It is starting to look increasingly unlikely that Leeds, Hull KR and Toronto are the top 3, with Toulouse and London in the MPG. That would have been the ideal outcome of the Middle 8s from a rugby league development point of view. Unfortunately Salford's purchase of Jackson Hastings has improved Salford immeasurably and this tiny club with its 3,000 home fans will likely be back in Super League next year.

Meanwhile three worthy Super League contenders Toulouse, London, and Bradford may be in the Championship competing for one promotion spot in 2019, with =#FF0000<REMOVED - Not necessary> Featherstone also in the mix.

That’s very generous, I’d say it’s much closer to 2000 home fans

Presumably, Widnes would be in the mix as well, assuming they don't go bust.

Give the insults a rest for gods sake.

Mods, why is this guy constantly being allowed to type this tripe all the time?

=#FF0000<Original post edited>

Just been playing the prediction game a little and will probably regret it but here goes....

Salford
Hull KR
Leeds
Toronto
London
Toulouse
Widnes
Halifax

Wait until next weekend's results before you predict which of Toulouse and London are in the MPG.

It's a rugby league competition not an attendance league.

Also, IF London or Toulouse gain promotion, how many fans do you expect them to have or, doesn't it matter if theyre from outside Yorkshire / "Lancashire" etc.

1. Away fans and the amount that a club bring to games is an irrelevance!
2. Home fans and the number a club can attract is not and irrelevance but if a club shows signs of year on year growth of a supporter base and a benefactor is helping them, then fine.
3. Clubs that take £1.8 million from the kitty with the aim of seeing success as finishing mid table whilst their fans drift away and some of which who play out of unsuitable and unsafe grounds should have their funding cut or be cut aside for the benefit of the game.

So, o wise one, please tell everyone where the aspirations of Toulouse or London would be, should either or both gain promotion to SL.
Also, if your post is yet another jibe at Trinity, currently in 6th spot and who do have their funding cut (due to the state of Belle Vue), how much more do you think their funding should be cut



Your analogy regarding clubs that, in your words "seeing success as finishing mid table" are just utter piffle.
If the premier league was to apply the same criteria, there would only be 6 or 7 clubs instead of the current 20 clubs and SL would need to be cut to 5, plus of course the mighty Toronto, assuming that they actually gain promotion.

What do you propose with Hull FC and Leeds, both big spending yet, currently under performing clubs or, do you wish to eliminate Huddersfield and Wakefield to ensure they can both finish in the top half of the table or, are you desperate for London to return, with their nomadic existence and 2 bus loads of fans.

Can't speak for Toulouse, but without a new owner, London are fine just where they are thanks.


Whatever the level, it should be directly linked to finishing position, number of locals in the side and the state of the stadium (sic) with backdated deductions for every year since the initial lie told to gain a licence.



Opinions are like decent grounds....most people have got one




Nothing. Both will bounce back and both have attendances, incomes and public appeal that other clubs can only dream of.....


I don't wish to eliminate anyone, I believe each club should have individual targets to be set by the SL board and met or receive reduced funding and I certainly do not believe that we ever took 2 coaches anywhere other than St Helens in 20003 and Bradford in 2005, both for the play offs or Wales in 2008 (IIRC) when I organised them......but I like the fan jibe coming from a fan of a club with fewer than London used to be berated for...such Irony from such a small village with a big church

That’s what we’ve put up with for the last 2 and half seasons. Cant believe we let Betts go without having a proper plan in place instead of that ‘Professional Rugby League’ coach Cummins who is so far out of his depth it’s embarrassing it’s not his fault your not going to say no when only 1 of 12 top jobs become available. Most if not all Vikings fans including myself was calling for Betts to leave but I know now given a few extra players we’ve got in for these qualifiers he would of got us out this situation no problem. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Maybe relegation will do is good, clear the decks, players and boardroom and start again. If only it was that easy!

If we're cherry picking attendances, there were 28,000 at Belle Vue in the 60's, irrelevant, bloody and totally spring to mind.

I do love how you change your own criteria for funding, just to suit your anti Wakefield agenda.

Regarding the many "broken promises" regarding the ground and your wish to penalise Wakefield, suerly, you should give our neighbours and friends at Castleford a mention or, doesn't that fit your agenda and for god's sake dont mention mergers.

Yes as a Bradford fan I've spent each year of descent naively hoping for the same thing. I hope it's true for Widnes.

Groundsharing isn't a merger.......building 2 stadiums that close to each other is insanity and let's face it, at least a groundshare stadium would be full once a fortnight when Castleford were at home

A goundshare would be a decent solution.
However, the deal would have to be "equal" for both clubs and equi-distance (or as near as damn it) between Castleford and Wakefield, if not, one of the two clubs would suffer immeasurably and eventually either have to move out or die.

