If Fax don't qualify I'll be bitterly upset with Halifax RLFC. That's it. I'll not criticise anyone but my own club????

Sheffield were gash in that game, and didn't play to their normal game plan - most Championship clubs would have beaten Sheffield on that performance. Ditto for the Fax game against the Bulls in a CC match a couple of seasons ago - it was embarrassing to watch as as a Fax fan as we knew we were so much better.

Fax lost to Cas 34-35 in the CC on golden point, and I challenge anyone there to say that Cas were the better team on the day (it was an absolute cracker!).

Word for word spot on. The negative reaction i've read all talk about attendances, blow out scores and unsustainable ticket prices/sales against wage costs.

The pros have mainly got excited about the possibility of their club getting into the top tier.

That was already the case at both those clubs. Take away their mega cheapo season tickets and attendances collapse accordingly.


More than half the current SL clubs under the current structure do not charge SL prices for matches now. Or hadn't you noticed all the cheap season tickets, wowcher, groupon, bogof, 50% off deals over the past few seasons?

Clubs are going bust as it is so nothing will change there.
Clubs not giving youngsters enough time? Need reserve teams back for that instead of the stupid dual reg farce. Then the youngsters will still be getting game time and can step up to 1st team when needed and not just taken away from the dual reg team there linked to as and when.

All so the championship teams feel wanted? Have you never watched a championship game? Maybe you should. All the players have a full time job then have to train then play on a sunday, all at a great level. Thursday night games, work a day shift then play in the evening giving it everything they've got and putting there bodies on they line. To be fair a good % of the championship games last year put the full time Super league games to shame.

Do we want to feel wanted? No, we just want our chance to play at the top level and to see our players get some recognition for what they do.

2004. But for a remarkable comeback in the last 15 minutes, Fax would have been relegated to the third tier if they'd lost to York. This is sport, and the ups and downs of promotion and relegation is what makes it so exciting. Every so often (sad git that I am) I watch that 15 minutes of sport to give myself a lift.

That's the magic of Rugby League.

To put a business plan together? I'd hope the majority already have one ... That said I'd of hoped the rfl had one and that was clearly an assumption too far on my behalf.

Between the 14 currently in the league and the 5 or so in the championship we must be able to band together a competition of 12 who shouldn't face financial difficulty minus incompetence of their owners.

Unfortunately the incompetence of the rfl puts serious pressure on even the best run clubs

Agreed but these are one offs where the championship clubs could prepare all week specifically. While Sheffiled and fax may not have played their best in those games, it could be because they couldn't cope with playing against a full time team. Defensive line speed, the ferocity of each challenge etc It makes such a difference. A one off game against a championship club, i would be very confident, but not certain of victory. Over several weeks, I think they will be blown away.

I genuinely would love Fex/Fax/Sheffield to be in SL, but the system we're going in to, they just won't be able to compete and it could financially hurt the clubs that yo-yo between SL and the split 2nd tier.

Should have been 12 team SL, 6 team player-off, one up one down.

...and that is the most stupidly inane comment I've ever seen on the VT, bar none. You do not have a clue.

What do u watch most, that clip or the clip of the drop goal from the Grand Final? Still gutted!

I think for those specific games, it was more down to poor tactics from the coaching staff of the respective Championship teams.

The athleticism of Championship players is improving (I've seen Fax training, and it's intense) and although the full-time element is always going to have an influence, disregarding anything that's happening now, the gap between the two leagues is (IMO) definitely closing.

If it's a choice between becoming a feeder club and dying, I bet they'd change their minds pretty quickly, less cut their nose off to spite their face.

I don't think anyone is saying it's a huge gap. In fact there could be virtually no difference whatsoever and I'd say the same thing. Even if all the clubs in that group of 19 were financially viable, the sport, at this point, can't support that many top flight teams. So pick the best ones, and let them prosper, instead of constantly dragging down the majority for the sake of a few.

As for franchisi being a failure - it's supposed to be in place for 20 years, 50 years etc etc whoever told you that franchising would totally fix all the problems immediately was wrong, it takes time to wash out the bad eggs, punish them accordingly (even to the point of someone else stepping in if it's too bad) and let the years of stability start to work. Honestly with the amount I read about "franchising not working" you'd of thought it had been in place for 20 years.

So instead of funding 14 teams without being able to fully secure their finances, we should instead fund 20 so that 5 "might be able to bridge the gap"?

Though I agree, it's in place, so let's see how it goes, I honestly don't care about the structure any more, I just want someone to pick one and say this is what we're running with for the next 25 years

EXACTLY, but this structure won't bring that. If my team got into the bottom 4 and ended up in the split, i wouldn't be "devastated" as i know they will be back up next year. We could go on to win the "second tier" and i honestly wouldn't really care as the setup is so lopsided to be in the relegated 4 teams favour. They won't be an open bus parade that's for sure. I genuinely would have to consider whether i would pay on the gate for several weeks, plus a semi and GF (if thats what you want to call it) as i simply cannot afford it. God knows how a family of four will cope.

That financial hit of playing in front of small crowds but still having to operate the full time wage will hurt the next season. So we then get relegated again for several games to be promoted again and so on...

If Fax finished top of the table, a team full of part timers take on full timers. Only one winner. Fax then go back down to come up again, to get hammered by the full timers etc.

If it was a simple 1 up 1 down and my team was relegated, i would be devastated (which every fan should feel in sport at sometime) i would certainly buy an ST for the championship season and if my team got back up i would be over joyed. Yes we may come down again, but the difference is we have a full season playing as full timers against full timers. So we have a chance of survival.

You totally underestimate the passion and commitment from the people running the Championship clubs. Have a look on the Fax website or youtube and you'll see what I mean. These people have lived and breathed the club all their lives, and if you cut through them they'd be like a stick of rock but in blue 'n' white!

I've followed Fax through thick and thin for 40 years, but I have nothing on the individuals that are the bedrock of the club!

For me, I would follow Fax whatever league they play in.