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.

I was hoping that would be the case. I assume they have the money to do this too?

Without a doubt. Their chairman owns Stobart's so has spent above a million quid on the ground alone.

If only he'd use the ground to advertise his company eh?

Oh I am so worried about our place, I wonder what will happen.

Honestly though, it would be a shame to lose Wakefield, a massive shame.

Why? It's not that massively different from when we had P&R, just better structured.

In the unlikely event they ever get their act together, they can re-apply.

You can just as easily argue it was a shame we lost Workington, Oldham, Sheffield, Halifax in the early years of SL.

The thing is had Fax still been in super league, they would have received a place, but they were in the championship and didn't get a place. Thats whats wrong with the RFL.

They are not picking the 14 best clubs. I can't believe they said one club will definantly be going down! Surely they can't say that if the 14 best clubs will be chosen.

I still think it should be reduced to 12 so we can have a stronger super league and a stronger championship.

Why not go the whole hog? Catalans, Crusaders and Quins out, Barrow, Widnes and Leigh in?

Can't have any Southerners or Foreigners sullying the purity of our game, right?