These were not mentioned in leaguefan's whinge about fairness being applied. I would assume that Saints didn't get a point for salary cap infringements and having a premier ground. But they have the capacity. They have the crowds. They have contributed to the competition probably more than any other club in the SL. They produce the players (many making up the England team). I don't see how it is unfair that a club that rightfully earned a B License is in Super League?

Can someone explain for me?

I have no idea what you're on about...

I'll go and read it again and let you know

I simply thought you were implying that the best club eg the one deserving of promotion wasn't necessarily the best on the field, which is what the majority of sports in this country use for promotion to a higher level. Therefore I was suggesting that you apply that to the SL play offs, ie its not the best on field performing team in the league that is crowned the best team in the country...sorry Europe.

If you haven't worked it out I am strongly against the licensing system as the ridiculousness of the idea i posted shows. Rugby League is moving away from being a sport and business to just a business, the sport and competition is secondary. Even in SL fans are getting fed up with only the successful clubs of Wigan and Wire along with the Crusaders posting significant crowd increases. Two thirds of the clubs in SL are losing fans.

Stop right there.
They don't. RL doesn't. Soccer only does so between four of it's hundreds of leagues (and there has minimum standards too) RU doesn't.
Which other sports do you have an in depth knowledge of.

Could anyone name the last winner of the Minor Counties Championship to be promoted to the County Championship in cricket? Or the last team to finish bottom of the County Championship to be relegated to the Minor Counties Championship.

Ah, I see. So you're trying to compare entry from one competition to another with competing in one competition (two completely different things) and trying to pass them off as somehow similar in this argument? OK. Well, let me be the first to say that that doesn't make sense and is a shocking argument!

There is no divine right to move to a higher level if you succeed in a certain competition. For those that seem to think that this HAS to be the case then they need to do their research.

As for your comment about crowds, it's no surprise that the teams that are doing worse this year will get lower crowds, and the teams that are doing better will get higher crowds. That's the fickle nature of sport. Wigan, Warrington, Hull FC and Crusaders are the only teams that have performed better this year than last year, and coincidentally they are also the only teams to have improved their crowds. Two teams have stayed in the same position (Saints and Salford) and have similar crowds to last year. Saints still have a home game to go which will see their crowd average beat last year's. Everyone else has dropped slightly because they're playing worse. It's not rocket science.

Eh? Soccer has a pyramid of promotion and relegation involving about 7000 clubs, *hundreds* of leagues and more than 20 layers.

Likewise, all RU clubs competing in the league system are part of a pyramid of relegation and promotion, ranging from (say) Yorkshire division 5 all the way up to the top league. This season, Exeter have been promoted to the top flight, having worked their way up from division 4 over the last 15 years.

Aren't there minimum standards which need to be met before entry in the Football League, union Premiership? Just a couple of years back, Frickley were deemed unable to gain promotion, should they finish in a place, due to off-field issued, and that was to get into the Conference!

Not just Rugby League then, but ice hockey, cricket, rugby union....probably Netball Super League!

Not liable to either , you either have to already be in it , in which case you don't have to comply to anything or you have to have the correct postcode

Are you suggesting that location is not an issue for a championship clubs potential to enter SL ?

It's a part of the licensing process, but not as big a part as people think. Widnes are near 4 other SL clubs, but they're favourites to get a license.

still waiting , how are the Championship clubs stopping them ?

Is it an issue ?

should it be an issue ?

It isn,t as big a part as some people think , usually those that are in SL

It is THE biggest issue to an organization that has brought in licensing purely to expand it,s premier competition

Location is the sole reason licensing has been brought in

Have you answered my earlier question yet?

Try this one. Can you name me the last team that won the Championship that were denied entry to the premiership? or the last team finishing bottom in the premiership who werent relegated to the championship?

The Flying Pig won the Leigh D&D league 1 this year, next year they are in the Premiership replacing The Winkers Arms who finished bottom.

It is a consideration, but not the only consideration.

regardless of any principle, what you are forgetting is that there are a fair few clubs in SL who arent leading lights, and there is no logic to suggest that if Leigh were a very well run club, with a great merchandising operation, great commercial opportunities. good crowds, good youth development, and a solid financial background that they RFL wouldnt welcome them replacing a club like Wakefield who seem to lurching from crisis to crisis.

Even if your worst conspiracy theories were true, there still isnt enough expansion clubs banging on the door to leave out a club which is capable and well run, we havent yet filled our league with clubs which are capable and well run

where are the championship clubs making noises like a certain Leigh board member did at SL licensing?

Anybody got an answer to the thread question?

you mean the one that said that the Celtic Crusaders bid wasn't,t a long term viable one

how wrong was he ?

it is the main consideration

it isnt, there is a lot of benefits to clubs in licensing, you know this.

It is however a big reason, it has proven throughout our history, impossible, to expand the game through the way the flatcappers expect it to happen. Only one club in the last 90 years has been formed, played in the amateur league, and then joined the semi-pro ranks. No club in our history has started in the amateur leagues, joined the semi-pro leagues, and progressed to the pro leagues, NONE. NOT ONE. NIL.

The only way the game was not only going to spread, but also grow the clubs in the league is to give them the stability licensing offered.

answer the question?

either Championship clubs should be campaigning for the opportunity as much for them to be relegated to the amateur league as promoted to the professional league, or they have taken a massively hypocritical standpoint

you cannot be promoted to the premiership without meeting certain criteria

No it isn't. It is complete nonsense to suggest that licensing was brought in PURELY to expand. If it was, why did they not include Toulouse last time round? And why would they even think about letting in Widnes?

Licensing was brought in to enable stability, of which hopefully a by-product will allow for easier expansion as well as a better standard of clubs in the league. Explain to me how Widnes are favourites for a license if it's purely about expansion? And explain how location is THE biggest issue against Leigh getting a license when Widnes (less than 20 miles down the road and still in between as many clubs as Leigh) are likely to get one?

Grow clubs in SL , not outside SL

nice one