Not one word in there suggested kicking anybody out. What it says was a possible new approach to expansion.

If he meant kicking the clubs out and starting again was a part of that, I have a feeling that would have been said. You put words in his mouth.

There's a big difference between spreading jnr development and attracting fans from non RL areas by existing SL clubs (like in HKR's case) and starting up a 3million quid a year SL team in a non RL city/town.

Only way expansion will ever work is to get the grass roots right and ensure there is enough financial backing to plough money in over the long haul. Without that RL is simply not big enough a sport to attract the backing needed in non RL areas from the start.

Having Sl clubs link into non RL areas (or in Cumbrias case non Sl areas) is a great idea. Warrington linking into Cumbria, HKR into Lincolnshire, St's into Liverpool, HFC into Nth yorkshire etc etc would be far more cost effective way of spreading the game.

all i see is heartland clubs that couldnt have been bothered to expand their areas over the past 130 years.

a century of disgrace

so after 113 years RL still isnt strong enough in the heartlands?




waiting for godot there.

top down expansion works all the time if its properly funded.

top down expansion is the way to go for me, with some minor development before hand

expecting a club to be formed at NL2 level then get promoted to NL1 then wait 5 - 10 years before SL is way too slow.

compared to SL weve got no problems

we are a major sport and are getting bigger all the time.

one NRL team generally produces more juniors than the entire SL.

its a real shame how RL has been neglected in england for so long.

So no threat from the AFL then? And if everything is rosie why aren't you expanding the game into other areas of your vast country? What about Perth, Adalaide? Why don't you introduce teams from PNG?

you really need to learn how to read.

ANCan I ask why you are commenting on Expansion to Rugby League in the UK and Europe when your not interested in expansion in your own and surrounding countries?

Also, you keep mentioning after 113 years. RL has been played in your country for over 100 years now, How many Cities in Austalia is Rl the major sport? two? How often do games get broadcast nationally?

Oh I can read perfectly. You should think before you post...but for that you would need half a brain so I guess it's not going to happen.

Like for super league we have criteria that the clubs aim towards to be awarded a spot. Less strict criteria could be used to get the clubs in the championship up to standard and more clubs could then apply for a franchise. With a stronger second tier of rugby league a lot more could be done in terms of stadia, attendances, spreading the game.... expansion could happen more naturally instead of being forced. All the top sports have great second divisons in this country.

The more clubs we get up to standard to apply for a franchise, the more competition there will be to get on in years to come, more competition for a franchise will force clubs to improve if there was a real chance they could be dropped next time around. Do you honestly think Cas and Wakey have felt any pressure at all untill now? The last franchise application was pointless.

Finally, people talk about how devastating it would be to send certain clubs down, they would go bankrupt etc. but with a stronger second tier there would be no danger if a club was not quite cutting it to send them down for a few years and let them build.

Personally I wouldmake the championship smaller and make sure only the best clubs are playing in it. IMO if you are not going to put in a franchise application, you shouldn't be in the championship. There are only 5 or 6 teams who will apply outside of super league, this is not enough IMO.

I think the worrying thing in all this is that there are clubs that will be overlooked for super league on the basis of an agenda and the fact that some clubs will be "promoted" to super league and will struggle.

Just saying come join the party, you won't get relegated if you're pants every week is not going to do that club or the profile of the game any good.

Investment into expansion has to take place at ALL clubs, new and old outside of super league if they are to contribute to super league if they get there. A club can't just be plonked into super league and everyone smiles sweetly at them when it doesnt work - a la crusaders.

Franchising is fine if it is honest and transparent process (which it isnt) and if there is massive investment by the RFL in getting clubs outside of super league ready for super league. Only this way can the game thrive at all levels and produce the players we all so desperately need. By all means, expand the game but use the league structure to do it. Use franchising to improve standards outside of super league, making the game strong there, then, hopefully, one day we can return to promotion and relegation.

The greed of super league kinda suggets we'll never see this...........

I don't know why fans of Championship clubs think the RFL should be obliged to give money and do development work for their clubs.

the NU was formed in 1895.

disregarding the fact that many current SL clubs have been around for longer than that (their formation pre dates the formation of the NU) why the heck havent they been expanding their target areas till now?

what a silly post..

most of those clubs dont deserve to be in SL - why should the RFL waste limited money on those clubs in SL.

NL1 or 2 is where they belong.

if clubs want to get off their backsides and stop whinging, and actually grow themselves then perhaps they can earn a spot in SL.

they dont deserve a SL spot just because they are in the heartlands

Perhaps because for most of those years crowd sizes were big enough to sustain the clubs so the commercial imperative to expand to different areas did not exist plus the fact that most clubs for most of their history have not really been run on a conventional commercial basis.

The next round of franchising has criteria that depend upon increased crowds for most clubs, the points for 10,000 average, 40% of capacity and £4,000,000 turnover particularly. It's no coincidence that clubs are more obviously attempting to extend their catchment areas now.