Agreed. You can also bet that had Wakey, Cas or Salford gone into Administration, the RFL would not be massaging the rules to allow us a continued franchise.

I am not saying its the Welsh clubs fault, but the whole scenario makes the sport a laughing stock. 3 different clubs in 3 years and they still are nailed on for another franchsie!!!

They should go down to the championship build a strong base and then reapply in 2015.

The problem with this sport is that most fans can see how crooked Super League is, but the majority of fans of the big clubs don't mind because it doesn't affect them like it does the likes of Castleford, Wakefield, Salford, Widnes, etc.

I feel sorry for the fans of Crusaders and the people directly affected by things that have gone on, but like others have said, if other teams were in the same position they'd be already getting their NL1 maps out for next season.

When did they remove the insolvancy from the criteria? and why? well we know why now but if this is true this is an absolute joke. I know i may get called for this being a Widnes fan and all but it is an absolute joke and its showing the sport of rigby league right up. Im not bitter, why would i be, we will be in SL very soon but as a rugby league fan in general its embarrassing.

Widnes cant go in SL because they havent been solvant for 3 years.
Celtic go into administration 2 years later and they scrap it from their criteria.

Ooh! They're making it up as they go along!

Which might not have anything to do with the Crusaders. I've had the evil little thought that a number of SL clubs might be considering doing the same thing to dig themselves out of the image rights hole that HMRC apparently wants to kick them in.

The change was made to the minimum conditions for a Championship club to be awarded the 'automatic' place, not to any conditions for SL overall.

The rules currently state



Ref:[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/licensing/licensing_faqs[/url

When originally published, there was a 5th condition along the lines of "Club has not suffered an insolvency event in the last 3 years".

I echo what's been said, Crusaders, if they're saved, should not be in Super League come 2012. In fact, it's the best thing for them. A promising franchise was being built in NL1 in Bridgend before they thrown into SL the first time around. They were thrown in at the deep end when they were still blowing up their armbands. For the sake of rugby league in Wales, they need to continue to exsit, but to do so as a Championship club, building towards being a self-sustaining SL franchise come 2015 or 2018.

Good call TCOC.

Its a bit of a shambles but.. its a necessity. I feel sorry for one of wakey/Cas/Salford but some people cant see the forest for the trees. There's no right answer here and everyones opinions valid really.
Like I said earlier or on another thread I wouldnt be too suprised to see a 15 team league appear with the WCC moving to magic weekend

I'm abit 50/50 with this. I want a side from Wales but they also have to be their on merit rather as opposed becaues the League fills sorry for them

Hardly, reports seemed to suggest that the board at Crusaders were hoping to enter administration to help ease them out of these troubles.

It isn't too far fetched to imagine that discussions between the board members and RFL officials have taken place and that these discussions were positive enough for this course of action to be selected.

Now hands up all those that actually think there is any real risk of this new company not taking on the franchise.

There doesn't seem to be any provision in the Operational Rules for points deductions, which is odd because I thought that there was.

The rules say that any club in administration can continue as a member of the RFL at the discretion of the RFL board and can be given a period of time to resolve financial difficulties before any ejection takes place. I think this is what happened with Blackpool?

Perhaps SL is different, but Widnes started on minus points in 08 and I think Keighley did last season?

It may be tucked away in a different section to all the other stuff regarding 'insolvency events'. Sometimes I think the Op Rules are deliberately obscure and hard to search.

you mean from the RFL,now who'd have thought that

So Alan Rowley at Leigh was right all along

I wonder how many apologies we will see on here ?

While I understand the desire for SL to have a presence in Wales, I can't see how Crusaders can be given a franchise for 2012. They've gone pear shaped twice in 2 years, and to give them another license will hurt the credibility of the process. There'll be stories involving the phrase, "...despite going into administration last year".

I presume Richard Lewis & co's resignations are being drafted as we talk? I mean this was there golden child, the proof of expansion, something worth the game bending rules for.

If any other 'directors' went gung ho for something like this and failed they'd be handed a pistol, glass of whisky and left to it!

Looks like the RFL already have a template that they can use when metering out their judgement for the Crusaders 2012 licence decision..




Basically means no licence and come back again in three years.

)

In the case of Widnes... the company was not liquidated I understand. An administrator was brought in, but all members of staff were not sacked, unless the administrator deemed necessary once under his control. I know a lady from the office who continued to work there during the whole process.

What utter bollox

again

Feel free to point out any factual inaccuracy - I'll admit to relying on memory here

Indeed we can

Oh dear. Shame for the fans who were willing to put their hard earned into the club and have embraced a new sport in the country. However I think that no current SL club should lose their place to Crusaders, it really would be embarrassing for the game. They were put into SL unfairly in many peoples eyes and they are the weakest club in the competition in a business sense. There is no guarantee that the club will thrive if they were given a new franchise. What a mess !

How can a club that has been liquadated then go into administration?