Cameras are so cheap and such good quality now that we do good quality recordings of all the games down to the under 16s - just for the coaches to go through with the players.
I can remember when an outside broadcast van and cameras cost over a million dollars. You can do the same quality recording with 20k worth of equipment now.
The local newspaper in Newcastle broadcasts a game a week of the local comp on their website, and those sides have a wages bill of as low as 50k in some cases for the entire team - and I believe they film all the local games and make them available to all the local pubs and clubs, but only the game they broadcast on the net has commentary.

I suspect you'll be disappointed. Geography will play a big role I fear as will facilities , financial stability and league positions over x amount of years.

[iNailed on [/i
Saints
Wigan
Warrington
Leeds
Catalan
London
Hull
Salford
Huddersfield

In trouble might be

HKR
Widnes
Wakefield
Cas
Bradford

Toulouse should not be considered for automatic selection but I'm sure the tool's in the RFL will push for it

cant agree with you no 1 saint, i dont think anyone is nailed on and if they were i cant agree with your list

Then what's the point of p &r a year later?

That sounds extremely unlikely to me. Licensing is dead as well as discredited now - the only options left on the table are straight forward p&r 2007-stylee, or an extended 3x8 split league p&r play-off thingy. Transitioning to that via decision by commitee would be 1. Weird 2. Controversial and 3. In the medium term pointless - what is the point of 'protecting' teams for one year only?

I see the point regards protecting teams but it's been done before. It's not fair but the RFL dont seem to care about that.

A few years ago when it looked like they were destined for the drop Wigan cheated their way out of relegation, the RFL knew what was going on but allowed it and Cas bit the dust.

Other crazy stuff has happened over the years too - the Gateshead/Hull farce , putting teams in the league but making them exempt from relegation etc etc

I do worry over what they will do because it could kill some real Rugby teams. Still plenty to be worked out though I guess.

Fair enough , just out of curiosity just say they did go the way I said who have I got in the wrong list?

www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... -two-teams This is the key point. 'Today's decision means that two clubs will be relegated at the end of next season and the RFL have confirmed that outpost clubs London Broncos and Catalan Dragons will no longer be exempt.' Maybe those making comments to the contrary will now put a sock in it.

www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... -two-teams This is the key point. 'Today's decision means that two clubs will be relegated at the end of next season and the RFL have confirmed that outpost clubs London Broncos and Catalan Dragons will no longer be exempt.' Maybe those making comments to the contrary will now put a sock in it.

So ... we assume that the bottom two will be 'relegated' next year?

That is obvious even for RL otherwise why mention London and Catalans.
Looking at how London have been going and the state the club is in it's looks like the RFL have just thrown them under a bus although when you go on their site it seems their fans think asset stripping is going on anyway so it's not certain to be unwanted.

unless it's stated in writing clearly I'll wait and see. The RFL are a bunch of clowns so anything is possible

Purely hypothetically, but for example...

It has sounded for a while like patience is running thin with London. Also, I can't imagine they'd have killed licensing to save Bradford, only then to cut them adrift.

Tbh, from a selfish pov I'd prefer your scenario. A bad season with form and injuries and we could be near the bottom. On a licensing approach, we got a 'B' last time and the new North Stand is now almost complete - as long as our board say they'll keep us afloat, we're fine and if they didn't we'd be stuffed anyway (see also: most other SL clubs).

The talk of Toulouse balances the equation. Admittedly I haven't actually read all the quotes/statements, so not sure if the Toulouse talk is all from the expansionists.

Anyway, so working on the theory that the two lowest ranked sides are relegated - I assume most (if not all) of the threatened clubs will be spending as close to the cap as possible next year to maximise their chances of finishing 12th of above. More than likely stretching (or directing all) their budgets in order to do so. Making a complete shambles of the last few years and the net outcome that franchising was supposed to bring.

The two sides who unfortunately are relegated what future will one or both of them have? Half of the sides in the top division are hardly financially sound now with their share of the Sky pot. The game is frepped. There's just not enough cash/interest in the game to continually subsidise the lesser sides. No radical or old league style will change this. The RFL couldn't even find a title sponsor for it's marquee product after giving it away the previous year.

I think 'Meh' sums it all up.

It does and I've been saying it for a while now.