If we're talking about strengthening the heartlands I'd personally like to see Widnes come up at the expense of ex-NRL-with-a-few-Welsh-Crusaders but we all know the RFL won't go for that. This is the RFL we're talking about.

It'll probably be Widnes up and Wakefield down and despite their off-field dramas I'll be sad to see Wakefield go.

The Quins do have a good youth system in place though (which of course we hear about every thirty seconds on Boots N All) which is in a large borough and could feed through to their first team and ultimately benefit the game as a whole nationally and internationally.

For that reason and that reason alone (the good of the game as it were) I'd keep them in.

I think the RFL will bottle it and will not relegate anyone. They will bring Widnes in on Thursday but will then expand the league to 15 or even 16 teams. We won't however find out until 26th July if my guess is correct.

I wouldn't be surprised by this tell you truth. But I think they will spout something along the lines of having a 15 team SL will mean one team a week has a free week.

If they were to go against what the SL clubs had voted for and chose to expand the SL then I doubt it would be to make a 15 team league. SL would have to stay at an even number of teams in order to keep the Magic Weekend (I cannot see the RFL ditching it just to avoid relegating a club).

Having an uneven number of teams would mean that the Magic Weekend as a round of fixtures would be unworkable (and fans won't go to Cardiff for seven friendlies) as you cannot have the extra round of fixtures with an uneven number of teams, as one team would need to have an extra bye week.

That team would then either be disadvantaged by not being able to gain points for that week or (if points were to be awarded for each bye that a team had) given an unfair advantage by effectively starting the season ahead of the rest of the clubs. Such a scenario would cause uproar if it resulted (as it eventually would) in that club either unfairly gaining or missing out on a place in the playoffs or the top four.

I cant see them expanding the league, the international players do enough moaning as it is with the amount of games in a regular season.

Can't see the number of teams increasing unless there's some more Sky money appearing from Lewis' racquet bag.

to be honest i think a 16 team league would be a good thing because theres 8 out of 14 teams in the playoffs which means a below middle team is in the playoffs which i dont think is right

Widnes are in.

Is this just a guess or are you in the know?

Hetherington must have had a word with Lewis et al about getting rid of us and Wolfs, give the Whinos a chance of winning somethingthis year?!

I'd be in favour of getting Barrow, Widnes and one of Fax or (even though they don't qualify) Leigh in and getting rid of Wakey, Crusaders and Quins.

By the merits of on field performance and having a Cumbrian club in SL I'd go for Barrow but as Bilko said their ground is a shambles.

It will probably be Widnes though as they have the best stadium of the Championship applicants. Widnes in and Wakey out methinks.

There would be no point in replacing a team with a shambles of a ground with another team with a shambles of a ground and the Barrow Chairman does remind me of Ted Richardson. I fear that Barrow will come to a sticky end, Des does not seem to be a very patient man. Widnes for me.

It will be Widnes for many reasons.
They'll especially have one eye on the Millenium Magic knowing that Wire vs Widnes is another derby for them. (yes I know fax would be too but I still think Widnes)

The thing is though...
Widnes arent playing well enough and will they be even slightly competive in the SL?

They may have the stadium but will on field performances beyond being in/winning a final be important?

We're forgetting, they'd have 10 months between finding out and kicking off in SL to improve their squad.

They'd also have a guaranteed place for 3 years to offer security to players who could/would join them.