Why should AT pump even more money into 1st chasing the gold at the end of the rainbow with how it used to be, and then get relegated a season later only to start over. Who really benefits from that cycle, because AT wouldn't for sure.
history is there all to see that crowds went down chasing the dream. The 101 reasons for not going in SL where great also. history is also there with bensongate when we all thought it was curtains at the time for the club. Just not worth it.

Dico thinks we are upset about franchising because we play at the newest stadium in the game.

Amazing.

Dico Leythers think 2 and 2 is four.You will probably tell us 2 and 2 was a pound of dogmeat pre decimalisation.

But it's only 5 minutes since Widnes were bust, and they are ready now? If 3 yr franchises are so good, why not have it in the CH as well. Surely the teams in CH need that safety net too to develop and prevent the likes of Keighley and Dewsbury yoyoing. It would give other teams like Batley and Leigh the chance to develop talent too, without the threat of relegation and we don't want boom and bust in CH1 either where you can be promoted? Yet alas it is still allowed to happen, so it doesn't wash with me.

3 points for a win in the CH's, 2 for a draw and a bonus point. It is such a good idea that the SL has adopted it, oh wait a minute no they haven't cause it is e and has the opposite effect of promoting attacking rugby. You're 14 points down and get a penalty with 2 minutes to go, do you run it, with a chance of scoring a try or do you take a pot at goal for a bonus point. I'm underwhelmed with it!


Why scraping the barrel? both Sheffield and Featherstone not to mention Leigh and Widnes, would've had larger home attendances than Celtic did last year, and therefore more money coming in, making them more competitive. Even if you just put it down to the travel costs of the away fans. I'd guarantee 5000 every week on average at Batley if we were in SL, not because we are well supported because we aren't, but purely based on location and the visiting away fans don't have far to travel. Sheffield and Featherstone would do the same and more besides I've no doubt. Bridgend for a weekend get away with the missus and a match, I'd take self catering in Baghdad first if there was a match on, at least it's not likely to pee it down.

The door is closed for Batley (see SL 1 for details) we finished in the 2nd automatic promotion spot behind Keighley and were turned away, both of us. Never to recover the fan base we lost because of it. The door is open, but the steel shutters and barbed wire are down.

Dico is a complete jerk who said on previous threads that he hates Leigh, so anything he says about our club is pure bile.

That aside unfortunately the average SL fan is more like Dico than you would like to admit.Many of his arguments are based on ignorance and from a position of looking down their noses at non SL clubs.

His point that Leigh and Batley are too small Towns to accomodate a SL club is blown away by Cas. which has a smaller poulation than both the Towns above.

Leigh for decades held their own with the big boys as did many other clubs in the Championship,the only reason they could not now is money from Sky, the same as 90% of the SL clubs if they had Sky money taken away.

To now try and say the only thing we have going for us is a stadium is a joke, thats like saying the only thing that makes an F1 car win a Grand Prix is its engine.The stadium was supposed to be integral in any SL clubs bid and now because some of the SL brotherhood are getting nervous, its becoming less important.

Leigh has a great RL tradition and would more than hold its own crowd wise with several of the current SL teams, all we need is the millions of pounds that Wakey,Salford,Cas etc have had over the years from Sky, to be competitive.

Apart from in 2005, when you did recieve the Sky money and were absolutely smashed every week.

I thought Leigh did well in 2005

That is true. We however had no time to recruit properly and we did offer contracts to some we should not have.

Old news we move on. People and clubs learn from mistakes.We have.

Will not be long before the RFL learn they have made a big mistake. Trouble is, as yesterdays gaffe about Toulouse shows' there is an agenda here which if pursued might kill the professional game.

How will it do that? As far as I can see it's stronger than ever.

Yep! 15 years of the Super League dream......and we still can't lay a glove on the Aussies!!

I read your reply twice but I honestly cannot see what you are getting at.

Re our last Grand Final win incidentally we had more fans there than Salford and Crusaders had put together

when they met at the HJ. I forgot to mention that on my last post.

Come back on here after your next home game and tell us what the crowd was. I hope it will be better than I expect but we will see.

I have no objection to any club from wherever they might be located joining the professional ranks of this game but this very uneven playing field is something I think is unfair.

I noticed incidentally that that new Welsh club who beat Workington the other day attracted 585 for a Championship 1 game.Where do they play ? And what are they doing in that league ? Why aren't they treated like Toulouse ?

Spot on and very well put.

I'll gladly bring the thread up again if the moderators of this forum won't mind, what sort of crowd are you expecting though?

South Wales Scorpions play at The Gnoll in Neath. They are a new club in the British pyramid, the squad is 100% Welsh bar one Englishman. Why should they be treated like Toulouse? They are a completely new club and have no intention of joining Super Leauge in the near future. You have said in your post that you have no problems with any club from wherever joining the professional ranks as long as the playing field is level, well Scorpions have done that.

Ive actually got to dash out now but on your first point, I think you should.
Expanded Chp with 16 clubs and the worst of Ch1 relegated to a conference system designed on promoting semi pro clubs.

Why would they ? You are expressing your opinion without insulting anyone.

I am delighted you finally agree with me. My point was why did Crusaders and Toulouse not start there ?.

Re Crusaders less than their last game but I hope it is not. And that is the truth.

Crusaders did start there in 2006. Toulouse didn't because they were in the French Elite League for years previously, they applied for Super League and were put into the Championship to test their relative standing compared to British clubs. They were not a new club starting from scratch in the British system, there is a big difference between the cases of South Wales Scorpions and Toulouse.

I think Crusaders crowd probably will be lower than the last game, considering Hull brought around 1,300 away fans that Catalans will not.