Anthony Seibold (Former Assistant Coach at Crusaders now at Mackay Cutters) who I know well and is very passionate about the game and is not one to go making things up has said in League Express the following:

"...I am really disappointed with the RFLs lack of Leadership. There has been knowledge from the RFL´s end for the last couple of years that there have been players in he Crusaders team that have not been paid.....There are a number of players from 2009 and 2010 who need some answers. Even six weeks ago the players were told by a letter from the RFL that they would get that money. as long as the Crusaders had a SL licence. I love the game in the UK, but people are now struggling financially. It is disgusting that the RFL should do this. The players and others have been burnt and it stinks. The RFL needs to come under some pressure...We have been fed a load of lies. The players wanted to strike at the end of 2009 but John Dixon persuaded them not to. "

There must be a independant enquiry in to this as the RFL are a disgrace and trying to hide behind closed doors. Maybe a Call should go the the All Parlimentary Group , League Express, Clubs etc to put pressure on for an independant look at how the RFL have done things and the way they have acted. People should be forced to resign after this fiasco

Gary Hetherington has also slammed the RFL and says the SL clubs are fuming about things. I hope the Various MPs also asks for how things are done at the RFL to be looked in to.

What this is saying is “Why did the RFL not financially support the Crusaders”. Whether they should have supported the Crusaders or not is a matter of opinion but I know what the reaction of the vast majority of the posters on these boards would have been if they did

Perhaps he might want to direct his questions at those who were actually responsible for ensuring the players wages were paid, i.e. those in charge of the club?

Weren't Steve Ferres and Gary Tasker of the RFL running the club in 2009 ?

They were, also isn't their current CEO an RFL man?

Bizarre situation. Lewis is coming out of this situation with no glory at all.

Can the RFL be removed from office by the SL clubs? If they could find an alternative I can't see why not. Lewis for one has to go because of this. Wood too.

If you want that to happen then you are no supporter of Rugby League

Why? The RFL are taking a lot of flack from all quarters over their handling of the franchise process. Throw in the continued failure to develop a viable club in London and the failure to develop an international element to the sport and it doesn't appear they're doing too great a job at the moment.

The whole situation seems a little bit tinpot to be honest.

Quite simple really – the sport of Rugby League is being managed at the strategic level far more professionally than any time I can remember. I don’t want that to change

I'm not going to get into a long winded argument with you where you cite one example and I cite another - but I will ask you this though... do you really think the Super League club management are best placed to decide the fate of our sport?

Do you think a Failed SL club administrator is best placed to decide the fate of our sport ?

Who is that?

Same person who ate all the pies

Super League club management of course not. But I think the issue of the governing body needs to be looked into.

Super League as a concept doesn't seem to have moved on from it's inception. The move to summer and a few new stadiums (Hull & Warrington) have brought about the increase in attendances and the franchise teams (London & Crusaders) are doing as badly as the likes of Paris and Gateshead did. The RFL seem to stumble blindly from one issue to the next without any real long term focus and it seems like they've forgotten about everything below SL level. The sport just seems to be in a malaise as sports like Cricket (20:20) and club Union race ahead in the public eye.

Nigel Wood?

The RFL put them in a position they were destined to fail all for `the good of the game`(should that be the greater good).

There should be an inquiry in to the RFL`s handling of this matter. I mean people cant just come out and say the RFL knew about the player visa problems but kept quiet and about them getting hush money when they went home. Something very dodgy has gone on and the RFL should shoulder some of the blame and be taken to task for it.

Been saying this for years now, Lewis and Wood need to go, before rugby league becomes a non entity. They may have increased the profit margin but they are making league a laughing stock with there shallow intentions and crazy modelling.
Lewis Is doing to rugby league what he did to tennis, it's just taking him a bit longer to reduce it's standing in world sport.
It also looks as though the management of the top clubs are not happy with the way the game is managed.

[urlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/aug/01/strike-crusaders-rfl[/url

Threats of strike action now. What do you get if you cross Broth with the RFL? Laughing Stock.

Rod Findley is the man who discovered that the Crusaders were no longer a viable Super League club after looking at the books.

Were they ever?

And you need to be an accountant to work that one out

No they wasn't. They were rushed in the RFLs desire to have a Super League club in Wales.
IF and i say the word if. IF the RFL wanted another Super League club from outside England they should have gone with another French club, which would have had some sort of structure in place unlike the Crusaders.
The South Wales Scorpians are at least taking their time and putting things in place at their pace. If there is to be another Welsh Super League club it will be the South Wales Scorpians.

Yes hopefully in a few years they'll be in a position to challenge a current SL club

So they just need

Some Silverware

A 12,000 capacity stadium

A 1.5 million turnover

A successful scholarship and academy competing against SL s best

A top class community dept

5/6,000 supporters

A multiple millionaire owner

No problem

And that will only happen in the next ten years unless another rich man comes in and sees away of making money out of the rfl.

The Scorpians haven't set their selves any timelines. At this moment in time they are not even interesed in becoming a Super League club. 10 years time it could be a different story.