Oxford?).

The courts ruled against Premier Rugby, as a number of existing clubs are not prime tenants either - Wasps at Wycombe, London Irish at Reading, for example.

"Automatic" P&R between the Championship and Premiership does not exist in English rugby union. Neither does it exist to the Pro12 league of celtic nations in rugby union, or in basketball, ice hockey, speedway or many other sports in the UK.

This idea that automatic P&R is somehow intrinsic in British sport is a fallacy.