Ironically, the ground (proposed) at Newmarket is pretty close to all these things and is/was to be a true community stadium but, our local authority have sat back and allowed other developments on adjacent land, directly against the criteria laid out by the Secretary of State at the public enquiry.
Next time you are in England, take a look at the HUGE Newcold warehouse, you can hardly miss it.
Some say that the new community stadium is in side and just need to be unveiled.

Sadly thats all Leigh offer a few vocal fans hence why you keep banging that drum. In most modern sports its a secondary issue.

i like it when clubs with no away fans visit our ground because when they score a try, it's total silence.

Isn't Normanton equidistant and where Wakefield and Castleford roads meet?
In Union both Sarracens and Wasps borrowed heavily to buy their grounds, based purely on projected future incomes and the sales of debentures. AFAIK, Castleford own the Jungle and would get decent coin for it, so your half would be the only real "risk"......but without someone taking a risk, we'll end up either with 2 decrepit stadiums or only 1 side in SL inside the next 10 years because the sort has to evolve

No need for that ! I wasn't haven't a go at any one club. I am saying basically you can't beat 'a bit of atmosphere' at a game, how weird am I ?

Quote ="Call Me God"Isn't Normanton equidistant and where Wakefield and Castleford roads meet? In Union both Sarracens and Wasps borrowed heavily to buy their grounds, based purely on projected future incomes and the sales of debentures. AFAIK, Castleford own the Jungle and would get decent coin for it, so your half would be the only real "risk"......but without someone taking a risk, we'll end up either with 2 decrepit stadiums or only 1 side in SL inside the next 10 years because the sort has to evolve'" You and I have already derailed this thread rather badly but, the Newmarket Scheme, where land was taken from greenbelt and brown belt to facilitate a new industrial development, which in turn would pay for the Community Stadium, SHOULD have been cast iron but, sadly, WMDC cant be d enforcing the agreement . They have gone from denying any involvement to promisuing to build a ground (regardless of whether Trinity were going to use it and we're now in the situation where the developer want to build additional units (which they can sell), rather than build the Community Stadium and despite the ruling at the public enquiry, it seems that WMDC are inclined to let them. It's been six years since it was passed https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-20627503 https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/rugby ... gby-League https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news ... -1-9208564 It makes for very sorry reading but, folk like you just keep pointing the finger and blaming the club and it's fans

Quote ="Call Me God"Isn't Normanton equidistant and where Wakefield and Castleford roads meet? In Union both Sarracens and Wasps borrowed heavily to buy their grounds, based purely on projected future incomes and the sales of debentures. AFAIK, Castleford own the Jungle and would get decent coin for it, so your half would be the only real "risk"......but without someone taking a risk, we'll end up either with 2 decrepit stadiums or only 1 side in SL inside the next 10 years because the sort has to evolve'" You and I have already derailed this thread rather badly but, the Newmarket Scheme, where land was taken from greenbelt and brown belt to facilitate a new industrial development, which in turn would pay for the Community Stadium, SHOULD have been cast iron but, sadly, WMDC cant be d enforcing the agreement . They have gone from denying any involvement to promisuing to build a ground (regardless of whether Trinity were going to use it and we're now in the situation where the developer want to build additional units (which they can sell), rather than build the Community Stadium and despite the ruling at the public enquiry, it seems that WMDC are inclined to let them. It's been six years since it was passed https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-20627503 https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/rugby ... gby-League https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news ... -1-9208564 It makes for very sorry reading but, folk like you just keep pointing the finger and blaming the club and it's fans

Back on topic.

My preferred outcome at the end of the Middle 8s would be:

1. Leeds
2. Hull KR
3. Toronto
4. Toulouse
5. London
6. Salford
7. Widnes
8. Halifax

But unfortunately that result will not happen because Salford have signed Jackson Hastings, who has turned their performances around the same way that Catalans signing Joshua Drinkwater turned Catalans performances around.

I now think that the final ladder will probably be:

1. Salford
2. Hull KR
3. Leeds
4. Toronto
5. Toulouse or London
6. Toulouse or London
7. Widnes
8. Halifax

Who would win the MPG if it was between

1. Toronto and Toulouse?
2. Toronto and London?
3. Toulouse and London?

Toronto, Toronto and I reckon London would deal with the pressure better regardless, but if it is in Toulouse it would be a closer game than if it were in London.

The winner of this weeks game in London will be the away team in the MPG unless something goes horribly wrong with the form book....if Fax, Widnes and Toulouse lose this weekend, then they will in all probability make up the bottom 3...the following week will determine if Widnes of Fax will finish bottom, Toulouse 6th, London 5th and it's a toss up at the moment between Leeds and Toronto who will finish 4th/5th........the MPG at Leeds will be twitchy bum time for the SL chairmen and the RFL......

If Toronto can get a win at Salford this week, I think they will finish in the top 3. But that’s a very tough ask against a form team.