Which is why Hunslet and Dewsbury were denied, no? Their grounds weren't up to SL standard and so safety issues arose.

Nowhere did I mention anything about number of fans, business plans or famous fans. We're talking about P&R, not licensing. It's a totally different issue.

The top 3 divisions are national. While the third tier could do with being nationalised, to regionalise the top tier would kill it off as the standard gaps would just see teams folding all the time until there's not enough to even run one division. Likewise with some of the 2nd tier teams.

If they were to look towards merged/regional sides in the Championship for a couple of heartland regions (which I'm not convinced is the way forward, but if we're going to go with French teams in the Championship it shouldn't just be for Toulouse and it does need more teams and some kind of licensing) then the start of the Elite 1 would fall low enough for it to merge with the top half of Elite 2, and allow the bottom half of Elite 2 to join National 1 in two regionalised divisions.

I wanted to see a strong Elite 1 but that chance has gone so this may be the only way forward, but only if we can get funding for the travelling (and I guess only 2 French teams at a time to stop the travelling being too much for Championship sides)

The standards gap would be the major issue, but if you promoted another side, then like you said, the top players would gravitate towards the higher level. If you set a lower salary cap then maybe the players would spread out also (mind you, at semi-pro level the salary cap is pretty hard to police).

Regional sides could be a way to go, but would they be supported? Catalans are an example of a successful merged side. What other clubs/regions could even be considered to have that sort of potential? Aude seems to have gone quiet now,

Interesting that on a pro-expansion thread neither Smokey TA nor Dally are anywhere to be seen despite claiming to care about expansion

Capéur le flatté

what would you like me to say?

there are no current amateur clubs in a position to make the step up

any other club would simply be picked from thin air, and whilst its nice to think about clubs in these places, if no one wants to fund them they dont exist

Not your view when it comes to SL, where you fabour magicking clubs, so you seem to take my position here.

which clubs have i magicked? the Toulouse one? the Paris one?

someone should really speak to Bernard and Carlos, those crazy cats are better than david blaine

Jesus - you're on Centre Court and Court No 1 ?

I'm told that you're THE expert in wrist "sports"

Here too??
Cant TA Bowes and Starbug get a room and 'beat' out their differences?

There's a UFC type caged fight being organised as we speak. Leaguefreak and Dally M are on the undercard too.