Quote: The All New Chester Wire "It doesn't bode well for Widnes's next licence application.'"
Why ?
How many points do you think the North Wales Crusaders score at present under the super league franchise system and compare that to Widnes ?
Licence criteria
Stage two of the licence decision process saw the clubs allocated the points used to decide licence grades according to their strength in several areas.
Facilities
Teams will get one point for having a stadium with a capacity of 12,000 or more. Another point will be awarded if the ground meets the standards of a premier competition in the 21st century.
Attendances
A point will be awarded to clubs with an average attendance of around 10,000 spectators. Another point will be awarded if stadiums are operating at 40 per cent capacity.
Finances
Teams will receive a point if they are solvent. Another point will be awarded if their turnover is more than £4 million.
Player strength
Teams earn one point if they are considered to have made a contribution to the competition - that means averaging a place in the top eight over each of the last three seasons. Another point is available to clubs who make a contribution to home-grown player development. That means at least eight members of a first-team squad of 25 should be discovered, trained and developed in the team's home country (United Kingdom or France).
Salary cap
One point is on offer to teams who have not committed a major breach of the salary cap in the last three seasons.
Geographical expansion
The final point goes to clubs who do not have another rugby league club within a 20-mile radius.
Total score
The scores attained by each club (out of ten) are translated into a Licence grading.
8 or more points - A licence
5-7 points - B licence
4 points or less - C licence
Sky Sports report that it is believed teams who achieve an A or B Licence will be awarded a place in Super League, while those who achieve a C Licence will undergo further scrutiny before the RFL decide who makes the final cut.