and then still not reach 10k averages, still not be able to be sustainable spending the full cap, and still not start a season aiming to win SL rather than simply not finish in the top 4.

If that is Cas's plan for sustainability as an SL entity, a tarted up stadium which is falling to pieces and offputting to people, and spending a little bit more money with the aim of mid-table mediocrity then they shouldnt be in SL.

If cas want to be an SL club then they should be working towards looking like an SL club.

I think that's a bit of a non-sequitor. Certainly there's insufficient money in the game, but unless you're football or RU, then that applies to pretty much every sport out there. But that has nothing to do with whether London, Salford, Cas or Wakefield should have lost their licenses for failing to meet the relevant criteria.

These proposals seek to spread our limited jam even thinner across more clubs. Which would be fine if some of those additional clubs were in a position to use that as an investment and grow into big, competitive, self-sustaining clubs. But we all know that's not the case. Introduce any form of P&R, and the clubs will piddle the extra cash up against the wall for no benefit at all.

These proposals are mad.

Increase SL to 20 teams and introduce a draft (american style) from newly formed RL colleges.

be a laugh.

Leigh could have stayed at HP, it gave greater revenue streams but moving to LSV was the right thing to do because that was the standard the RFL rightly expected from its SL clubs. The move is hitting us to the tune of £150k pa and is crippling, the model in SL is brilliant but we ain't there

The same place that the myth of the Championship "moaning" is influencing either the RFL or SL.

As an aside I have noticed that someone said this on the first pageAnd because of complaints that the top 8 is too easy to qualify for and not competitive enough to stretch the big clubs, that because it so easy for them to qualify it becomes a procession, we are going to split the league using the er………….Top 8.

And because of complaints that teams at the bottom of SL aren’t good enough, we are going to take the 4 worst, put them with 4 sides from a lower league and try and sell an entire league of those games.
'"

Sensible enough and if they'd done it from day 1 like that and maybe if it'd been an unfashionable club with no recent major trophies in the cabinet, rather than Bradford, it could have worked out. But they didn't and I think the licensing 'brand' is too badly contaminated for a reboot. 'Picking' on a team for failing to develop their stadium or not having good enough revenue forecasts looks laughable when you've given newcos licences. It very possibly was the execution rather than the concept that was at fault, but it is unrealistic to expect people to forget what has happened or for them to have any trust in it going forward.
So either we try to turn the cliff-edge between SL and the Championship into more of a gentle slope (it is the fear/fact that relegation almost equals death that causes the irresponsibility, to a large extent), or we guarantee SL clubs their place and cut away the, frankly tiresome, BS that takes attention away from the sport itself. Because licensing as a process is very boring and it serves no real purpose now. The punishment for having a stadium is having a stadium, for not having much money it is being skint, for not developing juniors it is having little squad depth... putting structures to scare the poor into trying to be richer - if only it were that simple. It isn't that clubs can't see the benefits.
Kick out those that can't cut it - in an ideal world fair enough, but how many'd be left. 2 or 3 that are roughly self-sustaining? another 2 or 3 with really rich backers?

The issue with 'franchising/licensing and some fans attitude towards it is simply one of communication. Its an easy enough one to overcome.

For me, the huge problem with the system as it is now is that it's a closed shop. Whether the current debate is a case of the tail wagging the dog or not there has to be a pathway for Champ, Champ 1 and new clubs to establish themselves and progress to the appropriate level in the league structure. I like the sound of Option 3 because it provides that pathway in a straightforward manner and without any "cliffs" - if a club makes it to the top 8 one season but can't hack it, it's no big deal to play in the next tier and slowly build up to a position of being able to challenge the top clubs again. Some clubs will do it, some won't - that's the way of professional sport - but all clubs have to have the chance otherwise there's nothing to play for and RL at lower levels (which are vital for the game) will largely disappear (or at least not progress as seems to be the case now).
The main concern is the sharing out of limited money. Easy - establish minimum standards by distributing it according to a formula that takes in to account;
1- league position
2 - average home attendance
3 - youth and player development
4 - community work
A nice new stadium isn't the be all and end all. If Cas can get 10000+ at WR irrespective of the state of the bogs that's what matters. Fans will vote with their feet - clubs will have to do whatever is needed or they won't get the cash and they will sink to lower, more appropriate level.

Thats all in your opinion Smokey. At present SL is a 14 team comp. Ask any fan of the british game if Cas Tigers are one of the best 13 clubs in England and worthy of a place in the elite - most will say yes they are. We are in SL on merit - the same as Salford and Widnes and Wakey.

Widnes CEO urges RFL to stick with current structure :- www.loverugbyleague.com/news_119 ... cture.html We now know how Widnes and Warrington will vote.

Widnes CEO urges RFL to stick with current structure :- www.loverugbyleague.com/news_119 ... cture.html We now know how Widnes and Warrington will vote.

Clubs whose only aim is to not quite be the worst club in SL shouldn’t be in SL, structuring the game so that these clubs can be in SL holds back the game.
How much merit really is there in Cas being one of the best 13 pro clubs in Britain when there are only 13 pro clubs in Britain? Right now there is as much merit in Cas’ place in SL as there is in being the worlds tallest dwarf.

Can the clubs vote for the current structure to remain the same or are the 3 option mentioned the only options being considered?

Gary Hetherington indicated that was the case in an interview, I saw, yep.

If they do though, it needs an end to this 3 year cycle of assessments nonsense and a separate system needs to be put in place for the semi-pro game. Like the NRL with the NSW and Queensland competitions, perhaps.

Talking of dwarfs, you are living in a fantasy world Smokey.
Of course Cas should be in the top flight as they were given a 3 year licence and are there on merit.
Yes, they are having difficulties at the moment but, they will overcome their problems at some point.

I love the fact that many people want to cut the "poorer" teams from the league but the reality is, no matter how many clubs compete in the top division, be it 10, 12, 14 or even 16, there will still be teams who cant realistically win the comp, just as there is in EVERY other pro sport in the world.
In RL, we keep searching for a magic formula that will solve everything and just as Cas may not become champions, this ain't going to happen !
Stability and a strategy to move the game forward is what are needed.