It sounds as though we have sided with Leeds in FAVOUR of the RFL's proposals and are the only two clubs that have come out in support. There's a surprise.

Surely now this has has come out in our current situation we'd be voting to stay 14 team sl with p&r. I think stay at 14 with 2 up 2 down from 2015 to keep everybody happy

Feeder clubs and a semi-closed shop make sense from a business perspective. Whether the majority of fans would agree, I doubt it. This is not the 1980s anymore. Leigh, Fev or whoever are not going to win the top flight "Championship" again unless they are bankrolled with millions of pounds. Sad maybe, but that's the reality of sport in 2013.

If we have sided with Leeds behind the RFL plan I fear we are no longer independent. Who represented us at Mondays meeting and if we did back the RFL plan why, it's like turkey's voting for Christmas.
I hope or expect this to be an incorrect assumption or family is more important than who pays the salary.

I wouldn't disagree with you on that, except to say that this has been the reality of rugby league or any other sport since the oldest fans can remember, and probably before that too.

There is, however, a principle that drives our sporting ethos, namely that you win the right to compete at the highest level on the field. We removed that with franchising, for reasons that seemed (at least to me) justifiable at the time. But I think they/I was wrong.

There is at least a workable compromise (see German football as an example) where licenses are granted to play in a certain league, based on certain criteria. P&R is, and remains, part of the game, however.

If we voted with Leeds in favour of the RFL proposals, then I'm glad. It may be turkeys voting for Christmas in our case, but on a matter of principle I think we did the right thing. (You have to ask yourself, in this situation, what's in it for Leeds to vote in favour too. They have nothing to gain from alienating themselves from the other SL clubs, and are highly unlikely to find themselves in a relegation battle any time in the near future.)

Without knowing how we voted, why would we? It’d be like Turkeys voting for Christmas.

I don’t understand the Leeds stance either – very odd.

There is, of course, another reality, or two realities. One is the matter of principle, as I stated in my reply to Trinity, the other is that we know we're likely to take the drop, but we can come back again stronger (and soon), and that the door would remain open to us. To try and hack it as a SL club in our present circumstances may be beyond us at this point, but time (and investment) will tell.

The last time we were demoted it was not a quick return. My main concern is that once out of SL what's to stop them once again moving the goal posts. I have not forgotten what it was like being in the wilderness but don't get me wrong I support the RL family but not at the expense of the club.

I remember that too, and it's obviously a risk. But being the whipping boys of SL because we can't afford to compete is no alternative either, IMO.

My suggestion was that it might be in the club's interests, in the short term, but that's only guesswork on my part. You can't detach the interests of the club from the interest of the game entirely. We need a competition in the broader sense that attracts fans across the board, first and foremost.

Could it just be goodwill or are there long term motives. Could we be slowly getting controlled by stealth and become another Hunslet ?

The problem with bringing youth, and their development, into this discussion is the amount of downright crap imports that we as a club have employed instead of playing our much vaunted youth. And why?

Its a laughing stock .. we got no help from the R.F.L because they were hell bent on makeing sure crusaders were going to be in .
decisions that cost the game millions it was only the owners themselves that said enough no more S.L IN Wales which then allowed us to be in super league.
This was all predicated on the LEWIS PLAN for the game and each nation trying to put its own team together now the grants and suport dries up after the world cup so exspect many redunacies at Red Hall.
I fear the monies spent will not preduce the results and exspected in both income streams for the game,
and the England sides performance, as when you view the game in Oz they are light years away.
Now if reports are to believed we along with leeds suport the R.F.L.. well all i know is if the winner are the rest of the super league clubs then we will not have done ourseves any favours.
So after all this consultation and supose agreements ( you dont get to rubber stamping) unless you think it there. the goal post move again with all its uncertanties for everyone and the central body looking like puppets on a super league chairmans string.
How can anyone work with any certancy plan,invest,or even in some cases survive in the game as a whole
with such a bunch of self seeking idiots makeing some decisions? ( rubber stamping) more consutations? or in this case no decisions!

I agree completely but some press are reporting it as the case. Bad move in my opinion and it seems we are already in the Rhinos pockets.

Why do you think that?

What benefit could there be to Leeds in siding with the RFL against the other SL clubs? It's not as if they won't be one of the top 10, or however many are desired in a new SL set-up. If they wanted us as a feeder club, surely the easiest way to achieve this would be by voting with the majority? I'm not getting at you, I just don't get it.