Whether they should be or not is irrelevant at this point. The rules, as have been stated (if you believe the sources and statements of the RFL) say that TO will have to obey the same rules as everyone else, and would make a mockery of the system if a team that has met the required criteria would miss out (or a SL team be chucked out) if a team hasn't met these objectives.

I agree that clubs outside the North West and Yorkshire regions should be under different criteria due to the differing challenges these clubs face (attracting players, sponsors, fans, media attention, etc). But I am totally against changing rules in the middle of a stated period. If they want to change the rules, they have to do it after the next franchise period,

this would only be the case if you misunderstood the rules regarding franchises and criteria

not wanting to go through all this again, but franchising isnt a box ticking excercise, it never was and was never advertised as such

The game and it's systems have totally changed over 90 years, so it is pointless using the time frame to show why something today under the modern system with the advantages we have now couldn't work. Differing media systems, differing seasons, differing levels of professionalism, differing numbers of amateur clubs in areas, etc.
If you want to use that argument, then you have to look at the number of [isuccessful[/i clubs that have come from the top down system.

The way our leagues are do not reward or even help best develop clubs that want to work from bottom up, which is why its success rate has been very slow since the introduction of the RLC. There is no continuous path; rather a staggered and blocked path that makes progression difficult or near enough impossible. The Crusaders aren't an exact example of bottom up progression, but the amateur base was set before they started. It's probably the nearest you'll get under the current set up.

The rules and set up basically make bottom up expansion an almost impossible task. Saying that, the new rules make top-down expansion just as difficult. The RFL, in all their wisdom, have tried to make a system that is a bit of each and made it crap both ways if they want to encourage expansion. There needs to be a SERIOUS look into club development at the RFL to help clubs progress to a more professional set-up, and at the same time needs to be a clear criteria set to anyone wanting to make the plunge on a top-down set-up (i.e. capital up front, plans for progression, etc,) as they will cleary be on a different set of rules to everyone else.

It's daft to expect everyone to sing off the same hymm sheet when in reality these clubs aren't all going to be the same "religion" let alone go to the same church. I think the RFL know what they want, but just don't know how to go about setting it up fairly and without p*ssing off and confusing everyone!

In the case of actually being allowed to apply for SL in 2012, it pretty much was advertised as a "you have to get to a GF or win the NRC or you won't be able to apply" box ticking exercise.

And RL's main media output, Sky, seemed convinced it was all a box ticking exercise from day one. Not saying it is or it isn't here, but you'd have thought the RFL's press officer or media officer or whatever would have had a word or made a statement if a major media outlet was misinforming their supporters?

Well, we've been told by the RFL countless times that any prospective SL club has to tick the box of reaching a final.

they wont stop Paris from being in SL if they want too.

the meetings Richard Lewis is having with the backers of the club are clearly about a SL franchise, not an NL1 team. so clearly the rules dont apply.

if they dont apply to paris they shouldnt apply to toulose either

If they don't apply to Paris, why should they apply to any other club? And if they don't apply to any other club, what is the point in having rules?

I suppose if you could get the french tv to stump up the money. If you could guarentee that then it would be a good idea.

Toulouse, Paris, Barrow in. 1 West Yorkshire team out then

?

Why?

There's a world of difference between the two - just because they are in the same country doesn't mean they have to be treated the same. Each one should be judged on its merits.

Stade Francais have gone from being a club watched by a couple of hundred expat southerners, in a city with little rugby interest, to being the worlds richest rugby club. They should be the poster boy for expansion teams. They have extremely wealthy owners, some very high profile fans (Jacques Chirac for example) & lots of government connections. *If* they put in a *serious* bid, the RFL would be nuts to turn them away IMO, provided they get some guarantees about the longevity of the commitment. If a London premiership football club came to the RFL and said "£5 million a year isn't very much, we want a team", the same arguments would apply.

Obviously there's potential problems with enforcing the salary cap on them and issues with them hiring away a bunch of top players from the NRL. Maybe there's a case for making them join the championship for a year first, to sort out travel and other operational things, but it seems a bit pointless/unfair to have an operation with a playing budget (for RU) which is more than 10 times the salary cap in the NRL or SL competing with say Keighley or Batley?

Toulouse is (currently) a championship sized club, with championship sized revenues and a couple of previous failed SL bids. They finished in a relegation position this year and with fewer imports next year, it's hard to see how that is going to improve in 2010. Unless they can show that there'll be millions of euros extra funding available from local government if they go up, it's hard to make an on-field or financial argument for them to be treated as a special case.

Chances are, nothing will come of it, but it would be crazy just to reject it out of hand.

how would paris go if they played in the championship this year?

the RFL are showing that they can bend the rules when they see fit

Not very well , considering they dont have a team