Good point.

From what I hear on Try Time SO'C - or maybe Betts, I forget - was saying that they had two main problems with recruitment: that some of the available players were wary of coming to a team that was going to struggle, when they could be paid the same or more at a club with more chance of success; and that some of the available players (Aussie journeymen, I shouldn't wonder) were asking for inflated salaries to come to a club where there was so much work to be done. So they went for players they thought would work hard to get the club up to SL speed, and would be willing to go through the struggling early days. Some of that recruitment has worked well (e.g. Ah Van) - some not so much (Moore).

They're not doing great, so far - but I think it's too early to chuck out licensing.

Do you understand the concept of being a fan? Pay £180 for a Stronghold season membership (or however much it is) and then watch your team not give a crap until year two, maybe year three.

Smooth.

You've nailed it!

I don't think this is Cullen saying anything profound about the state of the game; rather, it strikes me as a PR exercise aimed at a) appeasing Widnes fans and b) keeping his job.

Widnes have a squad at least as good as 3 or 4 teams around them; they're just badly coached and poorly managed.

You might want to check the criteria. They look at average positions over all three years, so finishing bottom 2 years out of 3 isn't a plan designed to win a new licence.

This sounds far too simple and logical for any SL criterea that has been in previous years.