What are the implications for the game and the RFL if Catalans and London are both relegated? I realise there are some on here that would welcome that, and get back to "our game". For those who want Rugby League to grow and prosper it would be a disaster.

It will never grow in London so if they go down it wouldn't matter. I don't think Catalan will go down but if they did that would be more of a disaster as they get some real good crowds at home and have been playing really well over recent years.

I don't think we've discussed this yet on about 7 other threads in the last two weeks...

If Catalan are in danger of going down at the end of the seaon then Wood will have his finger hovering over the code red rule change button

Whoever finishes in the bottom 2, will go down regardless of location.

If catalans go down it will suck, but they would regroup and win back promotion again.

Sometimes when clubs go down, it gives them the environment to regroup and come back stronger, look at hudds and widnes.

The village mentality of some fans and owners has done more to kill pro RL in the UK than soccer or union combined. It's really sad.

There should be no special case for either if they are not good enough on the pitch then so be it.

A relegation is not the end of the world, most clubs can get back up, look at Widnes, I mean even Wigan managed it in the 80's.

' Fans ' ?

In what way have fans influenced the change in structure, other than being bored by licencing ?

While I agree with you to a point, there is no getting away from London's shocking home attendance figures. 1,377 for their last home fixture. It would suggest that RL in London just isn't working on the big stage.

After Relegation Widnes went bust chasing promotion. it took a steady hand and the benefits of licensing giving them the time and space to grow their infrastructre and youth systems to put them in the place they are right now.

Widnes also finished bottom during the franchising era, and the team they are putting out right now, the team that they have built towards would not be on the field in SL.

Or it suggests the people running it are doing a poor job of doing so.

Widnes went bust due to a combination of a SL only based lease and a very dubious owner, nothing to do with chasing promotion, going bust was the only way they could renegociate a workable lease

Yep, Widnes's stronger financial position has bugger all to do with franchising and everything to do with going bankrupt, having the slate wiped clean and getting cheaper deals out of all their previous partners/stakeholders etc.

Widnes, I WILL remind you, was one of the clubs earmarked for EXCLUSION from SL (the original plan from SLE was a "merged" Mersey Outfit, probably called St Helens).

So PLEASE, can you all STOP pointing at Widnes as your shining example of how well FRANCHISING works. They are an example of how clever people, thinking on their feet can wipe out debt and screw better deals out of Landlords/suppliers etc. Well done to them, I think it's great but is NOT an example of "franchising" success!!!!!!!!

Strange comment this, how can the village mentality of the fans kill pro RL? Doesn't matter what the views of the fans are, they have very little influence over Super League and RFL. Even if a fan is completely against expansion, they would still turn up and support their team if Catalan are in town. Or is it the village mentality of some fans and owners that are preventing fans from London turning up to watch their team? I would say its more the RFL's fault of not being able to implement a plan to expand the game that actually works. Fast tracking teams from Non RL heartlands to SL didn't work, franchising didn't work because it wasn't implemented properly. If Cats and London finish in the bottom two this year the only people to blame are the owners of those clubs and possibly the RFL. Village mentality of fans from other clubs is irrelevant.

I'm definitely in the 'if they're the bottom two, they go down' camp. However, although I think that the Catalans could make it back, I doubt if the Broncos would. I've never really believed that there's a market for top level RL in London, regardless of whatever might be spent on marketing (shut up, Fluttergax!) and it would probably be better for there to be two French teams in the top flight.

If Catalans did go down, where would they go down to?

Could the UK part time clubs in the lower division actually afford to have a French team in their league?

Good question. Could they also afford to have London in their league?

Widnes themselves argue they are an example of how franchising works. Im not sure 20 year old plans that never even came to fruition are much argument against that.

yeah, going bust the day after losing the Grand Final was just a complete coincidence

I'd worry about your own "super franchised" competition instead if I were you.

[uNRL Total Attendances Round 1 & Averages[/u
=#FF00002014: 126,590/8 = 15,823 =#FF0000<----------------------


2013: 158,678/8 = 19,834
2012: 149,888/8 = 18,736
2011: 201,205/8 = 25,150
2010: 165,554/8 = 20,694
2009: 168,483/8 = 21,060
2008: 183,627/8 = 22,953
2007: 185,051/8 = 23,131
2006: 161,353/8 = 20,169
2005: 159,614/8 = 19,951
2004: 138,214/7 = 19,744
2003: 123,405/7 = 17,629

I think the opposite. There's a massive market for RL in London because there's a massive market for sport in London, and particularly a market for new or 'event' sports as the Olympics have shown. However, it will take an owner who understands marketing and a governing body with a long term view who want to invest in it. You only have to look at the impact the NFL, or even major RU games at Wembley have in the City at drawing attention (and corporate sponsorship).

The problem with RL in London is there's been no ambition shown. Why the RFL aren't either taking Magic Weekend or a nines tournament to the Olympic Stadium, or working with the Broncos to take a double header there of teams that non RL fans will recognise (Broncs vs Leeds, Wigan vs Saints for example), to get in there before RU and create another showpiece to draw the attention of corporates (in addition to the Challenge Cup Final) is beyond me.

Unless RL cracks London it will not crack the media or sponsorship, and what pains me is that the RFL are no where near doing the things that are needed to come close.

It's a great idea to throw away years of investment on the roll of the dice of one poor season. Hopefully the refs will "favour" the dragons enough to see them safe and the development of the game in France not pished away.

Don't know if anyone saw BBC2's Mind the Gap: London vs the Rest? Worth a watch on iplayer, especially the bit at the end about the potential super city of Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds combined.

Less Groupon, Wowcher and BOGOF cheap ticket offers?

Oh, great idea!.

What if giving Catalans "favours" on the field resulted in Hull K.R down?

Keep out of the sun you clearly have subjected yourself to too much of it.