That is probably why the RFL insisted all clubs agree to it knowing that the clubs most under threat could not financially afford to challenge the decision.

YOU'VE got it in one VASTMAN regarding the legality of the process. The Clubs have to agree that they won't challenge the result but from a legal point of view that agreement is worthless. But which of the clubs would have the bottle or the funds to take such an action? Widnes were told 3 years ago to keep sweet and quiet and they would get a place in three years - they simply had to meet the criteria of winning one of the appropriate competitions.

The licence application is a farce will be worded to achieve anything the RFL require. So if they want to give the boot to one Club then it's Cas or Wakey - and I don't believe either of those clubs should go. I can think immediately of three clubs who have less credentials to stay in SL !!!

Just because the clubs agreed not to fight it may not stop someone outside the club from doing so, anyone got any cash?

We've had this discussion several times on here in recent months; the conclusion every time we do so is that the RFL can't preclude a club from challenging the franchising process simply by stating that the act of applying means that they agree not to; it's something to do with contract law and unfair terms, but I forget the detail. In short - if a contract is unfair, it can't be enforced and this one almost certainly would be.

In the real world however, no club would mount a legal challenge - the legal costs would be astronomical and the long-term consequences would be fatal for that club.

I assume there is nothing to stop a fans group taking the RFL to court???

If one is so minded?

Unless that group of fans contained a lawyer and/or a barrister who would work for free, I'd say the cost would be enough to stop them.

For context - I used a barrister recently to assess the Terms of Business a client was aksing me to sign up to; she emailed me back 15 minutes later with an answer and a bill for £200.

rapid [iSOLICITORS [/istadium????

They're ambulance chasers - a different breed altogether.

I agree but this gives them the chance to actually do something useful for society!

You're doing a bit of straw-clutching tonight!

Surely no win no fee then

I have to ask you all where you were with your outrage the last time because the last license process was much the same with a few teams dishing out packs of lies regarding finances and stadiums and they were still put in ahead of Widnes, who had a prior administration held against us. Sound familiar?

We've heard all this legal action guff before, the best thing your club can do is act professionally within the rules and try to secure a license for 2015 otherwise they'll find themselves out in the cold for a lot longer.

You will find many on here that are completely opposed to the franchise system, both now and then.
Our previous owner fed the RFL a diet of bull doo doo at the time, and if we are to suffer for it, i cannot argue with that.
But the Franchise system is multi faceted, and in all those facets, we are significantly better than at least one club, the only point we do not secure is the geographical one, which is clearly there to add weight to quins and crusaders bids.
A point of order on the administration bit, that was removed by the RFL when crusaders hit the buffers, as they would clearly have had to remove them, so it cannot be now used against us or used to compare this franchise bid with the previous one.

Most of know that Chris and at the time had every sympathy for Widnes.
As you say we will just have to go down and hopefully sort ourselves out for 2015.