No they're not.

Thank you - that is an interesting answer and an intriguing concept.

A low cost semi-pro development league does make some sense. As these clubs will presumably have very low commercial income, I guess that they'll rely on RFL funding in return for providing a stepping stone? Whether the money is best spent here on the grass roots, I'm not sure but I've certainly heard worse ideas!

I think if you take an established club, in the sense we currently know clubs to be, such as Workington who have a large and crumbling ground that needs maintaining, very limited income from fans and merchandise and overheads such as wages, medical bills, travel etc etc there is going to be a shortfall every year that has to be made up by a rich owner, sponsors or both.

The first time these clubs struggle to get one or the other they are in trouble.

Take one of the new concept clubs (if this theory is right) that are low wage bill (young unproven players) playing and training in modern facilities (college link) with additional funding (the BTEC Academies most clubs run are worth about £4000 per student and they make profit on that) you suddenly start to see a much more stable and less risky model that most Super League and Championship clubs will be happy to attach themselves with to loan players one way and use the League 1 clubs as a feeder club to gain talent coming the other way.

You are going to have exceptions down there, the top 4 will be the likes of Doncaster, Keighely, Barrow, Haven and Workington etc will keep trying to chase the Championship dream I guess but below that a bunch of well kept and safe sides.

Could be all totally wrong but it's how I see it panning out.

Oxford, team are 'bussed' down from either York or Cas apparently, similarly Hemel for which there was a massive fallout down here with long term supporters of the club.
Development of players is immaterial to just actually having a team play in an expansion area it would seem the way the RFL are backing things.
Obvs a team based around a heartland area this is less apparent but getting the majority of your team sent on coach every other weekend from 100 miles away and not training with the'local' players is not doing the sport any favours in the long run, not at the expense of developing/encouraging local talent.

Totally agree about the development but I think the reasoning behind these short term partnerships like the one between Hemel and Dewsbury is that eventually Hemel will have generated enough interest, enough youth and grassroots foundation and enough of a fan base to go it alone with local players.

Personally I think it is a terrible plan but I suppose we can only watch and see.

What I do know is that Skolars have quietly gone about their business for 20 years, many of them being known as a laughing stock bottom of the league, and have now got a thriving community programme, a half decent squad, a very promising coach and have just had their best season to date.

It takes time but they are a fine example of what can be done when you do it properly. The biggest problem I can see is that despite the improvements in these areas they have still not increased their crowds to much better than a few hundred and that is a worry given they are in a very working class area of London, the area that was supposed to be the one that would embrace the sport along with East London and the Millwall/West Ham boys.

But Hemel was already developing a fan base, it already had a youth system, they already developed their ground (new 400 seater main stand)3g MUGA pitch and 3g 7 aside pitch.
All the latest shenanigans has put an awful lot of fans off and a heck of a lot of goodwill has being lost.