I agree with this play off, of course the SL team must select a team whose combined salary complies with the Championship rules and only has access to one overseas in the game.

Because the non SL clubs rely much more on their fan bases to finance their clubs than the SL clubs, and if those fans lose interest due to a apathy, then those clubs will struggle to build or even survive, as I am finding myself, I dont feel the same as I once did from a win or a loss, I would rather make the NRC final than the Championship GF, as it is more of a fun event without the frustration I would feel from winning the GF and seeing no promotion

....and offering promotion to a different league is the only way (if it's even a way) to remove that apathy?

If we had never had it, then it probably wouldnt be an issue, but as we did, it is, maybe in 25 years it wont be an issue

The problem with looking at historic performances of promoted clubs is that they were able to build/stabilise their team around not just the relegated team's cast-offs, but 5 or 6 reasonable Aussies (using any and all loopholes to bypass any rules the RFL had), who would generally be just enough to give them a chance to compete.

Add to that the peril 3 or 4 sides faced every season, meaning they too would rather not take the risk with young English players, and we have the situation we were in just a few years ago - SL awash with poor Aussies/Kiwis.

That route to quick on-field success is - thank god - disappearing as SL clubs across the board are finally focusing on youth and we are actually being helped by the fact that SL is becoming financially less attractive to NRL players.

In any event, the 'immunity from relegation' and P+R every two years instead of every year is remarkably similar to franchising, except franchising allows other criteria - which have previously been sacrificed on the altar of short-term survival/success - to be taken into account. The fact that the system is flawed or some clubs are just badly run doesn't change the essential common sense in franchising.

Says who? and as for playing in Championship 1, if it all. We've seen alot smaller clubs then Hull KR go bust and come back quite happily albeit in a lower division.