changing the rules to suit their needs.

In the League Express today..

Toulouse are now exempt from on field performance criteria in order to submit an application for a SL licence in 2012.

All money must now be on them to get a licence but this is sickening news for anyone in the lower leagues. The goalposts have been moved again and no amount of spin will hide the fact that the RFL simply have no concern for the game below SL. The Championship teams have been spat in the face by Messers Lewis and Wood this morning.

Now there's a surprise. The RFL moving the goalposts to suit their own agenda??? We've never seen this before have we..

.....and Toulouse have come out and stated they knew this from the start of their first Championship season....thats not what the press and other clubs were told is it

[size=200=#FF0000RFL BOARD OUT[/size

jeesus.
I spend a lot of time defending the RFL, but this, this just goes against everything they promised and why bother having a competition in the first place!?
I actually think they should have been exempt, but to see it announced now, and Widnes lose out AGAIN will be pathetic.
2 clubs go from SL or Toulouse stay where they are.

This time I think, they haven't just shot themselves in the foot, they have blown both their legs off

i am also a defender of the RFL and of the franchise system - but this just seems like they are deliberately trying to alienate large portions of the RL fanbase.

They made a decision 2 years ago on the criteria needed for SL2012 - they cant just change their mind for 1 team and not for the others.

To the 'defenders of the RFL'... Nice of you to catch up with what the rest of us already know.

If Toulouse get a license for 2012 and we dont im finished with Rugby League, how on earth they can just change rules like this is beyond belief and just expect people to accept it.

How about letting the main sponsors know what you think of that decision & how it may affect your future shopping habits: Write to: The Co-operative Group Customer Relations Freepost MR9473 Manchester M4 8BA or Email: customer.relations@co-op.co.uk or Phone: 0800 068 6727 0800 068 6727 As the song goes ' If you tolerate this then your children will be next'

How about letting the main sponsors know what you think of that decision & how it may affect your future shopping habits: Write to: The Co-operative Group Customer Relations Freepost MR9473 Manchester M4 8BA or Email: customer.relations@co-op.co.uk or Phone: 0800 068 6727 0800 068 6727 As the song goes ' If you tolerate this then your children will be next'

Ludicrous decision on the face of it.

Any kind of justification offered?

The Championship clubs voted to let Toulouse in on the strength of them having to abide by the same qualification rules as everyone else. When this vote was taken Toulouse allegedly already knew they din't have to abide by the same rules, hence their finishing in a relegation position last season.

Would the clubs have voted the same way if they knew that they and the press had been told one thing and Toulouse something completely different.

They haven't changed any rules though if Toulouse knew the criteria they had to fit when they entered the competition as is stated

Quote ="I wasn't there at Cawoods"How about letting the main sponsors know what you think of that decision & how it may affect your future shopping habits: Write to: The Co-operative Group Customer Relations Freepost MR9473 Manchester M4 8BA or Email: customer.relations@co-op.co.uk or Phone: 0800 068 6727 0800 068 6727 As the song goes ' If you tolerate this then your children will be next''" Lol. As if it's anything to do with them? How on earth will shopping terrorism against Co-Op, a supporter of RL help the situation? Direct your jealousy/anger towards the RFL/SL not the sponsors please.

Quote ="I wasn't there at Cawoods"How about letting the main sponsors know what you think of that decision & how it may affect your future shopping habits: Write to: The Co-operative Group Customer Relations Freepost MR9473 Manchester M4 8BA or Email: customer.relations@co-op.co.uk or Phone: 0800 068 6727 0800 068 6727 As the song goes ' If you tolerate this then your children will be next''" Lol. As if it's anything to do with them? How on earth will shopping terrorism against Co-Op, a supporter of RL help the situation? Direct your jealousy/anger towards the RFL/SL not the sponsors please.

& what will that achieve exactly?

The rfl/SL have changed the rules & as a consequence anything to bring pressure is fair game...............

