I suppose this move is a very good one for Chester Gladiators. It should help with recruitment and give the players something to aim for.

Good luck!

1. promoted from nl2 to 1 in first yr
2. 2nd in NL1
3. own ground
4. rich backer
5. expansion area.
6. junior development
etc.

yeah the RFL sure made a big mistake taking that risk. hindsights a wonderful thing though

rubbish

for example barrow won NL1 this year, you won the NRC (thats right isnt it)

if franchising were being made today it would be you in SL not barrow as you are the stronger club

being able to fluke one game shouldnt be the sole criteria into SL.

and the clubs that are in SL i would say deserve it mostly as the most succesful clubs over time in england. the ones that arent deserve where they are mainly.

so you do think you know better than the RFL

so my comment on leaving it to NL1 and 2 fans to make expansion decisions was the right description

good to see youve admitted finally, if slowly.

i get the truth from you guys eventually.

It wasn't hindsight to anybody who had been down there and seen the setup , as I explained a couple of days ago

HTH

No we explained all this to you yesterday , please keep up

It’s not rubbish at all.

There are about 3 or 4 clubs in SL which are not as viable as Widnes and at least two of them will remain in SL regardless of their overall strength and viability. The Crusaders cannot be described as a strong club. In fact I’d say half of the Championship clubs are stronger, but the Crusaders are the one with the licence. If there had been P&R in place, they would have got what they deserved – relegation! As Starbug has said time and time again, relegation can be a financial safety net for a weak club. They can dust themselves down and start again in a less expensive league, where they can gain promotion on playing strength, and build support all over again.

If there was still P&R from the Championship to Super League, it would be doubtful whether Barrow would’ve been promoted anyway, due to the awful state of Craven Park. Plus - and this is where there actually is an advantage to the licence system - the emphasis, from clubs such as Widnes, would have been on the playing front rather than trying to bring academy players through.

Yes, its swings and roundabouts, but the one thing P&R can do is sort the men out from the boys – provided every club treats the salary cap seriously, which I don’t think is the case with certain clubs at the moment.

yeah talking to 2 crusaders fans and being biased against them sure helps doesnt it

it was the right decision before hand

the RFL will be dissappointed with how wakey and salford turned out as well.

not that you saw those clubs failing to live up to their franchise promises, only with CC you had perfect foresight

if there was relegation a few years ago, Les Catalans would probably be dead now.

the games future shouldnt hinge on one game or one poor season, especially for a minor sport chasing growth

if barrow went into SL over widnes this year if promotion would be available how dumb would that be?

the game has moved to a position which it can afford.

P&R with poor funding for NL1 and 2 doesnt work

SL clubs get relegated, maintain full time squads and return the season after

smaller clubs overspend trying to catch up and go broke

this way the RFL is forcing clubs to spend long term, for their benefit

So the weak wouldn’t survive then?
Widnes were relegated from a position above what Les Catalans finished the year after.


Nothing hinges on just one game


Then they would’ve been given a chance to prove themselves and possibly begin to make ground improvements, in the same way Hull KR have done. Without SL that may be financially impossible.


Is that why they’re all posting massive debts?


It did for Hull KR, Hudddersfield, Wigan and many other clubs.


That doesn’t always happen. It didn’t happen when Hull KR and Leigh were promoted did it?


Tough! Survival of the fittest isn’t it?

If a club overspends that’s their own fault.


That’s nice of them. Doesn’t seem to be working though, does it?
Doncaster, Gateshead, Oldham and now Keighley have all gone bust in just one season.

Why do you bother? You've just disected and ripped apart his entire post and he'll just change his approach and post the same sh*te again tomorrow.

the lowering of the NL1/2 salary cap is a responsible move by the RFL to irresponsible clubs. good move that.

other than leigh and hull KR how many teams have been promoted that werent recently relegated from SL? other than leigh, how did relegated SL clubs go against the rest of the competition - it was a joke eg cas 106 rochdale 0. men vs boys.

P&R might work for a well funded sport like soccer, but it sure didnt work for RL.

the franchise system will be showing full benefits over a decade not 1 or 2 years. its going to take a while for clubs to realize how to operate in a more responsible environment.

anyway, P&R has been retained with winning the GF because substituted for better criteria like junior development, business plan etc.

the funny thing is im arguing for the status quo whilst the opposing argument is behind the times.

I aren't ridiculing anyone mate, just pointing out that a club that has existed for 100 years or so has had plenty of opportunity to develop the team and fanbase over that period. A side who has existed for 5 years cannot be expected to be judged by the same standards. The only team I can think of that has a good support base regardless of success is possibly Wigan. That's not to say all teams don't have [isome[/i very dedicated supporters, just not enough. So I don't think any teams fans are in a position to knock any others crowds or attendances.

The cap has been reduced for all clubs, whether irresponsible or not. All this does is make the gap between SL and the rest even greater. Whether it will stop clubs going bust, we’ll have to wait and see. There seems to be one or two clubs who are paying lip-service to the salary cap anyway.


On the whole, probably more. It didn’t happen all the time though, as I’ve already pointed out, so I’m not sure what your point is?


Some did well and some didn’t. Again, it wasn’t a forgone conclusion that the relegated club would walk the league. Anyone can pick the odd game where a club gets hammered, particularly when you look at games between weak strugglers and the best clubs- hence Celtic Crusaders 0 v Leeds Rhinos 68. There have been several worse results that that in SL over the years.


I would suggest that the licence system loses clubs money at the turnstiles. There are too many meaningless games at the end of the season, and relegation keeps the interest going and the fans turning up. Going by the losses nearly every club are posting this season, licencing can hardly be regarded as a glowing financial success for the game.


Only time will tell. There’s nothing else I can say about that.


Which was clearly totally ignored by the RFL when handing out licences anyway.

im not really interested in a P&R debate. its so 2 years ago.

All this anger at a rugby league club saving a football team, yet when Harlequins saved London Broncos wasn't that seen as good for rugby league? Swings and roundabouts. Having links with another club can have benefits.

Not really , it was seen as the last throw of the dice though , moving every 3/4 years doesn't seem to have done the london club any great good

some people dont like expansion clubs being saved

they only like it when clubs thatve been around for 130 years and are about to go broke are saved

just ignore the hypocrisy, they arent representative of modern RL fans.

its a dieing breed.

still around though which is the key.

They certainly are , I used to watch them train back in the mid 80 's , at lowton high school in Leigh

well if CC have to move every 5 years to survive ill live with it.

While I agree with the sentiment , ' survival ' isn't what SL is about

That's what the lower leagues would be happy with , but the ' premier ' competition requires more IMO

Was that with Roy Lester Starburg?

What happened to Roy?