Nice, extra game I can can go to.

Oh and !^%"&^%£ shambles! Etc. Works for me though.

What you have to appreciate Dave is that it was an artificial progression in that it was done so with extreme salary cap exceptions, extra players on the quota etc etc; to me, it can only truly be defined as 'success' when achieved within the same rules of your peers. Sure, it would have taken longer for them to get promoted (even from Championship One), but it would have given a better indication of their foundations. Indeed, they have done a lot of good work in South Wales, but it should have been done over a longer period of time without the pressures of Super League that undoubtedly affects the club from top to bottom.

Cumbria must be brought back into the fold before trying to develop SL clubs in other areas, Bring Barrow in and take Crusaders down, any newly developed teams should operate in the lower league for at least 5 year just to make sure it succeeds both financially and on the pitch before attempting to integrate it into SL

I know it was done like that and I am saying that if Neath are to carry the Welsh mantle in future as I think they will, then all those exceptions you mention above can't be allowed again so I think we agree on that.

What I am also saying though is that playing success alone does not prove they are ready for SL and it won't do so even if they have that success without such things as extra players on the quota. So if Neath get to the top of NL1 then there should be no automatic promotion just because they are from South Wales.

Dave

Cumbria is a lost cause to all forms of top line professional sport isn't it? No Premiership soccer club. No top flight RU club and no SL side.

Now you might think that gives us as a sport an opportunity but I thinks its actually an indication the population up there can't support top flight professional sporting sides.

Towns like Barrow, Workington and Whitehaven are just not big enough and a joint side is a none starter as it would have to be on one of those towns so wold soon be considered Workington or wherever.

Dave

on the plus side, they do very good in the sheepdog trials

One thing's going for it. Wrexham is a fabulous night out, and I for one will more than likely take advantage of it.

'Fabulous' is over egging the pudding significantly.

I just feel sorry for Widnes, can you imagine if we were in that position? It would be so disheartening. The only thing IMO Celtic had over Widnes to be in Super League is location. They dont even have that anymore. Widnes have a better fan base, its an RL heartland, better youth development, better stadium, and more than likely better financially. Celtic are a mess.

But back when the franchises were being given out one crucial thing Celtic had (ironically) over Widnes at that time (which is what counts) is they had not recently gone bust.

It's all changed now but back then not giving Widnes the place was sensible. Unfortunately it has turned out badly for Celtic since then.

Dave

]


Dave your line about not being a hotbed of either code is right at the moment but

The WRU over the last 16 months have developed a strategic plan to create a new 5th Welsh regional team based somewhere in North Wales, 12 months ago they chose Colwyn Bay to be the base and Parc Eiras will have quite a lot of money spent on it for upgrading, theyve just appointed Clive Griffths to head it up and last week the Welsh Ru Youngsters played Australia youth in Colwyn Bay

Additionally Rugby Canada are going to allow some of their more Experienced players to come over in the next few months to help them develop at the right pace ie not rushing the project- saying that Leicester Tigers are sending a team up there next month to play a game

Make no mistake the WRU are serious here and , theyve got plenty of money and time and theres an amateur infrastructure of sorts already there - once again it seems whichever door we try and open RU are in first

if you search around theres plenty of stuff about this on the web

phil

How can anybody take Rugby League seriously in South Wales any longer?

So fustrating.

It's a complete embarrassment and a totally failed project. I have no qualms with the Crusaders and backed their promotion to the Super League but it is obvious that we have all been deceived by the fools at Red Hall.

We have had disastrous 'expansionist' clubs in the past and one would have thought the RFL would have learned from previous mistakes. Catalans seemed to show promise not just for the expansion of the game but that the RFL had learned from previous mistakes and wouldn't fast track sides into SL just to try and look like a national game.

Putting Celtic Crusaders in the lower divisions was also the correct decision but it's patently obvious now that the licence system that is supposed to be the fairest way to have a strong Super League is just a way for Red Hall to pick and choose who they want in the SL. Perhaps the cynics will say this was always the case but for me the RFL must want the game to succeed and they seemed to be making the correct decisions.

This sends us back to square one, what a joke.

The real problem is, it is just neevr ending, there are no announcements, although they have apparently signed Tommy Lee & Michael Witt, but no comments from Celtic, Noble or anyone connected to the club.

The longer it goes on, the more farcical it becomes.