No-one will argue at all the work at grass roots is going well. It's the fast tracked pro teams that need 'help' yet get dispensations that people have their backs up at.

In an ideal world one would be left to breed into the other but bottom - up not the other way around.

Nottingham City??

A nice personal message that maybe you would like to visit the AUP thread?

Also, you think Crusaders deserved to be in the Super League ahead of Widnes who have one of if not the biggest financial backer in English RL compared to the Crusaders going bust after only one season? You think other than Sky's interest the London based Super League club has been a success?

As many youngsters are playing the game in North London due to the Skolars as there are around the Quins club. South London is certainly up there with them both too. So it shows there doesn't need to be a top flight club just to progress the sport in these areas.

If you honestly think the RFL have not favoured the expansion sides over the clubs that have been producing some top stars over the years then it is not I that is the "idiot" that you speak of.

Crusaders didn't go bust.

Sidenote: Ian Kirke went to Dewsbury, then York, after leaving Hull KR.

At the time of the last franchise decision (Widnes had gone bust, Crusaders hadn't) then yes of course.

Which one , I'm losing count

My lord you're an idiot.
Both Hull and Huddersfield were saved by sacrificing expansion clubs. Why? Because it was worth it. Why were Keighley entitled to SL? I must have missed this one, biggest myth going around.
Secondly the RFL didnt make Widnes, Keighley, Halifax, Blackpool or whoever go bust, they did this off their own accord. Its not the RFLs fault Blackpool couldnt write a business plan on the back of a fag packet to save themselves.
Everyones entitled to an opinion.. you're just wrong

with 5/6 dual registered SL juniors , an o/seas quota , an ex SL player as player/coach and the rest made up from local lads like these would be the perfect vehicle to bring this type of player on

Wouldn't you say ?

Cost to the RFL ? 1 million over 4/5 years

How hard can it be ?

I think to get the desired effect and properly grow the game through exposure, you'd probably need more than that tbh

What ' desired effect ' , and ' exposure ' to who ?

Why would the governing body create and fund a club to directly compete against its own member clubs? That's not how sport works and not what should be done.

I disagree HH. Look at the Storm funded by News limited, great idea.. as long as they play within the rules.

Starbug, Steve, whatever ones name is. Do you really think you could stroll into say Birmingham or Nottingham, set up a part time club in a small ground and expect to make even a tiny squiggle on their sporting radar. It would take time, money and free tickets aplenty throughout schools. Definately a longer job than a million a year at even Chp level I bet

You mean like the NRL and the Melbourne Storm ?



, Mmmm let me think , ' why would a governing body of a minority regional sport create and fund a club outside it's current heartlands to directly ' compete ' with its own member clubs ' ?

Well , expansion is one , increasing player production is two , increasing fan support is three , providing much needed opposition for Championship clubs to play against is four , not having new clubs overstretching themselves and getting into financial problems is five , providing coaching pathways is six , showing how stability and slow growth works is seven ,

Maybe that is why the RFL should be looking at setting up and funding new clubs outside the heartlands ?

Who set a time limit , not me , as to the cost ? , about the same as having Toulouse in the Championship , or a fifth of what is provided by SKY for a SL club

Plus nobody has said it would be easy , but it would stand a better chance of being a succes than what we are currently attempting to do

It isn't sport , it is business , have you ever heard of a company called Mcdonalds ?

Quote ="Starbug"It isn't sport , it is business , have you ever heard of a company called Mcdonalds ?'" Its about both. Based on stats that ive seen on pitchhero (www.mancuniansrl.com/ and click rankings) Coventry have the 6th biggest traffice through their site for an amateur team, blowing loads of 'hearthlands' teams out of the water. I no alot will have their own sites, but still very encouraging. Players are also coming though, the demand seems to be there, maybe its time to move a team into Championship 1.

Quote ="Starbug"It isn't sport , it is business , have you ever heard of a company called Mcdonalds ?'" Its about both. Based on stats that ive seen on pitchhero (www.mancuniansrl.com/ and click rankings) Coventry have the 6th biggest traffice through their site for an amateur team, blowing loads of 'hearthlands' teams out of the water. I no alot will have their own sites, but still very encouraging. Players are also coming though, the demand seems to be there, maybe its time to move a team into Championship 1.

Quote ="Paull3v"Its about both. Based on stats that ive seen on pitchhero (www.mancuniansrl.com/ and click rankings) Coventry have the 6th biggest traffice through their site for an amateur team, blowing loads of 'hearthlands' teams out of the water. I no alot will have their own sites, but still very encouraging. Players are also coming though, the demand seems to be there, maybe its time to move a team into Championship 1.'" Too far away

Quote ="Paull3v"Its about both. Based on stats that ive seen on pitchhero (www.mancuniansrl.com/ and click rankings) Coventry have the 6th biggest traffice through their site for an amateur team, blowing loads of 'hearthlands' teams out of the water. I no alot will have their own sites, but still very encouraging. Players are also coming though, the demand seems to be there, maybe its time to move a team into Championship 1.'" Too far away

Like Neath and London are close to Flatcap land?

They are too far away to do what I suggest

Dico, since Ken Davy bought the Giants they have never needed "saving" a few years ago the Giants actually bought Huddersfield Town AFC, how many RL clubs could do that, they sold them on last year.
As a point of interest, they had to buy the soccer club(out of administration) as the stadium would not have been viable without them, that we will admit.

Ere'ere. Excellent point, keep the faith. One day the world will be ours.

They are being ' saved ' every year that Ken has to stick a few hundred grand in to pay the shortfall

Any club that isn't self sustaining without director ' investement ' is being ' saved ' , probably around 90 percent of British RL clubs

Doesn't it depend on what your definition of expansion is?

I presume that the growth of Midlands RL is because of good grass roots work and aided by a good spectacle on TV involving northern teams, with good atmospheres at the ground. I doubt it has anything to do with the existence of Quins or Crusaders. Those two clubs may promote growth in their own areas, but if the Midlands is an example of how to promote growth without a local side, then maybe the argument for the Quins is a myth, that RL in the south needs the Quins. Crowds would suggest that most people in the south don't care about the Quins.

I would be interested to go into some of the grass roots expansion areas and found out which teams the young fans and players support. I wonder if most support the northern teams, like Saints or Leeds.

Nothing against expansion, and assisted expansion, but there has to be some degree of earning it, other than being a spot on the map.