Be careful, give it 6 months and Betts will be claiming it as a coaching triumph after finally inspiring [isomeone[/i to play well

Isn't it bloody typical tho. I go away and miss the game of the season when we click all across the park!!
Still, 3 to go............ I am not counting any chickens!!

Featherstone had the chance to apply for a franchise/licence but didn't so you can't complain about Widnes wining first prize when you don't buy a ticket

well, yes you can Fred. Fev would not have met the criteria for SL under the current perameters set by the RFL, so there was little point in spending time, money and effort that could be re-directed elsewhere on a pointless exercise. I couldn't understand why Dez bothered with it at Barrow. It was never going to work.
It's the whole ethos of the game that supports mediocrity above performance that is wrong in the game, but you know that Fred.
Fax should have gone up last term, but I'm an avid supporter of the P&R option for the winning Grand finalist.
The game has neither transparency or integrity in my opinion at the mo Fred.
We all knew widnes we're a "shoe in", and so it transpired. The RFL/SL are able to more or less do as they like.
But either way, a result as definate as last night at this end of the season is encouraging to say the least - regardless of the politics.

Robin the facts still are that Fev didn't apply so it matters not where any persons thoughts are, we all know that licencing/franchising works in other sports and should have been introduced 16 years ago properly on a regional basis but clubs were so stuck in their ways that the only way it could be decided was the top teams AT THE TIME plus London and Paris were put into SL, now if it had happened maybe 20 years before that the make up of the league would have been different, but alas it didn't so we are stuck with it.
I also think the system is flawed but one cant get away with the fact If you don't/can't apply then you can't get in, thats the only point I was making.
Widnes are an above average side that are poorly coached and led, they raised their game against us (local derby and all that) and ran us closer than they did in the past, not taking anything away from Fevs performance at all as I have not seen it as yet - but our Dave was there and said whilst yes Fev were good Widnes were awful and from what he saw it would appear that the Widnes coaching staff either had not viewed any Fev vids or else completely ignored them, as Fev are a team rather like us they play as a team perhaps not having the best individual players in the league but one of the best UNIT's and play to a well structured and executed game plan that changes little from game to game but do have the odd individual who can do that 'little special thing'.

Good luck to Widnes I hope they succeed but will have to recruit a lot wiser than they have seemed to have done so far and a change of coaching staff would, benefit them immensely, but lets not shout that too loudly as they may well 'nick' ours or yours that is if ours doesn't get the Cas or Wakey job something I'm surprised Powell has not been linked with TBH.