Arghh Ok, I am still a bit on alert for the anti-Wakey brigade. Once Salford got underway with a new ground then indeed they should be 100% safe, despite poor scores in other areas, because Peel and Salford CC committed £20m to them and had they not got a licence that would have destroyed any developer assistance in the future and possibly have effected Wakefield and Castleford's future plans.

Sorry I disagree on your final point totally, Andrew Glover has publicly stated that he was able to finance spending to the full cap but why would any player want to go to Wakey (ask Keith!) when they had no certainty of future Super League. I expect Keith will get his wish and assuming that the deal Wakefield offered him is still on the table (which I assume it will be), then I think he will be their first announced signing.

It would be good to see the list of criteria that were met/not met by each club. One, it would give the process the level of transparency required in order for the conspiracy theorists to hush up and two, it would help the RFL to gain credibility in wake of what is seen as many as a dubious decision day.

Did they publish it last time? I agree that it would be nice to see some transparency. Not full details of the reasons, which probably don't need broadcasting, but at least the score in each criteria.

Indeed. At the other end of the spectrum, who do you think finished top? It would be close between all the Grade A licence holders. This talk of Leeds being let down by the quality of the stadium is baloney to me. AFAIK, the judging criteria for stadia were a capacity of 12,000(?) and 500(?) covered seats? If this is the only criteria that were used then we tick them both - even if the WT lacks a roof and any basic amenities

The halifax chairman Mr Steele not very happy with the RFL due to the licence procedure from Sky Text. And to be fair he makes some good points.

I thought it also depended on how many outlest Angela Powers could find to buy a baby from or something..............

Yes, they did a summary on each club and suspect they will do the same again. I bet Wakefield and Cas will be given the hard word (again) on Stadiums and irrespective, they will both be out if they are not building before the next round start... simple as! This is one of the factors where Cas helped Wakey, because they are in the same boat but both should be sorted in the next three years.

I also suspect it will say that they did not consider Halifax strong enough yet, but praise a good application.

An interesting video [url=http://www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/23037/richard-lewis-super-league-licensinghere[/url with Richard Lewis.

Fax can't whinge ferdy they were never in the running when the RFL confirmed it would a 14 team league he chelps about junior development and Wakey trounce them on that score ,he mentions SL history but fax were docked points for SC issues i don't think Wakey ever were.
Of corse there are questions over administration but fax have had their own ££££ problems aswell.
Fax have finally finished the new stand but they were never gonna be in SL at Wakeys exspense imo.

Before I click on that, I have to warn you that if this is p0rn I'm going to be very, very upset.....

We all know which eye you'd be crying from.

Brilliant

Mine, and probably Halifax's thoughts exactly.

Does Mirfield know something the rest of us don't?

Billy - Chris Irvine is tweeting that "Halifax's application too many holes by all accounts"

As much as I think the RFL would have moved hell and high water to keep Crusaders in, had they been more financially stable, irrespective of their application, I doubt they would hold Halifax back for Wakefield if their application was better... sorry!

I also think that the Halifax Chairman is picking the wrong target in his current whinge. He should be going after Quins because, by all accounts, their application was well below Wakefield's!

By what accounts, out of interest? What have you seen that we haven't?

Accounts from people employed in the game. Again, opinion, speculation, you decide but certainly people who have told me things in the past that have turned out to be correct.

hmmmm I'm not convinced IA.

There's just been an interview on Look North with a guy from the RFL, who repeatedly refused to give an answer to Harry Grayson's question as to why Halifax's bid was considered inferior to Wakeys. Obviously, as a decision had been reached, surely the reasoning behind it should be made public.

In one sentence he said he'd been in touch with someone at Halifax, then in the next, said he couldn't discuss it with the media until the Club (Halifax) had been informed. Given that the decision must have been ammended yesterday after Crusaders surprise withdrawl, in time for the 11 am media announcement today, It kinda beggars belief that the RFL would not have contacted all of the clubs involved ASAP immeadiatly after the public announcement.

I suspect a cock up more than a conspiracy, but this one is going to run for a long while yet.

Ralph Rimmer is telling the press that Halifax's application was weaker than Wakefield's, which I fully believe to be true.

Also, why do you think Crusaders withdrawing was a surprise to the RFL? I think everything points to the fact it was far from a surprise to them (if not everyone else) because clearly KMPG were struggling to provide the RFL with evidence of a company that had a sustainable future. The RFL clearly asked them to withdraw when it became apparent that things had continued to go from bad to worse. They knew the score last week, and that was the Crusaders were out and Wakefield stayed in and the withdrawal was because that is what the RFL 'asked' them to do.

1. Clinton Schifcofske
2. Gareth Thomas
3. Tony Martin
4. Vince Mellars
5. Stuart Reardon
6. Michael Witt
7. Jarrod Sammut
8. Andy Bracek
8. Ryan O'Hara
9. Lincoln Withers
10. Mark Bryant
12. Jason Chan
13. Frank Winterstein
14. Adam Peek
15. Jordan James
16. Ben Flower
17. Rhys Hanbury
18. Elliott Kear
19. Lloyd White
20. Gil Dudson
21. Paul Johnson
22. Richard Moore
23. Peter Lupton
24. Lee Williams
25. Jamie Murphy
27. Jordan Tansey

Signings for 2012:

Keith Senior (Leeds Rhinos), Shannan McPherson (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Gary Warburton (Canterbury Bulldogs)

All contracts have become void as far as i hear, and any of these players can sign for new clubs for 2012.

The only ones I see have real potential from this is Michael Witt, Jarrod Sammut, Rhys Hanbury and Elliott Kear.

I see that Tony Martin is now officially a free agent

Personally I'd go for 11 or 26 myself.

With boiled or egg fried rice?

11 is actually Hep Cahill but signed for Widnes so took him out

Barking up the wrong tree there - I'd go for no. 2. More of a chance mate

Yep, that's the guy who has just given a very evasive and uncomfortable interview with Harry. I've no idea whether he's speaking the truth or not, but certainly on the basis of that particular interview about an hour ago, I'd be delighted to hear why he/they arrived at that conclusion.



What is a suprise to me, is that the RFL have fell for the Wakey 3 card trick yet again. You would have thought that all the broken promises from Salford, Wakey and Cas last time, re stadium development, would maybe have been taken into consideration. Add in Wakey's colourful financial failings, and you have to wonder just how bad Halfax got it wrong. Apparently.

If, as you say the RFL knew last week that Crusaders financial position was dodgy, how come they left until the day before the announcement to "ask them to withdraw"?

There is a whiff of the harbour about this one my friend.