In my humble opinion this playground stuff is all for nothing. Yes we the favourites to lose our licence but any Cas or Salford fan who thinks a shiny new (yet to be built) stadium is going move them out the RFL cross hairs is seriously mistaken. If we go first it will only mean we have given the other two a stay of execution. In 12 - 15yrs time the league will look in my opinion something similar to this.

Leeds
Wigan
St Helens
Warrington
North Wales
South Wales
Bradford
Huddersfield
Harlequins (North London)
South London
Catalan
Toulouse
Hull
Hull KR

Castleford, Widnes, Halifax, Barrow, Salford and Wakefield will not be in there because they do not fit into the grand design. They will have all had their day just to be replaced by an expansion team. They will over the next few franchise bids get their opportunity. Salford might have an outside bet of staying with them being the biggest club on the door step of Manchester and if another franchise fails, but by then Crusaders RL will have paid back the 10 year interest free loan and it will just be passed on to another struggling expansion franchise.

There are only two things that can prevent the death of our game as we know it. They are either Sky deciding to pull the plug (very unlikely) or the Football League pushing through a ruling stopping ground sharing with other sports. I know the latter has done the rounds before and will no doubt do it again.

These are just my views. I do sincerely hope I am wrong and the game doesn't become an inferior version of what it is today.

That list is probably correct as of 13th Jan 2011. At least half a dozen of those names have chairmen pumping money in. Come next week, one may suddenly depart this life and their club will be in the same league as us very quickly. There is probably only a couple of names on that list who you could bank on being
in the top flight in the next 5 to 10 years.

And I think you'll find in the 12-15 years you talk about teams popping up in places such as Edinburgh, Dublin & Paris as part of the great master plan.

I love the idea that South London Storm will make it to SL in 12-15 years. It's even more preposterous than the idea, posted on these boards ad nauseum when the franchise plan was first announced in 2005 that London Skolars would join SL in 2008

Salford (Manchester) will always be safe. There even moving Corrie there

Trinfan, i think the league you have posted looks very exciting, how strong could our international team be if the top league looked like that?

Bring it on i say.

All i want from rugby league now is for an England Team to beat Australia in a full series or tournament, i could die happy then.

Bradford, unless something happens with there ground or if they could return to recent glory, would be lucky to stay in.

Am sick of saying this now lol, fans of clubs like our should be forming groups going to red hall and protest or we can just bend over and take it!!!!!

Why do you think theyll want 2 hull clubs?

You must be planning on living forever.

Because they are more sustainable in the league until the horrible 'M' word comes around again and a Scottish or Irish team displaces them.

You can form all the groups you like but the current RFL regime want their expansion and they are going to get it one way or another, at what ever the cost.

I think the cost will be the death of Rugby League.

The game is financially and morally bankrupt. If or when the "sugar daddies" get tired of spending millions of thier own money (or die) and Sky find that they can sell more dishes by broadcasting live croquet and pull out the game is dead.

Expansion has not worked in my opinion (except maybe Catalans but they bring nothing in terms of income to UK clubs through the gate) but the RFL will not accept it and continue with this obsession for expanding the game where there is little to no history.

You should always look after the roots, if you don't the plant dies and that applies to Rugby League.

Bit of a dinosaur ? Yes but I don't think you will have to worry about the game in 15 years because I don't think there will be one - well not as we know it Jim.

I watched Australia demolish GB in the 3rd Test at Headingly, cant remember the year but it was early 70's and I said that I would never see GB beat Australia in a Test series in my lifetime. I stand by that but I'm an old man now but I'm afraid your'e going to die unhappy because whatever your age you are not going to see England (or GB) ever beat Australia in a series.