Just reported on Sky Sports News that the RFL are to reconsider automatic promotion and relegation with a full review of the licensing system ordered by chairman Maurice Watkins.

That's all it said, no doubt there will be plenty more on this in the next few weeks.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/18944832

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/18944832

HALLELUJAH please could this be the beginning of a new surgence in the declining sport that is Rugby 'League'.

'League' - where teams play for league positions and P&R is the prize and consequence.

The only negative is that the review will be led by Big Nige.......

wonder if they would ever do the right thing and have top of the league goes up, r would they continue with the crazy scenario whereby 5 place could still ( in theory) do it

Just like football?

If P & R is to be re-introduced it must only be either the top of the league table at the end of the season or the GF winner or if they make the GF winner play off against the bottom side in SL.

I don't see how lifting the NRC should be a qualifying element, it's an early-mid season comp & the league is spread out over the season ( obviously ) and is no measure of a season's efforts.

I also think that any promoted side should be given at least a three year stay in SL to build on to prevent the immediate yo-yo scenario unless they either hold their hands-up & surrender like the Celtic lot did or unless they run into, erm, how can this be termed ? [iserious financial difficulties[/i


I don't believe they'll go along with P & R anyway.

they will be coming up with some plan that benefits the bulls and can come straight back up to make it look like they have done it right and fair. yet they will probably be given a salary cap twice the size of the legal amount and say it will be done on the attendances or something like that that will all fit to benefit them

Probably just a way to get the Bulls back in once they have to kick 'em out.
Would be nice to play for something again though.

cant see SL clubs voting for this at all and doubt it will happen as big Nige wont want it either. The RFL will put spin on this report thing saying having looked at all options we believe that licences is right. Keeping teams out of SL who are well run like Fev and Fax is right over teams like Bradford that have massive crowds but no money and badly run is the way to go. I wouldnt trust the RFL to bring back P & R and I wont be getting my hopes up in the near or distant future.

Promotion play-off ? The Superleague side will win 90+% of these games. They're full time and have better players. Fact.

Ah, so that'd be a different occassion to the Fev v Cas challenge cup tie this season ? Yep, Cas definately have better players & Yes I reckon they're full-time pro's, now then Nigel Wood, what were you saying.....

I think the league leaders should automatically go up and swap with bottom of S/L and the second play third in our league winners play second bottom in S/L at home for a spot in S/l. This would keep bottom of S/L interesting and make them play until the end of season and would improve our league as you would need to finish in top 3

Thing is we all know the only way for P R is if they cut S/L down to 10 or 12 teams and I am led to believe this may happen

Yes, it'd be their 70-0 defeat to Saints last year. Did I say it'd never happen ? Check out all the $uperleague v Championship results over the last few years and tell me that's the best way for Fax to get promoted. You've got more chance under the present system.

Really?? Id take my chance at the end of this season in a game v London rather than the lack of transparency the licensing system appears to have!

I am not in a particular articulate mood tonight, so all I can say is bo**ocks.
Next cider please.

Ironic that Grif's 1998 in his tagline represents the biggest cup final upset in living memory......

Not one to usually sit on the fence but I can totally see both sides of the argument. I still feel getting whooped 70-0 would be somehow fairer though and the advantage would still be with the Superleague team much as it is now but concentrate on on the field efforts more.

But it would be the bottom SL team, yes they are full time, but surely the top Champ team would have to be capable of giving them a game, if not then there really is little point in bring back P&R anyway. We would have to ensure we are capable of turning up on the day and i think we probably would, I'd fancy ours/Fevs chances of giving London/Widnes a run for their money.

As long as there are limits to signing players on. i.e , London couldn't just now sign on a load of Wigan/saints/leeds players etc on a months loan just to help em out in a play off game v Fev/Fax/Leigh/Batley etc!
Similarly, the championship winners couldn't just sign on all wakey's surpluses!

Or possibly any other time.

Which suggests how rare an occurrence it might be.

Fine - you take your chances. One club promoted in maybe ten years. Compared with the current one in three. Personaly, I prefer better odds.

Yeah, but we're talking about a game at the end of the season. Before you've strengthened your team in the close season.

who says there is one going up every 3 years? they are taking up who they want when they want.
they took up the welsh because they wanted them, they took up widnes because of the fuss they kicked up and a few week after that the rfl said one team will come up next time and from then on everyone new it was widnes and if they hadnt of won the rail cup back then they would of changed that rule of needing to achieve just like they said later that tolouse dont need to win anything to appy because back then they were hoping they would be in a position to join too

I fear we're currently in a "one up every 10 years" scenario plus, as someone has rightly said, the goalposts can be moved at a whim to ensure exclusivity. Licensing has definitely given a lot of clubs a well needed kick up the backside though and I'm now all for keeping minimum standards as in Union.

The RFL.

Subject to meeting other conditions. Which will, no doubt, still be there if there is a return to promotion and relegation.