Watching the impressive showing by Widnes last night I wonder if they would have been able to build their side & stick with their coach under the current SL set-up?
They could do it because they knew that their future in SL was secure.
This is not the case now with the re-introduction of P&R.

Kevin Brown is a great player isn't he?

Wouldn't mind him at our place.

I agree he was excellent last night. Widnes have to hope that he stays fit.
Brown, Hanbury, Mellor & young Whitley combined excellently all night & Thompson was very good on the wing.
I thought Hull's pack would steamroller them but they defended very well & Hull had no other plan. How rubbish was Sneyd?

The answer to your question is none. In my opinion neither Cas or Widnes would have flourished like theye have had p+r been in place in that period.

I also don't think we would have seen the amount of French players turn out at Catalan prior to the last couple of years

Those are my thoughts too.
I don't like P&R but can see why those clubs not in superleague would want it.

Another way of looking at it is would Widnes be performing how they are if they still had that safety net of no relegation. I'm sure part of what's driving them is to not find themselves in the Middle 8's again.

Widnes have done really well. They have a good man in charge who stays away from the limelight and lets people get on with their jobs. They have a decent modern ground and have stuck by a coach and allowed him to develop a side without pressure.

I wonder if that would’ve been so easy had relegation been threatening. Maybe they would’ve looked more short term. Perhaps Betts might have got the bullet by now?

Looking at Widnes you can definitely see the benefit of allowing a promoted club the chance to develop without being relegated.

Then again you can also point to some other clubs who have not developed in that period despite having the benefit of no relegation. My own club probably deserved to go down in 2014. Wakefield have been bumping along for years. Salford have spent huge amounts without any return.

You can’t simply close SL off. You need to refresh it and bring in clubs who can offer something when others aren’t progressing otherwise you get complacency and stagnation.

Perhaps any Championship side that gets promoted under the new system should get 2 seasons relegation immunity? It’d give them more of a chance. As it is any team that gets promoted has the devil’s own job recruiting at that time since everyone is signed up apart from those released by the relegated club.

Fully agree.

Wigan fans must be feeling sick after letting brown an mellor leave after that performance.

Widnes weren't promoted.
[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_RFL_Championship[uThey actually finished 5th![/u[/url
They were handed Crusaders SL licence on a plate.
Licensing system loved to reward mediocre teams for finishing 5th.
Finishing 5th by plenty!
Ooh yes... let's bring licensing back.

haha oh yes William, you always cheer me up on a weekend when Leeds lose with pearlers like this post!

what?....5th in division 2 and promoted??

mediocrity by plenty

So they were promoted then. Thanks for the genius input.

Widnes were licensed.

Licensed mediocrity by plenty!

Widnes are looking good but for my money Brett hodgson is the brains behind that outfit and the football they are playing.