It will be an outrage if they met in the challenge cup though!

What do you mean by 'big enough'?? How 'big' would Hudds, Wakey, Celtics or Quins be in The Championship ???

We got a bigger crowd for our CC game vs Wigan than Wakey did vs Wigan (larger by some 1,500 - and probably less Wigan fans at Barrow as well!).

If a Super League license was granted to Barrow things would take-off big time. RL is the big sport in South Cumbria and the Raiders have a catchment of 100,000+.

Everyone and his dog (yes, including Fax) thinks they deserve a SL license these days and the arguments will carry on ad infinitum. One good idea would be to promote whoever finished at the top of the Championship and relegate whoever finished bottom of SL - dead simple, no argument.

Ah well, I guess such a radical and groundbreaking idea could never catch on in RL. In other sports? Maybe.

No Fax apparently a 'heartland' club. I suppose I mean the clubs that want to run before they can walk and get shoe horned in to SL on geographical positioning.

A mindlessly stupid idea. The relegated side either gets allowed to exceed the NL1 quota by a long shot due to being a better supported club, so go back up, or their extra support counts for nothing and it's a random chance of making it back to SL - meaning that a well developed club will possibly suffer.
The Nl1 team that gets promoted will have less time and money to compete and will be odds on to go back down.
Utter waste of time and money. We are well rid.

IF the Championship raises its level to much closer to SL then we could consider re-instating p&r, but the current gap between the comps is too big.

If any of the Cumbrian clubs could get strong enough we have a system where they can apply. Realistically it ain't going to happen as there isn't the population, corporate support or stadia and never will be due to the small geographically diverse towns. What the RFL needs to do is relaise that Cumbria is a hotbed for Rl and historically a producer of top talent and find ways to support the game in the county, especially at a JNr level. Maybe a link up between SL clubs liek Warrington and parts of Cumbria?

OK then. Why not give the promoted team 2 or 3 years to prepare for SL, then give them 3 years immunity from relegation and then give them a 3 year license. Oh no, sorry, you have to be French to get that under the guise of helping the game in France but then allowing them to fill the team with Aussies so how the hell does that help the French game?

Anyway, this argument has been done to death so we'll just have to agree to differ but you'll never convince me that you have the good of RL at heart and not just self-interest.

not on the showing of fax at cas, and dont say it was a one-off some of our play in that game was like watching brazil

I really do get sick of these threads. What's the population of London/Harlequinns Region? Not somewhere that should be accepting of under 10,000 crowds. Bridgend's figures? We'll never know what the crowds would be until a team got in to SL and had 3 years to build would we?

Corporate Support? THE ENREGY COAST. Read new nuclear power plants etc and all the money coming into West Cumbria. I'll get a link later.

Stadia? Well we keep getting told about havens new stadium year in year out and also Workingtons plans and in the near future I wouldn't bet against one of them getting it. It seems that the council run haven board are more interested in a new stadium than a quality side at present which is why we're being forced into using our youth players. Gregg McNally etc. I'll admit it has benefitted our youth team immensely.

Barrow at present are the best placed team however they need to up their stadium too.

One final thing. Why should a county that has the potential to give the country quality players settle for a 'link up' with a SL team? Go on pedants let rip.

Before any locals attack me this is just my view having lived in the area for over 15 years and is not a criticism of anybody involved.
In Cumbria the way corporate support is given to clubs is different to many other areas and is more akin to pre super league. As the players are semi pro. they work and the work in the area is very well paid compared to comparable jobs in Lancs. and Yorkshire. This is due to the perceived danger of working in the local industries (steel and chemical plants (although they are shut or shutting) and nuclear). If a player signs local semi pro. he will normally work directly or in a supporting company to these industries. There is no doubt they are looked on favourably to help get this employment. They are then in a cycle that it is not worth turning full time as its good money for 10 years or good money 40 years. It’s a no brainer. Some choose not to even go semi pro. as its not worth it.
I don't see an answer to it unless someone pumps real big money in directly to the clubs as Sky did for SL but then it would need to be a larger amount to kick start it. As was said before money is needed for the stadia also and the infrastructure.
Having said all the above now is possibly the best chance to get it started with the monies that will be pumped into the area if the energy coast development happens. It probably just needs a real good forward thinking organiser (with the cash) to make it happen.

As I say mate I would call myself a Cumbrian no doubt but ask a Barrovian over 60 if he is from Cumbria or Lancs he will probably say Lancs

In all fairness Starbug, its not about the last 5 years If it was I would agree, 'haven are best placed. Its about the next 5 and on that there is no doubt that Barrow are the Cumbrian RL side on the up.

Other than that your about cock on.