I didn't think they knew about the guranteed Championship side until after the greedy blighters voted to keep at 14. As surely at least 3 clubs would vote to +1 to save themselves?

To wander back on topic for a minute, does anyone know if anything happened as a result of yesterday's rumoured meeting of the Crusaders' shareholders?

once again rugby league is portrayed like a music hall joke.........how often are the goal posts for super league membership going to be changed at the whim of lewis and wood? if crusaders are placed into administration then they should be demoted to the championship, we have had doncaster and keighley relegated in the past two years due the their pre-season points deductions, but what punishment is there for a super league club? the annual welsh soap opera is becoming about as boring and predictable as emmerdale,

you can look at this two ways
1) you can either say - well thats it - get rid of that welsh club, they can't run it properly either in the north or the south

or you can say

2) If the International RL ambition of having a strong Northern hemispshere competition with England Wales and France leading the way is to be acheived, we need a welsh side playing in the Superleague.

- Wales RL is building in force. Wales under Iestyn Harris are European Champions ( for the 2nd successive year)

- Wales also has a 2nd club called The Scorpions

- Wales also has successful student sides, conference clubs, the Welsh Dragonhearts, and more schools than ever are playing league.

Yes I know we have to bend a few rules and people will not like it one bit, but thats what we need to do to achieve 2)


PS wheres the Magic weekend taking place again - oh yes in one of the greatest stadiums in the world in a little country called Wales.

I agree Port, it aint pretty and its gonna have some backs up but.. its got to be done.

Yes, the RFL should do what they can to help all clubs when they get into difficulty, and should do what they can to expand the game. It would be good for the game if welsh development continued and grew. But what should underline all of it is fairness.

We could be the only sport in the world that treats it's competitors differently depending on who the ruling body wants to succeed.

And from the reaction of John Kear on a radio interview, I don't think the clubs did agree to promote a championship club. They agreed to stay at 14 and expected the RFL to grant licences to the best 14 applicants.

Then either John Kear or the club are being spectacularly stupid, given that the vote to keep SL at 14 was made at least a year after the guarantee of a place to championship club.

Are my maths wrong , or does a ' bye ' week not work with an odd number of teams and an odd number if fixtures ?

You would have to incorporate MM into the regular rounds correct. Though then you'll get the clubs moan about losing their derby income on one side.

7 v 7 and 1 team on bye every week?

Hold that..... my brain is hurting now...

Arent we due a new deal with sky in 2012 anyway?

But what happens on week 27 , who plays a game less ?

The last club to take woods and lewis out for a free dinner.

Lets hope they read this thread , or if they are as thick as some on here we could have a problem

Some clubs would lose a home fixture for MM weekend. I tentatively Presume RFL would give their season ticket holders free travel and ticket because of that....

And so ends most of the drama. www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/95238/ ... -owe-.aspx

And so ends most of the drama. www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/95238/ ... -owe-.aspx

A cock-up by HMRC, what a suprise

Hey-ho, what shall we find to talk about now? (It's called a rhetorical question, by the way)

Doesn't sound overwhelmingly promising. I'm hearing lots of conflicting stories ATM about the Welsh franchise, with some reporting a new company is already being set up as we speak to to carry on the welsh franchise, then other reports like this have a hint of the Crusaders being safe.

Quote ="TFC"Doesn't sound overwhelmingly promising. I'm hearing lots of conflicting stories ATM about the Welsh franchise, with some reporting a new company is already being set up as we speak to to carry on the welsh franchise, then other reports like this have a hint of the Crusaders being safe.'" Quote ="bigalf" Company Name =#FF4040W CRUSADERS LIMITED Company Number 07413385 Company Status Active - Newly Incorporated Appointment Date 20/10/10=#FF0040 Company Incorporation Date 20/10/10 Turnover - Net Worth - CCJ Volume 0 CCJ Value - Credit Rating 51 Credit Limit £1,000 Gearing Ratio 0.00 %'" wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/29f33 ... ompdetails

Quote ="TFC"Doesn't sound overwhelmingly promising. I'm hearing lots of conflicting stories ATM about the Welsh franchise, with some reporting a new company is already being set up as we speak to to carry on the welsh franchise, then other reports like this have a hint of the Crusaders being safe.'" Quote ="bigalf" Company Name =#FF4040W CRUSADERS LIMITED Company Number 07413385 Company Status Active - Newly Incorporated Appointment Date 20/10/10=#FF0040 Company Incorporation Date 20/10/10 Turnover - Net Worth - CCJ Volume 0 CCJ Value - Credit Rating 51 Credit Limit £1,000 Gearing Ratio 0.00 %'" wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/29f33 ... ompdetails

That is one thing that people forget. I imagine the negotiations would go something like this...

Sky "OK how have you enhansed your product in the last 3 years"

RFL "We no longer have a team in Wales a market of about 3 million people and we now have a team in yet another West Yorkshire Village"

Sky "OK we will see what spare money we have after our Premier League Darts negotiations and get back to you"

That may be not that far off the mark.

I wasnt suggesting getting rid of crusaders, i think they are important for the future of the game, i dont think even the rfl can justify keeping them in and getting rid of another team though, as the only thing they are likely to beat another team on is the stadium and are weaker in all other areas.

What pro rl teams are based in villages, in west yorkshire or otherwise?

The negotiations for 2012 are well down the line. They are based on 14 clubs in SL. The RFL/SLE have been consistently clear it will be 14 clubs. In a league that shows no indication that it can financially support 14 clubs there will be no taste for adding a 15th club and each club forgoing around £150-200K. Ask Cas if they would happily take a cut of haf a million over the next sky period.

Quote ="dids858"And so ends most of the drama. www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/95238/ ... -owe-.aspx'" That report concludes by quoting Ian Roberts as saying that both Crusaders RL and Wrexham FC are up for sale. A loss-making RL club saddled with an unknown level of debt and no certainty of a 2012 franchise might not attract too high a price tag? I wonder if a way could be found for the Wales Rugby League to take a controlling stake in the club (would also need some security of tenure at the Racecourse ground to be arranged, I suppose).

Quote ="dids858"And so ends most of the drama. www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/95238/ ... -owe-.aspx'" That report concludes by quoting Ian Roberts as saying that both Crusaders RL and Wrexham FC are up for sale. A loss-making RL club saddled with an unknown level of debt and no certainty of a 2012 franchise might not attract too high a price tag? I wonder if a way could be found for the Wales Rugby League to take a controlling stake in the club (would also need some security of tenure at the Racecourse ground to be arranged, I suppose).

Is there even such a thing as "Wales Rugby League" other than a banner under which the national side plays?

Either way up, I'm pretty sure they don't have the cash to be buying out pro sports clubs.