I'd suggest the opposite , after 2/3 years you'd have changed your tune , unless you want us to be the northern version of Quins without a millionaire backing us

yes, thats the idea... thats why reducing the number of teams is the best way to improve the quality of superleague, and hopefully our national team.

There currently arent enough SL standard players for 14 teams.... its going to be even worse with 15/16 teams.

I think what clubs like Wakefield have proved over the past few years is that there are an awful lot of players in SL and Championship squads who aren't getting the opportunity to play first grade rugby and that if they're given the chance to do this and train full time, they can be succesful.

Look at Wire and the calibre of players that they're loaning out at the moment. Look at how Wigan got shut of Brown and Robinson all those years ago and how they're the backbone of Huddersfield now.

I think there is an awful lot of talent knocking about, enough to sustain an additional two teams. Your top elite are always going to play for the biggest club, its inevitable, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for anyone else. Also, having more clubs with strong academy set ups means that they'll eventually start to produce their own talent. This takes a bit of time, but we're seeing the benefits across the board in SL at the moment.

Event though the last time Great Britain was the dominant nation was when there more than 30 teams in one league?

Oh... i didnt know that.... that changes everything.

lets just merge superleague and the championship then.... problem solved...... we will soon be beating the aussies again.

Ooooo go on tell us what these issues are then?

Sides like Quins and Crusaders weaken the concept of SL enough.

When you look at clubs like Leigh and Halifax and see how average they are we certainly don't want another poor quality side in SL thank you.

£1.2m versus £100,000
Stephen Hawkins IQ 165 versus your IQ of 34

How are Fax and Leigh not competing?
How are you not a professor?

Yet those are the reasons Leigh arent likely to get a franchise.

its a very contradictory standpoint for you to say franchising is wrong because it takes the prospect of promotion away from clubs like Leigh, but if Leigh were to be promoted they wouldnt be successful anyway.

If Leigh cant function in SL, then the fact franchising is keeping them out of SL is a good thing, and a system which allows them into SL is a bad thing.

The obvious answer to what you are saying, is there is a balance that needs to be struck. We need to keep expanding the league to give the pathways to young players to expand the player pool, conversely expanding the too far will dilute the quality

Im of the belief that the league should at the moment, be slightly bigger than the player pool will support. It gives us the impetus to increase it and I dont think we are that far away from supporting 14 teams, which in effect is actually only 11 teams (quins, crusaders, and Les Catalans have a special focus on their on providing a pathway for a developing player pool)

I think we are about right at the moment, but I think we are a long long way away from being able to support any more heartland sides from this player pool.

I think the proposed expansion of the championships is a good way of providing a broader base for the RL pyramid

It's all about the odds , posters like yourselves suggest that a club can come up after having a mediocre couple of seasons on pitch in the Championship and build in SL

I would suggest that unless your are coming up with a momentum of playing well and winning a league competition ( I prefer the win the league situtaion rather than the ' win one game ' scenario ) you are less likely to be competitive from the start , and that has been proved to be preferable in the past

However if you are not able to make the improvement enough to avoid a bottom finish then perhaps a season against lower opposition will allow you to build stronger the next time

Would 17 teams work?

I have stated in the past that the criteria for application is too low in my opinion , however I have also stated that the RFL are completely out of tune with what is required to improve the Championships , they haven't a clue what the clubs really need , it is pointless a club entering SL with 3 years guaranteed unless they can draw at least 4,000 attendances in the Championship , it is that mainly which has got Widnes a place this time

However there is then the other side of the coin , any SL club that isn't sustainable without massive owner input should be under real pressure from the RFL , or any club that isn't pulling in 8/9,000 fans is not a SL club , but just a Championship club who got lucky

If you are going to have a ' Super ' league , at least have it genuinely ' Super '