Of course Salford City Council will be delighted that after pumping millions into the stadium to help the Reds get a new license, the club would then go and do the dirty by changing their name to that of their city’s more illustrious neighbour, negating the reason why the council were prepared to underwrite the build of the stadium in the first place.

Id' stick this rumour in the ‘one to ignore’ pile.

No one knows anything

As has been already said, there are going to be lots of rumours doing the rounds and the best thing to do is to ignore them and wait until the true facts are released.

I agree, know one knows anything. I have said before, the RFL had to draw a line in the sand somewhere and talk tough, they can't seen to be making hollow threats any longer and ultimately not following through if certain clubs do not progress as far as they have previously promised or as far as the RFL require. That all said, if Wakey, Cas & Salford do actual pull off their new ground developments and get them substantially under way (actually building a ground, not just moving the muck around the site) then I think the RFL will have no choice but to give them all another 3 years licence and might not throw anyone out!

The RFL does have clubs like Widnes, Halifax & Leigh that have been able to build and finance their ground developments outside of the Super League and as such, not getting into Super League this time is probably not going to put them under as a business or club. This is important and I will explain why shortly. However, doing that to Wakey, Cas or Salford, if they do actually start to build new grounds, could see one of them with a half finished ground or most probably just simply going bust and taking jobs and the club with them. The RFL will not want that to happen.

While lots of people at the threatened clubs seem to be thinking that the RFL want to kick them out or that it should not be them, but one of the others, I think you are all wrong! What they DO want is all three of these clubs to have nice new grounds and therefore modern facilities to keep them in Super League, in doing so the game as a whole grows stronger and the possibility of bringing back promotion & relegation becomes possible... and they do have at least 3 if not 4 clubs with the facilities to replace any of the current teams if they don't continue to perform well on the field already and that is they key!

I think if they can pull off the new ground developments, they will give all three clubs another 3 years this time BUT of course next time what will matter will be on the field not off it and that is only good for the game!

Ignore it as it'll do no-one any good at all.

What about the Bulls

Nothing in 3 years franchise below Wakey and possibly Cas now on what they bring percentage wise their crowds are plummeting compared to others Odsal is poor the pitch is rubbish built on a speedway track. Do the RFL have the guts?

No the RFL dont have the guts.

I think that the RFL are hoping that at least one of us cas or salford don't get our grounds built so it leaves them with an easy decesion.

As a very interested observer of the whole franchise staduim debacle it was interesting to hear on Look North/ Super league show that the criteria for stadia was a minimuim capacity of 10k of which all these must be under cover.

Well what about Bradford and HKR?

There is no way that there staduims hold 10k under cover. So why is it just Cas, Wakey and Salford that appear to be under pressure??

Just a thought probably clutching at straws but thats all you can do until the concrete gets poured

Possibly cas ???? Get her ! Have a look at the table buddy

the rfl will bend the rules to make any situation fit,lets just say that wakey, cas and salford are all well on with their developments what will the rfl do?

i reckon they will just change the criteria their is no way they are going to let a expnasion club drop out then it comes down to a straight case of hkr or bradford or it should do, if they back up what they have said in past statements it has to be one of those two but will they have the courage to drop former champions of the super league or a club that has risen like a pheonix from the flames in the last 5 years,it wont happen it will still be one of wakey,salford or castleford.

If Cas, Wakey and Salford are all underway with the actual build, surely Bradford are the team to go? bad stadium, out of the top 8, naf youth development (that's getting a bit better).

Look pal not having a pop but its based partly on the past years contribution to the competition, Wakey have hit the semi final of the cup finished 5th and won the Academy League, coupled with our Community programme the only worry for us is the ground and with everything else I still think we are in front of other clubs, the problem is the Club are rubbish at marketing themselves.

Now back to the Bulls?

I like the franchise system and i dont at the same time,i feel for you lot,cas and salford.

I cant imagine going to watch my team and not knowing weather in a couple of seasons they will even be in SL for non playing reasons,how are the club supposed to plan signings/contracts etc if they dont know which division they will be in. I know this used to be the case anyway due to promotion/relegation but considering you could be playing well on the pitch this is ridiculous,im not sure if 1 team will actually get the boot...maybe the RFL have said this to give certain clubs a kick up the @rse,maybe 2 teams from the lower league will come up?? Widnes/Leigh or maybe Halifax????

Don't know why everyone raves about Widnes's chances coming up - they are poor on the pitch this year. How are they going to cope with the significantly better sides playing them. I even think Wakey could beat them at the moment!

The decision has almost certainly been made.

Who is for the chop I wouldn't have a clue.

I can only hope it's not us and somebody else.

I will cherish the Millennium weekend in Cardiff next year 'cos you never know..........