Franchising for any sport in the UK willl never be accepted.





RL after the new criteria is as good as ended pro RL so quickly it was inevitable.

You should be a comedian

In response to the original title of this thread, as much as I hate to say it, I'm not sure that interest levels, attendances and revenue outside SL justify pro-RL and the RFL are not entirely to blame for that.

I just know if there are enough fans or enough investors to fund more than about 15 pro-RL clubs in this country??

The RFL should NOT be able to change rules when it suits them though which is what they have done ,how can it be fair to be given a set of regulations to get into the top flight ,the clubs spend x amount of pounds adhering to the said rules and then just just before the play offs they drop this bomb shell ,how do you expect people to respond ?embrace it and slap the RFL on the back and say well done we fully understand and know exactly where your coming from.The RFL are wrong in what they have done ,they have just sh@t on all the lower clubs from a great height.

And not one of mine quoted. I am thnking you agree with me.

Much as breaking away from the confines of the RFL and messrs Wood and Lewis [ and Hetherington , as he has far too much influence at Red Hall for comfort ] would please me

It really is a non starter , the infrastructure provided by the RFL is vital , we really couldn't finance a totally new competition with the legalitys involved and things like referees and sponsorship/TV deals

It quite simply isn't going to happen , it would be a disaster [ only way would be for somebody to have some serious cash to finance it , 20 million would just about do it ]

However , that is not to say that the clubs cannot start to take control of their future , they can , it does however require a change of attitude to the sport , their clubs , the other clubs and the future

They can because ..........they can, if the RFL want to ditch clubs below SL then they can because they are in charge and hold the purse strings. Despite the animosity thrown at the SL from supporters of teams that are not in it, it remains a marketable product to those that are willing to pay.
I watch Leigh because I always have done but I pay my Sky subscription and enjoy what is on offer from SL and that will always be the case. Forget the aspirations Leigh will never attain SL status, watch them wherever and whenever they play but lets not be jealous of teams who are more fortunate (for whatever reason) than Leigh.

Good post.

for me to make it fair we need to split SL up

Have a West League and an East League, that way games are more local, well unless Whitehaven are playing Crusaders.
But then 2 leagues and the top 4 sides from each league go into a playoff
2 leagues of 11, means 22 teams all technically in top flight and bring back Promotion/Relegation with it

So a team from the current Championship 1 (someone like Swinton, for example) would have the chance to be promted to the SL division for their region to play teams like Wigan and Wire then? Can't imagine which way those games would go?!?

Not overly impressed with the current set-up but your suggestion wouldn't improve things at all.

The fact they are in an 'elite' division means you could draw over bigger players, higher possibility of keeping hold of your local lads or even have a draft system similar to Yank football

No SL club will be relegated, there were never going to be any relegated teams. Once SL take in Widnes that will be that, draw bridge up & stuff the rest off you. That was the plan all the time it would seem.

But the RFL have said SL will remain as a 14-team league, and The Watcher accepts that Widnes are on their way up, so surely someone must have to be relegated??

One would have to drop out to replace Widnes but you are right it is not 'relegation' it would be a failed application

Anyway they won't close shop after that, there are still Tolouse and probably more foreigh teams to come