There's a simple solution to this dilemma, promotion & relegation!!! Things tend to sort themselves out under that system. It’s good, because it actually rewards clubs for effort where it matters – on the pitch.

No arguments, no agendas, just sport.

I'd eventually like to see a fully professional Superleague 2 with promotion and relegation between the top league and the second one. The only thing thats going to convince clubs to take the risk of relegation again is if they are guaranteed to be in a pro-league with a t.v contract of its own. Such a system would require some form of licensing in of itself though to ensure that every team in the second tier had good facilities etc...

Has the RFL ever said they intend to do this?


Just like in Super League?

I think people are missing the point - it's not the RFL pulling the strings - it's SKY. If CC are in the do you think it will be the RFL bailing them out? No chance - they're not that wealthy. SKY pull the strings FULL STOP - they decide who is coming in.


As for our game dying I could'nt agree more - SL is just five drives and a kick, big strong lads who run hard but ultimately have little skill.

Remember how you felt when Andy Gregory threw out one of his long looping passes?

Remember the silence in the crowd just before Martin Offiah took a pass that would send him in? How you felt when he crossed the whitewash?

Remember how you felt when Garry Schofield intercepted a loose pass and scored?

I could go on, my point is we don't have any of these moments any more because there are NO good players.

Another thing I have noticed is the coverage in the papers, or rather lack of it. Even the mail, which used to devote large sections, only gives us snippets.

With the muppets we have in charge it's no wonder the games stock is so low.

What will you think up next? A league format where the team that finishes top is crowned champions

It was obvious to everyone but the RFL that their franchise should have gone to you lot. It's not that i wish them any ill, it's just Widnes belong in Superleague and i/we look forward to the day when that'll happen....Sooner rather than later.

Wish I could share you're optimism Mr.

I feel sorry for celtic and there fans as it is the R.F.L that as put them in this sorry situation.

What a new club needs is some kind of success to be winning games and competeing in games not getting beaten every week,celtic needed new fans through the gate and you are not going to get new fans just because a big club will be coming to town every week to kick your ass.
They would of been better off in our league and maybe competing for n/r finals and grand finals for 3 years that would of got youngsters interested and youngsters would of been in there parents earholes and getting them to take them to watch this new club that are winning games and getting to cup finals.

Instead they are in superleague were they are not doing to good and now the R.f.l are going in to sort it out.

And what are they going to do go around all the schools in the area and say come and watch your local rugby league club and see the rugby league superstars everweek come and beat your local team.Thats really going to work the R.f.l have a lot to answer for by killing the idea of a south wales team being competative one.

When the game is shown on tv and they show the crowd there are lots of younger fans at the game and them younger fans are with a adult,the younger fans in the bridgend area are not going to get into there parents earhole to take them to watch a team that is bashed every week.

I am not saying this because we missed out the last franchise i am all for expansion but there are ways of doing it and doing it right.The catalan one was easy because rugby league as been played in that part of france for years but the r.f,l in there wisdom thought they could do it again and have failed miserably.

Sadly the damage they have done to the celtic maybe the killing of the idea of a team in south wales i hope not.

Fine if they are playing to the same rules , but they were not

We all need to be winning most weeks to attract new fans , we all need new fans

But guess what , for every winner there is a loser , at the moment it is Celtic and if as a result of that they get help from the RFL [ and the other SL clubs ] then fine

But if they were in our league playing with no salary cap and a bigger quota would the RFL be there helping whoever was at the bottom of NL1 [ Championship ] ?

Leave them where they are , the RFL and the SL clubs wanted them , let them deal with them and sort out their [RFL and the expansionist Owners like Hetherington ] problem

The game will die a much quicker death if they stick with teams in the heartlands instead of trying to expand and gain more media coverage etc. Give Celtic a few years before you judge them for instance Catalans who only averaged around 5,000 in there first season are a great success and are now averaging 9,000 which is much higher than many 'heartland' clubs. Although I want are game to expand I hope you and a Cumbrian team are admitted into Super League first and then try to expand. I believe you are certain to be admitted into Super League at the next round of licences and I hope you are but for the game to survive and grow in the future we need to expand also.