I think we all agree that certain clubs havent a hope in hell of being promoted under franchising. That is a good thing, some clubs arent ready, some arent capable, promoting them on the basis of a run of form, or a bounce of a ball, has proved time and time again, disastrous for the long term stability of not only the sport as a whole but they individual clubs themselves.

These faceless people want the best clubs in SL, thats how they pick them, they pick the 14 best. Thats what we all want isnt it, the best clubs in the biggest league?

What an interesting concept of "best" these "faceless people" must have. To be fair, they do have a sense of humour.

Is it?

even knowing what has happened with Bradford, is it really that unbelievable that they were still a better bet than Halifax?

The fact of RL in this country is that we have sects.
1. Wigan, Saints, Hull, Leeds, Wire - Great stadia (Leeds is ok), 10k+ fanbase, great sponsorship/commercial income, Bradford used to be in this catagory 5 years ago.
2. Hudds, London - have the backing but struggle for fans
3. Salford, HKR, Cas, Wakey, Widnes - make up the numbers, struggle for income and will never hit 10k gates

The Latter are in the same boat as the Fev's, Leigh and Fax - so why exclude them?

because the aim is to have fewer of the third option not just to keep rotating them.

And the question isnt why exclude them, its why include them?

Depends if other clubs mind the RFL shunting £1.2m their way, or paying their player wages for 2 months on the bounce. So long as clubs like Leeds and Warrington extend the charitable hand and if the rest of SL can support a crippled bankrupt club who have not one iota of financial sense then they're welcome to it. Bradford (and Huddersfield) have done a marvellous job in cheapening Super League - long may it continue. Any current Halifax director who hasn't got a bottomless pocket must want his head testing if he still wants to take the club into SL. Wakefield, Crusaders and flagship club Bradford have shown that you can't support a competitive team in SL with buttons. No doubt other SL clubs will empty their financial bowels in the next two years.

What Smokey is saying is: why dilute a league with crap in it with even more of the same crap? Why indeed? As has been pointed out before, licensing does not pick 14 outstanding clubs immune from meltdown - it merely picks the best available 14. What Crusaders, Wakefield and Bradford have shown is that almost a quarter of clubs in SL shouldn't really be there but the rest of the field competing to also get in are just as crap or worse.

Oh Smokey, I really shouldn’t have replied to your previous post, however sometimes, I can’t help myself.

Whilst your view is valid, remember, it’s just a view.

Your judgement of the game is clouded due to your position on high, however, their may be salvation

.

Let your mind drift to your 1st love, maybe 2nd – not sure, you know, L.U.F.C.

How would you feel if their promotion to the Premier League was based, on the whole, by checklists & ratified by people in suits.

Or would you rather feel the elation of your team finishing in a promotion place or win the play-offs to gain entry into the ‘Bullingdon Club’?

It should be. We (lufc) made massive mistakes and were run terribly for a while. Promotion and Relegation made the consequences of those mistakes much much worse.

If we are to ever challenge again then we need the stability of a licence or the deep deep pockets of a very rich investor to buy us that stability or we will just repeat the same rise and fall.

Bit harsh on HKR to be put in cat3. We avg 8k and with ground improvements will have opportunity to increase that, have financial backers willing to cover income shortfall and have been regular playoff team.

Realistically what is the teams aim for the season? Win the GF or get into the play offs? Making improvements doesn't mean it IS of the calibre of the DW, HJ, Galpharm etc it COULD be after the improvements. Fair assesment to me.

Yep getting into the playoffs and keep improving on and off the field. What every club should be aiming for. Only a few will ever win a cup, especially with the "flexible" salary cap we have in SL. To suggest those teams that can't win a cup are a waste of time being in SL is laughable.

You mean like Rovers did?

Youve been in oz for too long, like HKR we all lose out to SL clubs for the best juniors, crowds are dropping off and sponsors just tell us to come back when we are ' in '