Quote ="MrPhilb"They haven't changed any rules though if Toulouse knew the criteria they had to fit when they entered the competition as is stated'" What about telling the rest of the world what rules Toulouse would have to abide by? www.therfl.co.uk/~therflc/home/n ... p?id=11628 Does that count as changing the rules?

Quote ="MrPhilb"They haven't changed any rules though if Toulouse knew the criteria they had to fit when they entered the competition as is stated'" What about telling the rest of the world what rules Toulouse would have to abide by? www.therfl.co.uk/~therflc/home/n ... p?id=11628 Does that count as changing the rules?

The biggest shock about this is that people are surprised...

If I was the Chp clubs now I'd refuse to play them until the situation was clarified. This is basically handing them a meal ticket to SL and there's not a damn way they're better than Widnes

RFL press release, posted on their own website, at the time of Toulouse joining the Championship.


Quote It has also been agreed that in the event that Toulouse wish to make an application to compete in engage Super League in 2012, the clubs must satisfy the same on-field performance criteria as other Co-operative National League clubs and appear in a Grand Final in either 2009 or 2010.

Cracking decision, despite the dubious tactics involved. Catalans have proven that French involvement in SL can be vibrant and attract bigger crowds than the Mickey Mouse teams would. It also directly aids the international game as it gives France 2 fully professional teams to draw players from instead of one.

The fans of teams outside of Super League need to look at why they were there in the first place. They obviously weren't up to SL and I don't see many having made an improvement since and for me none of the 'traditional' teams are ticking any boxes. None are well supported bar Widnes and they were financially ruined in SL, so it's hard to justify their inclusion.

For me the next SL franchises should be given to:

1 - Leeds
2 - Hull
3 - Warrington
4 - Wigan
5 - Huddersfield
6 - Catalans Dragons
7 - Bradford Bulls
8 - Hull KR
9 - St Helens (Subject to stadium)
10 - Castleford (Subject to stadium)
11 - Wakefield (Subject to stadium)
12 - Salford (Subect to stadium)
13 - Crusaders (Subject to location being finalised, crowds being acceptable and finances being in order and with realistic chance of survival)
14 - Toulouse

Now, that leaves 5 teams with question marks over them. I've cut Quins as I don't see their crowds improving. We cannot allow them to stay in SL with their crowds and I can't see how they can be financially viable in the medium to long term with those crowds either.

Of the clubs coming up there are only really Widnes and Leigh that I can see with the facilities and the setup to come up. But neither are strong candidates as neither managed to make a go of it when they were in SL previously. Widnes are the stronger of the two but their financial history will no doubt cast doubt over their validity. It's not like the Co-Operative Championship is full of well run clubs with the potential to contribute much to SL is it. Can you honestly say the clubs there at the moment would make any more of a go of it than a Toulouse franchise would or even a cashed up Paris franchise which has been rumoured to be interested in applying?

I wouldn't like to be making these decisions to be honest.

What and SL if full of well run clubs? Looking at that list - it would suggest not.

Nonsense. What on earth has any club's previous existence in SL got to do with future aspirations? We were last in SL 5 years ago and the club has been transformed from the bottom up this time and is better run than some current SL clubs. We've already been penalised and denied a franchise based on our past financial issues, why then should that be a factor in the next round of applications if we can prove financial stability over these 3 years??

Toulouse may well spend the next two seasons knocking round the bottom end of the Championship, yet you'd see fit to put them in over a club that has consistently competed at the top, with everything in place to make a successful transition? You must be mad.

Your a complete waste of Oxygen.

Financial history is getting towards 3 years back, Steve O'connor is loaded and we are debt free with everything in place, we have beaten super league crowds this year and are ready to go. We tick all the boxes that are relevant to a franchise.

Saddened, it's a decent idea, if they had told everyone 18 months ago!
Teams have been busting a nut for what will be basically nothing just for a team who have been, lets be honest, crap to walk right though.

I agree, it's not what was envisaged when it was set up.

Leeds, Hull, Warrington, Wigan, Catalans and Huddersfield are strong.
Bradford, Saints, Cas and Hull KR would join that elite group if their facilities were better.

The rest need to improve.