In fairness it's taken many years at Fulham/London/Quins but it does seem they are working very hard to grow the game in the capital and develop a few local players. Perhaps the RL think if they give it 30 years with Crusaders then they may bring 2 or 3 local lads through?

Fair point well made

Personally I don't really have an issue with 'expansion' as an aim but just the desperation for it to be in Super League and that's what seem's to cause most problems!

Widnes can run a full academy in Champ, so not too hard and wouldn't begrudge RFL helping in lower leagues too.

Was thinking internationally, PNG 4th best side in World? Never had a Pro RL club! NZ World Champions... only have one!

So is it as desperate as we / RFL like to make out?

Wakefield are going to lose the licence 100% Poor Stadium and they recently went into administration, they WILL be replaced with Widnes because of their strong academy and quality of stadia.

But the RFL need to wake up and stop letting Crusaders,Harlequins and Catalan Dragons have as many overseas players as they want.

Why should they be allowed to bend the rules for those 3 clubs its a joke. Its a huge disadvantage for all the other clubs.

Play by the rules or get out the league!

The RFL are like the British Government one day was great, now gives everything to everyone else!

You can see how far Salford have come along because a debate about should Salford have a franchise no longer has somebody saying "they need to change their name to MANCHESTER"

I, to be honest, am concerned but not worried: Wakefield have dug a hole and (imo) saved us. The new stadium, in which we are to be paying guests remember, and our work in Manchester should save us. Against this is our history in that we have not set the leagues alight (whereas Wakey have) or made the needed progress year on year (as Cas have).

Strangely our fine finanacial status and record will not be seen as important as it should: it sems that all sports clubs are expected to live beyond their means.

My main worry is the looming links with Peel and with Sale: both are predators of the nastiest type.

Speculation on the Wakey board is that 2 championship clubs are coming up.

I know that's probably not true but its apparently doing the rounds amongst certain jounalists

Harlequins have been in existence 30 years, and have 6 overseas players in their squad this year.

Catalans have been in existence 6 years, and have 6 overseas players in their squad this year.

Crusaders have been in existence 6 years, and have 12 overseas players in their squad this year.

We've been in existence over 100 years, and have 7 overseas players in the squad, and it would have been 9 if the Leo Latu deal hadn't fallen through and if Bailey hadn't retired.

The RFL need to wake up and stop letting us sign as many overseas players as we want. Why should we be allowed to bend the rules? It's a joke. It's a huge disadvantage for all the other clubs.

Play by the rules or get out the league!

Depending on how you judge this, Hull KR have 10, Wigan have 8, Hull FC have 7 and most others have six in one way or another.

I don't want to appear a smart a*se here but both Catalans and Harlequins have at least 8 (not 6) non French/British born players to my reckoning.

Who are the 8 Harlequins players you are taking exception with?

I'm not all I'm saying is Quins have 8 non british born players to my knowledge. Dorn, Bailey, Randall, Temata, Howell, Krasniqi, Kouparitsas and Bryan. I don't have a problem with it I was just correcting a previous poster who said they had 6. And before you go to the trouble of explaining that some don't count on the quota I know.

I'm not disagreeing with anything you say, butIt could be said part of McRae's failing as our head coach was his old school method of finding an experienced Aussie to plug the gap.

It's very easy to criticise some of the recent signings but have you considered how difficult it must be to attract certain players to the Willows at this present time. I'm sure the club are very ambitious in who they approach but that's the easy part. Let's be honest the club aren't going to make it public knowledge who and how many turned them down. We only got Luke Patten because of DJ!

Let's hope Salford will be a much more attractive proposition if we can gain some momentum in the new stadium.