Standard response from an ' Expansionist ' when presented with some simple facts

Maybe the question needs to be asked

" When is a sport not a sport any more " ?

Answer , professional RL

Better still , the bill will then be 20 million , lets hope they have it in the bank

Agreed. Featherstone and Halifax should be looked at first.

Ever heard of the AAMI Stadium?

Wow. How many pairs of blinkers do you go through in a season?

Perhaps some points that have been missed re Crusaders in the Super League are
This is a first grade team
Entry into a first Grade Competition requires all standards be met
All other teams have player quotas and salary caps to meet
All teams are obliged to be part of Service Station, Under 20's, under 18's and scholarships and their results monitored
Franchise are given on various considerations including % stadium attendances for all other Superleague Clubs.
Being able to buy in a team of choosen players without having to meet all of the above is a doddle, in fact the coaching staff are probably having the time of their lives....they can't loose.
So be it, but please don't judge the performance and popularity of Crusaders against the rest of the Superleague as Crusaders are playing from a completely different song sheet.

Unless the Welsh team gets a financial backer ala Harlequins they will fail. Was the franchise given to Wrexham to expand the game in Wales, or as a new revenue stream for an ailing football club?

Yes, they had some good crowds early on, probably due to the novelty value, it’s another failed excursion into Wales by the RFL.

What Crus need is a bit of a stable fixture list. Games at different times & days then weeks without a home game and then games in Neath.

Keep them all in Wrexham either go for a Sat or Sun with a 3pm ko expect for sky games.

They are doing no worst than the likes of Leigh, Fev or Fax would in Super League.

What i find hillarious, is all those people wanting us to fail, calling us all the names under the sun for fielding a team full of aussies. You just embarress yourselves. Widnes, i believe you made a final one year, when i was knee high to a grasshopper, with more welsh players in the team than english. Do you deny that?

Our youth teams are very good. I mean VERY good. You wait till next year when you see our under 18's, under 16's and the sort battering "Heartlands" teams. It's frightning. You give the crusaders 5 years in super league, and we will be fielding more british players than most super league clubs, i promise you. Or maybe that is what you are afraid of is it not? A competative Welsh team would mean that you have no one to blame, for your teams shortfalls. Our youth development is going extremely well at the moment.

Then you have the Scorpions in south wales. The entire team being Welsh. Yes that's right, the entire team is welsh, they are mid table in their first year, 3 points off being 5th in the league. IN THEIR FIRST YEAR! Don't you just feel silly now, for all those heartland teams that have been playing rugby league for 100 years, are being beaten by a couple of welsh boys?? Not to mention that the crowds that they get down there are far better than some of the teams in the division. Funny how the flatcappers always seem to forget that the scorpions are part of the crusaders too. I'd hedge a bet to say without the crusaders taking a few of thier duel players, they would be pushing for a top 3 place.

Not to mention that our national side is starting to come together rather nicely. We have a fair few young players within super league teams now. Warrington springs to mind quickly. We have two competative welsh teams competing at the highest levels.

If you think rugby league is failing in wales, because the crusaders ticket gate is a tad under 5000 for the year, then you are seriously dilluded.

OK here goes, a little analysis that tells a little more.

1st five games - ave 6691 (high 10334, low 4127)
2nd five games - ave 2984 (high 5197, low 1495)

Yes I know 1495 was in S Wales, but that imo is irrelevant, the pattern is there for all to see

If they were beaten by only two players they should be very embarresed



All the best to welsh rl (though i'm more of a scorpions fan than a crusaders fan, because they are an all welsh team).

Our average attendance is above that of Quins and Salford.

We also have age levels in South Wales feeding into the Crusaders squad using South Wales Scorpions as a stepping stone. A few lads have made the transition this season.

I can't see how the RFL will justify including Salford and Quins if they boot us out. Quins have had years and still attract crowds that are nowhere near the 5,208 average at the Racecourse this year. The young Welsh lads will come through if given the chance. The win at Hull FC in the under 18's competition this weekend only goes to show the potential in Wales and a lot more than London, I'll go out on a limb to say.

The RFL will support them if they can continue.

Financially I think its a very difficult time to be building any team from scratch in RL to operate at super league level.

I hope crusaders can continue to grow but I firmly suspect that their place will be taken by Widnes at the next round of applications or sooner and that they will drop back to NL initially.

BN for widnes?

I don't think they will be the only club needing to reevaluate their SL status either.



If you haven't got a sugar Daddy at the mo you will struggle.

Bit of spin on the figures there

Average attendances for all Crusaders 'home' games = 4837, Salfords is currently 4241. Those figures will be alot closer after your 3 remaining games. Although you could throw more leaflets offering free/cut price tickets into Pizza Hut down the road. Called in there recently and saw a table with the leaflets piled up, looked untouched actually.

Oh forgot to add this observation - 3 of your last 4 games at the Racecourse were UNDER 3000. Even Quins can beat that.

What spin have I put on our figures?

Our average attendance is above Quins and Salford with both having been round longer than us, a lot longer in Salford's case. No spin there just facts. Well over 10% more than Salford get and a lot more than Quins get.

Crusaders trying to generate support by getting out and about to restaurants distributing leaflets. Yeah sidesplitting.

I sense the anti-crusaders vibes coming from you so I won't waste my posts on you much more but can't see what spin I've put on the figures. They speak for themselves and so does the development work that is going on.

I simply meant you had ignored the 1495 in your average....and your right the figures speak for themselves. Why is it that when facts are quoted that someone doesn't like they state. "I won't waste my posts on you". The simple answer to that is you can't argue with facts

Crusaders Ave Attendance (including Neath) - 4837
Salford Ave Attendance - 4664
Harlequins Ave Attendance - 4071

Looks like it's Salford that are the waste of space

I have Salford as 4241, so even more of a waste of space!

Which is why I put average at the Racecourse. Couldn't you work that out?

The fact is the average is 5,208 for the Crusaders games at the Racecourse. The average including the Neath fixture is above that of Quins and Salford which is also what I said. You're right, facts do speak for themselves.

So you accept as fact that 3 of your last 4 games at the RACECOURSE have been shocking and lower than Salford and Quins crowds.

However you could blame that on the fact those games were against Bradford, Wakey and Salford

Probably include us because after many of years it looks like the stadium is actually on its way and it looks as if we're after signing some good players, so therefore we've got potentially for the next few years.

Although we took edging to 600 fans, which means there was less than 2,000 crusaders fans, which imo is very poor.

Shhhh, you can't say that. Hang on...Salford took nearly 600 fans

are you absolutely sure

As unbelievable as it sounds, yes a good following was took by us.

Im not sure Quins are that safe

DH Stays committed then Quins should be ok. He gives it in Quins doomed simple as.