In post apolyptical World my preference would be a 14 team league based on merit obviously on the basis that its sustainable and so is the league below so that we can have a sport with jeopardy without the need for loop fixtures and convoluted structural changes every other year.

Toulouse Leigh and London would fit that model

I respect opinions, however, Would the team who get admitted to SL be relegated if they finished bottom? Or will they get exemption? If there was relegation, then Toulouse are welcome to be admitted. After saying that,if there was exemption from relegation, then Leigh never got that in 2005 & 2017 so if that's the case, then I would strongly want Leigh in. Bearing in mind,if the 11th team was relegated next season, you never know,Wire could have a bad season. Or it could be, we're alright.

Licensing, when done properly with specific minimum requirements in place, would actually make the league more equal in the long term and your 'dead rubbers' would become less frequent.

All P&R does is encourage mediocrity, as the majority of clubs just set a target of doing the bare minimum (staying up) and so begin to 'target' certain games to win, so creating those dead rubbers you mention further down the line.

Heres a specific minimum requirement I'd stipulate dont finish 12th

You ask how I compare Fev to Leigh and then you compare Toronto with Toulouse?
I would allow 2 year without relegation only because of the mess left by COVID. You correctly state your team weren’t given that luxury previously but these are very different times.

Which creates mediocrity, because half the league just target 11th.....

It's more like the teams that have just come up in the last couple of years who set the target of just staying up (and they are the ones who will probably be in the relegation battle anyway). The majority of the league chases the playoffs and the playoff race is live till quite a long way into the season.

I did,and you said - Traditional team, not sure what they would add to SL, but are you sure what Toulouse will add? Now you say give a 2 years grace because of the mess left by COVID. What as Covid got to do with it? The mess we are in was due to the phoney TWP. Iv'e nothing against Toulouse, and if they are fairly,and justifiably admitted to SL, then good luck to them. Anyway, Leigh are building a very good squad for next season,and if we are admitted to SL, or have to earn promotion, then i'm quite happy either way.

Here is our squad so far with more to come.

BACKS
Iain Thornley - re-signed for 2021
Junior Sau - re-signed for 2021
Ryan Shaw - re-signed for 2021

HALFS
Blake Wallace - New signing for 2021 from Toronto
Jamie Ellis - New signing for 2021 from Hull KR
Ryan Brierley - New signing for 2021 from Hull KR

FORWARDS
Mark Ioane - re-signed for 2021
Jordan Thompson - re-signed for 2021
Tom Spencer - re-signed for 2021
Alex Gerrard - re-signed for 2021
Nathan Mason - re-signed for 2021
Liam Hood - re-signed for 2021
Ben Hellewell - re-signed for 2021
Matty Wilde - re-signed for 2021
Adam Walker - New signing for 2021 from Salford
Matty Gee - New signing for 2021 from Hull KR
Nathaniel Peteru - New signing for 2021 from Hull KR
James Bell - New signing for 2021 from Toulouse Olympique

RUMOURS
Kristen Inu - from Salford
Matty Russell - from Toronto - Just been confirmed.
Albert Kelly - from Hull FC

Think we'll have to agree to disagree i think far more teams target a play off place

[*]

They might publicly say that, but, realistically , staying in the league and afloat is success for many.

And what's successful about getting a play off place?.. let's be honest, recent history tells us only 3 clubs can win the competition anyway. The rest are just also rans.

And you have therefore shot yourself in the foot as we aren't one of the three then why bother are we targeting 11th too

I never suggested that 9 teams are purely just trying to stay up. I said only 3 existing SL clubs have ever won the comp in 20 odd years. That's a fact.

I do believe for a good 4 or 5 sides, survival is their number one priority. They lose their SL status and they do a Widnes or Bradford, so it's little wonder they focus on just staying up.

Licensing allows that uncertainty to be taken away. Allows (properly run) clubs to lay foundations. It would likely make investing in clubs a much better proposition too and, let's face it, we need as many investors in our sport as possible right now.

You actually said that the majority so that's seven which I don't think is correct or a fact backed up by your latest proposition that you believe it might be a good four or five with survival as their number one target all of which is not the same as targeting 11th probably two or three (all conjecture of course).

Anyway this thread is actually about the 12th club for next season not specifically licencing versus P&R and given the situation that we find ourselves in that's surely worth tackling first?

The trouble for London is once a player makes a name for himself, the big boys come calling - Hendo no doubt using his influence to get Davis and Butler - which sort of goes against us putting a huge amount of effort into our academy and follow Leigh and Featherstone path and just sign up SL 'standard' players who don't have to move home, etc. Then again, back in the day we were criticised for just signing Aussies, an Aussie team, now a team of mainly academy players is seemingly not good enough. You can't win !

Thanks for a different perspective PCP. Do you believe that franchising would help London to keep hold of talent, assuming a license was awarded to them?