That bitterness runs that deep after all these years? Not sure what we've done to offend anyone over the last 5 years.

It's moments like this where I feel the likes of Wire, Saints, Wigan, Leeds, the RFL, Super League and Sky have an obligation to help out. I'm not suggesting they buy the club, but just support it at an appropriate level until a new owner can be found and help avoid the demise of the club. Split between 10 or so parties it really wouldn't require a lot of money.

It's a worrying sign for the sport that a club like Widnes can end up here. They've had the Sky money covering their player costs for years, brought the parachute payment down with them and still couldn't operate. It makes you wonder just how many clubs in the sport in this country are on the edge.

I think if the RFL is allowed to continue to degrade the sport, we'll be semi pro in 10 years from now and not far off fully amateur after that.

Licensing needs to come back and there needs to be a very thorough 'proper person' test on the owners and senior management. Scandalous that James Rule was allowed to be involved at Widnes. There should be a proper audit of funds to ensure the club isn't in doubt.

The cap is clearly an issue for the sport. Whilst there are one or two clubs who could benefit from that and bring a level of PR to the sport with big signings, it would only increase the pressure. The likes of Wakefield, Cas, Salford, Huddersfield and Hull KR would be cut off with an enormous gap in spending to some of the other clubs. There would be inflation of salaries across the board if the top clubs were spending a lot more and we'd see a lot more clubs go to the wall. A moderate cap increase linked to genuine commercial income is something they should look at. Exempting players produced by the club's own academy is another area they should look at.

The reality is the sport is in huge trouble. The next Sky TV deal may just see the return of semi pro for some clubs. Failure to attract new fans, falling attendances, sanitized and boring on field performances. Nigel wood precided over a period where we needed imagination, ambition and drive but we got him instead.

Exempting academy players from the cap could make matters worse. The richest clubs already have the best academies and would just have even more cap space to steal all the best players.

Nothing personal to you Saddo.
You're alright. You can be a Wire.

I'd be happy to see Wire run as a partner to Chemics and supply most of the team running it as a feeder club with a stronger link than just a duel registration like with Rochdale.

I'd be tempted to watch Widnes if we were a heavily involved partner/sugar daddy with so many Wire players running out for them.

Nigel Woods salary would have kept Widnes in SL never mind out of administration!

Sorry but it's a NO from me as in simple terms I can't stand Widnes in a pantomime villain sense.

However, I'm not overly happy about their plight as it weakens the game as a whole and we need strong rivalries but tempted to watch them? I'd sooner book myself in for root canal work I didn't need and without anesthetic.

Don't disagree Duckie but he was not responsible for clubs being run badly. It might appear that any 'fit and proper test' would lead to a number of clubs going by the way side as it was probably the only person offering to take over eg Bradford and unfortunately Widnes

Hopefully Widnes will come back at some point

They'll need to strip back like Leigh did.

There's an old saying about rugby league in that it's a professional sport run by amateurs.........never more true than in this case

If Widnes can be saved or reincarnated in any way through us using them as a Dual Reg partner I’d gladly support it.

Not sure if they would have the income to pay for the rent on the stadium though. More likely end up at one of the bigger amateur club grounds, which is a shame as there’s a decent championship size hardcore fan base there. Shame the council can’t help them out a bit with lower rents but then the taxpayers rightly would question that. Remember what WBC did for us and the backlash?

As ever in these situations the players will end up ok. RFL will allow other clubs to sign them off cap, it’s the poor support staff that keep the organisation running and being honest are probably more dedicated to the club who are the biggest losers.

Surely Marwan should step in here and wrap up Widnes into his vision for a Merseyside RL club.

Above sentiment aside, is there any players you would bring across? I liked the look of Craven.

Nailed.
I take no pleasure in Widnes' demise (well, apart from that whopper who comes on here, boring us about a 30 year old match). Office workers, backroom staff etc may lose their jobs. Players will simply move to another club, on (I imagine) a similar contract. Situations like this, have a serious"knock on effect" for families.

I have a friend, a good few years older than me, and he's a proud Widnesian (I know, a Widnesian friend, eurrrgh), and this situation upsets him, greatly. He's also a successful business man, who was in direct competition (until he sold out to a multi national) to a recent Widnes board member (I shall mention no names, obviously) and he tells me of the kind of "person" this man was. I won't repeat it here, as it would break the swear filter. Which brings me on to my next point.

Fit and proper persons
Look around us in sport.
20 miles away. Bolton. Only a few years ago, they were Premier League stalwarts. Now look at them. Can't pay staff wages. Chairman HATED by its fans.
Likewise Blackpool (only 1 year in PL). Rumours abound about Coventry City being up the creek. There's countless others. Newcastle. What a joker Mike Ashley is. My own team, Manchester City, only 12 years ago, was owned by a corrupt Thai politician, who wanted to previously buy Liverpool. The way sports clubs are ran (at times) is disgraceful. Greedy chairman, "trousering" huge sums of money, with a negligible amount going back into the club.

So, no Saddened. Us, Saints, Wigan, Sky , should NOT be helping Widnes out. They are business men (successful ones, I may add). They NEED to use their club as MORE THAN playthings. Every professional sports club MUST have a self generated "slush fund" to prevent administration, BEFORE they go breaking the bank, on superstar players. They come and go. Clubs are here for decades, and are q cornerstone for a community.

I hope Widnes (and other clubs in peril, Leigh etc) survive this.

There but for SJM Holdings, go we.

We should include Stuart Middleton, who has heavily supported the club financially, and is, fortunately for us all, first-and-foremost a passionate Wire supporter.

Most of the players will be ok. I think one of the players is out for four months. This now leaves him without a pay packet and not sure about ongoing medical treatment?

Hopefully they can rebuild from this, they always punch above their weight in terms of youth development and are potentially a very good Championship team.

Great post v well put sir !