Saints and Salford will have part built stadia by this time next year , it will be plain to see , there will be steelwork and concrete , but both will struggle to be finished for feb 2012

Cas and Wakey ? , Who knows if they will even have started but one thing is certain , they need to build them no matter what or where they end up , it cannot be a , no SL , no stadium situaton

Wakefield have already said that Newmarket will not be ready for the start of the 2012 season and will be ready in April/May.... so that means they should stop and not bother then? The fact that in the next few weeks they could be (and I say only could be) in a position to confirm everything and get legally binding contracts in place AND start work on site prior to the formal announcement/decision should now count for nothing now then?

Ok, now I am being overly sarcastic but the point I am making is they have to give all the clubs right up to the deadline to get things sorted. If they don't they are pre-judging things. But also they do want to be sure that if contracts and deals are done that they are water-tight. The issue with the current SL clubs is that if they have indeed committed to contracts for new builds then you really have got to keep them in SL, it is a harsh reality but if you don't you are going to most probably send them to the wall!

Yorkcourt are not going to build empty units BTW, they will only build them when they have tenants for them. Colin Mackie of Yorkcourt has said in the Wakefield Express this morning that he expects the site to take 7 years to fill. Developers like this are in it for the long hall but they know you need to spend money to make money and they will probably still retain ownership of the land for the ground anyway!

I see where youre coming from,but i also see a slight dilemma.

Wakefield have already announced that they wont be at Belle Vue in 2012.

Come what may next season is the last at Belle Vue.

So if they do have a subsequent plan to play out of Oakwell while building is complete,i dont see how the RFL would have any option but to assess their facilities based on Oakwell.

I agree with Starbug (but I did take a few liberties with his punctuation to ease the shock).

Savilles will do as professional a job as possible to establish whether a stadium will be ready for Feb 2012. The RFL are behaving professionally by getting advice from specialists. Using Savilles reduces the likelihood of clubs playing fast and loose. It makes it even harder for them to cry foul after the decisions in July 2011.

Whether they use spcialists or not some people are desperate to bag the RFL.

Unfortunately it's not that simple. Oakwell is not a long term option.

100% agree. Anyone who takes that attitude should be booted out IMO. RL needs teams who will use the SKY & RFL money to make the competition stronger at club and international level. All these clubs who live on that money to pay off various debts etc are in effect just a drain on our debt. Personally I really can't believe after 12 years or so Wakey haven't grew much further as a club despite the money and have what one playoff win, one cup semi to show for it on the pitch? Cone on that ain't right surely? If you can't afford to be in SL (sane for us in 2007 btw) then why not let someone else have a go why you take a few years in Championship? What they should if done with Crusaders and tbh Quins now too.

It's hard to stay competitive and develop in SL so drop down sort stadium & set up then come back much stronger.

You are spot on mate and if they don't make it in time then they will have to go down and do it the hard way like those clubs. Also, don't think I don't think that they deserve a place in SL because they may well do, but the point is here, is that the RFL have given them a deadline and made the new stadia the no 1 issue. If they do get started before the RFL deadline and Savills are convinced they are as water-tight as possible can you not see that they have to be allowed into SL.

I agree that Widnes and maybe Leigh should have got in last time but that was then and this is now. I don't support any of these clubs but not to allow them to at least try and get themselves sorted and if they do, turn them down because they are going to be 6 months late would be madness.

And the clubs also should be in it for the long haul , and if some of that includes playing in the Championship and having to prove themselves as fit for SL , so be it

I agree its not simple.

But if people dont want a club to be assessed on a stadia that might/might not be ready and as in Wakefields case,they wont be at their current home -- what can they assess their facilities on?

All the stadium criteria is madness , but if you have it , you have to have a cut off date , that cut off date last time was the decision date , it shpould be the same again , tough call i know , but somewhere you have to draw a line

They score nil