What an amazing post. Nigel Wood, Richard Lewis, I hope you read this.

Well I for one hope this isn't the end of Crusaders.

As I've said elsewhere, I think the problem was that of Crusaders trying to run before they could walk.

If you'd not gone in for the first round of licences and instead concentrated on getting your infrastructures and fan-base stabilised in the Championship then I think Crusaders would be in a far better position this time round.

I hope your team comes back for you to get back behind next year

The RFL need to think long and hard about how they go about Expansion. Crusaders were included in SL too early in their life in my opinion. But that said, i do believe they could have been a success if the RFL had been as hands on as they needed to be and been the driving force behind them.

Instead it seems like they basically said sink or swim and threw them away like a used toy.

Hopefully Crusaders will continue in some form and be able to build towards a long and successful future

A wonderful post.



I'm so sorry for you and your fellow Crusaders supporters. Going to Wrexham was never dull.

I'm sure the Gateshead fans in 1999 will know exactly how you feel, not that its any consolation.

What a sport this is ...as someone once said in Oz, it MUST be the greatest game to keep bouncing back from shooting itself in the foot so often.

If only we had officials of the same calibre as the players.

I do feel sorry for the fans but I think Crusaders were promoted into Super League too early and that has caused their demise.

Maybe if they had been allowed to grow for the past 3 seasons in the Championsip then they would be in a better situation then they are now.

You, my friend, are an exceptional rugby league fan.

The "bossman" of RL down in the South West always talks about a "Scorpions, not Crusaders" approach to growing the sport and growing clubs. Now, it wasn't really Crusaders' fault that they were pushed too far too quickly, but there's a valuable lesson to be learned there - there was no structure to the Crusaders' path to SL, it just happened and drew in crowds on novelty factor alone. And all in all, I don't think the owners of the Crusaders cared anywhere near enough to make it work despite the best efforts of staff and players and even the fans. Some of the mismanagement was unbelievable, and as a Wakey fan I know all about mismanagement...!

It's a sad day for expansion of the sport but as I said... lessons to be learned. A better blueprint for growth can be gleaned from this. And a closer look shows the game is growing at grassroots. More schools are playing all over the country, academies are being established, clubs from all over have expressed an interest in joining a restructured Championship, and Wales will hopefully still have the Crusaders in some guise or other; if not, the Scorpions are always there. Expansion might just work if it's approached properly and patiently.

Traffic, you're a credit to our sport with the passion you've poured into your club. Certainly enjoyed banter with the Crusaders fans when we played each other. I hope you'll still be involved with the game.

Traffic, you've always been a reasonable sort if I remember correctly. That's something I can't boast. Good luck to you and I sincerely hope you find someone else to occupy your time if Crusaders go.

A most heartfelt post , and I'll resist replying in the same way you did me earlier today , it gives me no pleasure to see what has happened at Wrexham , it gave me no pleasure to see the demise at Bridgend , but quite simply it was never going to work , what lies in the future for Welsh club RL , I don't know , I hope they can continue in some way

I did think a few years back that somewhere like Bangor or Llandudno could be an option for a Championship club if it was centrally funded but also held back until growth occurs more naturally

My anger is at the RFL once again , how many times are they going to encourage people with totally unrealistic predictions of what is achievable in far too short time spans ?

Expansion is needed , but we cannot keep wasting opportunities as we do

The exact same thing would have happened regardless of how long Crusaders were in the Championship for, because the owners of the club were crooks. In fact, had Crusaders not been promoted when they were I'm pretty sure that the backer would have walked away there ant then and there would have been no club left at all.

This is bizarre..i actually dreamt of this thread last night.....very surreal. I said in my dream that i didn't agree with Crusaders in SL but i wished all fans to stick with them and rebuild the right way......

some may take this post with 'yeah right you dreamed that'...but bizarally i did.

Anyway the sentiment in my dream stands

I believe you, man. I believe you.