This time next week, bottoms will be twitching up and down Rugby League land as the RFL announces who has been successful in securing a Super League licence for 2009-2011. Looking at other teams boards, and, in particular, those who are close but not certain to either getting one or not, paranoia is setting in as the date moves closer.

Assuming the incumbents get in:

Wire - Saints - Wigan - Leeds - Bradford - Catalan - Huddersfield - Quins - Hull FC - Hull KR - Wakefield - Castleford

Who do you reckon will get the other spots? Surely 2 from 3:

Salford - widnes - Celtic

I'd go for Salford and widnes. Just. But I could be swayed. I'd be interested to hear from some of our more famous forumistas

Wire 71 - will his egalitarian tendencies affect his judgment?
WOTT - is it all just bandwagon jumping?
Sally - can he give a straight answer or do we have to believe the opposite of what he posts?
Cockney - will his 30k a year IT mean he plumps for the rich french team?
St Maca - is he gay?*

What do people reckon?

*probably. And fair play to him for that.

A week ago I'd have said Celtic and Salford. I now think Widnes will force out Celtic. I'd like it to be Fax and Fev.

Wire
Leeds
Saints
Wigan
Bulls
Hull
HKR
Cats
Quins
Huddersfield
Wakey
Widnes
Celtic
Salfrod

Cas to miss out on basis of (a) poor ground with no redevlopment plans concrete & (b) what they have brought to the comp in recent years - think Wakey just edge above them in stakes of being competitive in last 5 years.

Great stuff

I'd like to find a way to get Celtic in but I can't justify leaving Salford or widnes out to let them in. Yet.

Having said that, widnes' insolvency will count against them and the apparent uncertainty surrounding Salford's ground (real or imagined, but there are some confusing messages knocking about) may hamper them.

Who's in then? Colours to the mast time.*

*about franchises, not St Maca

i dont care aslong as celtic dont get in that would just prove what a joke the rfl are

The one's we have at the moment plus Widnes and Salford.

That's what the neanderthals said about Catalan.

Everyone already in Super League will get a franchise and it's most likely to be Salford and Widnes.

true but still it shouldnt happen

its a bad decision to go to 14 teams, if we are going to beat the Aussies we need a higher quality competition, not diluting the comp by adding two extra teams to lounge around the bottom of the table, but I could be wrong maybe Salford and Widnes coming back will give us the extra edge we need to make SL like the NRL

I don't think all twelve current SL clubs are secure in their bids, and I expect at least one (if I had to bet my money would be on Cas) to miss out. This would leave three spare places, one of which I believe will go to South Wales leaving two places up for grabs.

IMO Edinburgh Magic Fixtures to be...

Wigan - Saints
Hull - Hull KR
Leeds - Bradford
Wire - Wierdness
Huddersfield - Wakefield
London - Catalan
Salford - Celtic Crusaders

Change of structure to fixtures next year ... no derbies ... 7 teams seeded and then the other 7 drawn out of a hat to see who plays them.

It's highly unlikely that any current SL club will be dropped and the Magic fixtures aren't going to be derbies but based on final league position.