Just to add a few stats to the current franchising information, have a look at the average position for 2009, 2010, 2011 (obviously up to the current table!). This makes for interesting reading. The number after each team is the average league finishing position for the last 2 seasons and this season up to this week.

1 St Helens 2.3
2 Wigan 2.7
3 Huddersfield 4.0
3 Leeds 4.0
5 Warrington 5.0
6 Hull K R 6.7
7 Castleford 7.3
8 Hull 8.7
9 Catalans Dragons 9.0
10 Bradford 9.7
10 Wakefield 9.7
12 Celtic Crusaders 12.0
12 Harlequins RL 12.0
12 Salford 12.0

Looks like we've ticked the average top 8 box!

The three that I would have in the hat for the chop tbh, and as I see it, the only fair outcome

TBH, the more I look at that list, the more I'm impressed by what the club's done on a tight budget over the last 3 years.

There is no way you should even be in the running for relegation. The likes of yourselves and KR are what has given many Championship fans hope that a team can go up and hold it's own with the big guns (twice!) with no help from the RFL (unlike Huddersfield, Salford, Crusaders, Quins and Hull who have all been a protected species at some point). You have survived two relegations to bounce back and can only be viewed as an extremely strong RL club.

i have copied the quote below from casforum and i think you will agree that the poster has a point

Common sense will not prevail with the RFL sadly.

Couldn't agree more