It hasn't worked and the damage was greater than the gains
SL clubs formed a queue after winning a licence to go belly up, Bradford wakey and Cas all play out of hovels still and god knows where London will end up. The final piece was abandoning reserves to save money ......... Yep you can see the success dropping off the mounds of gold
All this happening as the Championships get less money, a stupid tv deal and slowly die

Catalans are a great example of how the same thing is achievable with P&R. Just give the promoted team one years protection.

I look forward to seeing the likes of featherstone , Leigh, Oldham and Halifax challenging for the SL title. What a joke. Maybe this is just the rfl's way of culling some of the lower SL clubs as any club relegated is going to be screwed. Here we go with the yoyo, lose all your players when relegated, sign a new team when promoted farce again.

One years exemption from relegation for the team that wins promotion is a cracking idea. That gives them 2 years which is only 12 months less than licencing. It's like meeting it half way.

for several years ive been looking forward to the likes of wakey cas hkr salford etc challenging for the title but hey ho it hasnt happen and theres nothing to suggest its ever going to

So the answer to the 'too many meaningless games' canard is to give one club an entire season of meaningless games?

I suspect you could have said the same about Warrington and Huddersfield up until a few years ago.

Exactly my thoughts. People are too impatient and think changes take a few years when in reality they can take a decade or more. I believe this season is first in which were seeing the fruits of licensing and we've had more "shock" results than we have for years.

The league needs more games, not less. It also needs an extra cup competition started later in the season so the lower league clubs still has something to aspire for.

People keep repeating there's not enough talent; I see it completely different. There's lots of young talent coming through the ranks in the last few years. Notably at my hometown Castleford who fielded the majority of homegrown players in both teams when playing Hull FC weeks back.

We have a good exciting league and from what I can see there's only London and Salford not competing every week. Salford will be a different story next season which just leaves London who we all know are a failure.

It's nothing to do with 'SL fans', it's to do with the fact that the whole thing is completely and utterly stupid. FWIW there's not much point gloating because this system will probably see your club go bust.

Didn't you get the memo? Apparently there are loads of investors lined up to fund all these championship clubs but the fact there was no promotion stopped them.

Can you really get that homesick from one end of the M62 to another, or closer?

More seriously, the problem with a draft is that because the game exists abroad and because a similar (inferior!) sport exists which will allow them to go where they like, within reason. For the NFL or AFL, there's not much competition.

but they were the catalist they havent stoped bleating for the last 3 years how they get no money the game is dying and it is all the fault of no p&r it has nothing to do with franchising but all to do with championship clubs not being able to grasp the consept of running the club in a proper maner when this kicks in who of the championship clubs can go full time answer non of them so a 2x12 is a non starter as all it will do is wipe out the lower tear within 3 years i dont know if widnes will stay up next year but if they dont then it will mean the club will fold very fast as all the players we have developed will go to one of the sl sides

Complete rubbish, you are seriously suggesting the SL clubs owners are doing this because of ' whinging ' from below?

WHAT A RIDICULOUS POST....you have NO memory my scouse friend !!


Widnes Vikings go into administration


WIDNES Vikings are set to start next season with a six point deduction before they even begin their National League One campaign.

Widnes Vikings are set to start next season with a six point deduction before they even begin their National League One campaign.

That's the likely outcome after the club went into administration yesterday.

However, despite a degree of doom and gloom in the town, sources close to the Vikings were keen to stress that going into administration was the best way forward for the club.

Already some of the current directors are believed to be planning a rescue package.

Widnes' plight came into the public domain following their defeat by Castleford Tigers in Sunday's Co-Operative National League One grand final.

The game was billed as the £10million match with a place in Super League at stake and a strong likelihoood of a franchise to stay in the top flight for many years to come.

Had the Vikings won, many of the 2007 squad would have stayed on board to take up Super League contracts.

But, given the underlying financial position of the club, none are believed to have been pre-contracted to play in National League One in the event of Widnes failing to make promotion.

As a consequence, many are moving on to pastures new.

The destination of other Vikings players is likely to come to light over the coming days.

A statement released by the Vikings read: "Following Sunday's disappointing defeat, the board met at length on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the current financial position of the club.

"After these meetings the decision was regrettably taken to put Widnes Rugby League Football Club Ltd into administration.

"This decision will hopefully allow the administrator the opportunity to achieve a sale of the club and, with it, the potential to keep professional rugby league alive in the borough where it has been an integral part of people's lives for five generations and given great enjoyment.

"The administrator ill be seeking offers and already board members have confirmed their intention to put together a package to take the club forward into 2008 and beyond."