because sourcing supplies, sponsors, corporates, tv deals etc etc etc is a lot easier when you are guaranteed 3 years rather than the possibility of it all ending after one year because of a few poor results,

Had Toulouse gone down it would have been the end of them in this system, neither they nor the league were sustainable in championship one, it would have been needlessly risky

I'm pretty sure they got two-year exemption.
Comisserations to the lobby gobblers by the way.

3 years exempt.
2 year additional player quota (5 this season, 2 next season).

Toulouse got brought into the Championships to have "significant benefits for the competition and its member clubs".
I'm not sure it was in the plan for one of the biggest Championship clubs to get relegated in the process of them being in that league.

Doesn't cost the RFL any extra to pay for the travel of C1 clubs than it does Championship. And, to be quite honest, I don't think it would have made that much difference to Toulouse either - it's hardly a case of the French fans beggining, stealing and borrowing to get tickets for Doncaster at home, but not bothering if they were playing Swinton or York, is it?

Good point , which is the bigger draw , towns like York , Blackpool , Oldham , London

, Doncaster or Batley , Dewsbury , Leigh and Barrow ?

Would it make any difference to the French fans ?

But that 'big club' would have still been in a relegation space, well, depending on taking Toulouse's record away, which someone will no doubt do...

I have no doubt that if they were not excempt from relegation they would not have ended up 10 th

So not relevant to the argument really

Someone with more time than me



We would have been in a 'relegation spot' without Toulouse (the positive spin says we go down as joint 7th on 32 points with Batley & Gateshead

), however
Toulouse got brought into the Championships to have "significant benefits for the competition and its member clubs", I'm not sure Leigh getting relegated from 9th spot brings us that "significant benefit" that was mentioned.

I suppose 2 down from 10 clubs has always had the potential to cause a problem.

We can and did compete though. just 5 points off a play off spot and relagated, only 12 points off the top of the table and relagated finishing in 9th spot in the league. It was a very competitive league (bar Donny who have had major problems all year).

The average crowds in the Championship will definitely take a hit next season. Only Halifax, Widnes and potentially (if the money pot does not dry up) Barrow will have anything close to respectable attendances next year. Batley,Dewsbury, Sheffield, Gateshead will all be close to, or less than 1000, Toulouse maybe a few more..and if Swinton or Blackpool get through the playoffs they will struggle to get 1000 on. Fev might get 1500 or so.

Widnes will have no league derby next season, unless Oldham get promoted...

It will all look great on TV.

so much for shiny stadiums being the answer to RL's problems!

Why will the average crowds take a hit? Why will it be any different to this year? Replacing Doncaster with Dewsbury will pull the average up by a few hundred, replacing Leigh with Keighley, York or Oldham will pull it down by a few hundred.

You're talking down the crowds of the other clubs quite a bit - Toulouse averaged 2179, Featherstone 1809 and Sheffield 1174.

Taking the Widnes/Leigh game out of the calculation reduces the Widnes average from 3808 to 3747, so the lack of a derby match isn't going to have a big impact over the course of a season.

It's still not good enough for a club trying to get into SL, next year was to be the big push but still, it's doesn't look like a cat in hells chance of a SL license being granted. Good luck though, leigh is RL though and through.

Posted on another thread (or earlier on this one) that Leigh got the most points from playing TO of the bottom 5 sides. So had TO not been included Leigh would have gone down anyway.

Yeah but Toulouse should have gone down instead IMO.

....you should check out the south of France......on principle

I can't - it's past the M62 corridor!

To be honest, I think even if we had stayed up even got into the play offs etc and even pushed on next season we wouldn't have had much chance of getting a license, with Widnes, Barrow, Toulouse and Gateshead all ahead of us in the pecking order.

Whilst it wasn't the point I was making (others may have) as far as I can remember Leigh actually didn't gain the most of the 5 sides around Toulouse.
Featherstone gained 6, Gateshead & Leigh both gained 3 with Batley & Doncaster 0 from there encounters.
Havn't checked to confirm but fairly certain

Only 1 team in your list GUARANTEED a spot in SL!

Which team are guaranteed a place in Super League?
I know Widnes can apply, but I wasn't aware any teams had been given a place already.

I'd imagine Toulouse have.

Don't worry, it wasn't fact, it was my opinion

Many thanks to all the fans of other teams that have supported us on this thread. The rest of you can do one








We knew the rules, we're not complaining (Tipster Ste apart) and we'll be back.

Interesting that the only fans here saying the TO situation is wrong aren't Leythers. Nice one...

Who's Leigh?

Anyone have her number?