Clearly the current owner has money issues see www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/no ... nd-newport However aren't Wrexham just looking for a few more games ( to boost their own income ) Sky Sports and the RFL both like Newport Dai Watkins, the Crusaders' President and Newport RFC board member is looking at additional funding Iestyn Harris got the Welsh team playing some cracking rugby after just 2 weeks in charge 64 schools now play rugby League in South Wales The GB U18s captain is Mark Wool, who is from South Wales Why would anyone move the club away from South Wales ? Its all just starting for us with one of the best coaching teams in rugby league and we now have the Challenge Cup final and the Grand Final now in our sights watch out England, here we come

Clearly the current owner has money issues see www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/no ... nd-newport However aren't Wrexham just looking for a few more games ( to boost their own income ) Sky Sports and the RFL both like Newport Dai Watkins, the Crusaders' President and Newport RFC board member is looking at additional funding Iestyn Harris got the Welsh team playing some cracking rugby after just 2 weeks in charge 64 schools now play rugby League in South Wales The GB U18s captain is Mark Wool, who is from South Wales Why would anyone move the club away from South Wales ? Its all just starting for us with one of the best coaching teams in rugby league and we now have the Challenge Cup final and the Grand Final now in our sights watch out England, here we come

My God.

I don't know which bit to laugh loudest at.

Best coaching team
CC cup
Grand Final

I think "port" is the posters drink of choice, and "64" is the number of bottles he's had today before posting this!

I believe that article mentioned something about the possibility of another professional team next season in the lower leagues. Sounds interesting.

from little acorns mate, mighty oaks grow

4 years ago, only a few schools played rugby league and now it is 64

Do you have any idea of the interest that is brewing down here

Alright Challenge Cups and grand Finals might be a bit far off yet but believe me , rugby-league is starting to take off in Wales

What, 31 miles into Wales you mean?

Wonder how many Australians would swell their ranks?
IMO the best option would be a Crusaders B team (under that very name), playing out of Bridgend in Championship 1.
That would give some of their young players the opportunity to develop their skills in a tough, competitive league before making the step up to SL.
Harris could coach any such team, alongside his duties with the Crusaders SL squad.

Have they got one?

Well i would certainly hope any team that is placed at championship level would be a team of mainly Welsh players, It would seem stupid and a missed opportunity to have a 2nd team filled with Aussies.

The man is on drugs

We are on the verge of not even having a team in south wales to support and he goes posting stuff like that

He posts similar stuff on our own website

How many players have you got for next season, I dont recall any signings for the 6 bods who were deported, your youngsters filled in valiantly, But I can't see Noble going with the squad as it was?

Maybe they should just throw the kids in and forget about bringing in more Antipodeans.
They'd certainly regain a lot credibility amongs RL fans if they did, and with no relegation what would be the harm? In fact, it could only be a good thing.

No relegation?

Franchises up for renewal.

Apart from when they got beat 60 nil every week. Crusaders will not finish bottom of Super League next year, if I could find odds I would put money on it.

Fantastic.

Crusaders don't need a stadium to play at. They don't need more than 12 players.

64 Welsh schools now play rugby league and that's all that matters. Hurrah!

The one thing I have learned about this thread is there are some people U' North who don't want the Crusaders to be successful

Y'know what, you aren't much different to some rugby unions fans in South Wales, who also wish the Crusaders would fail.

You have!!!

Didn't you vow never to post on RLFANS again? Too bad you didn't stick to it, since you post so much rubbish and your opinions are respected by nobody.

I really don't think that's the case. There are those who predicted that Crusaders would fail, and those that disagree with the RFLs expansion policy (or at least the means by which the RFL is pursuing expansion) but on the whole I think RL fans do not wish to see RL clubs fail. That is not in the interests of the sport we love.

So, Crusaders have been a roaring success, is that your point?

Where have I said that? They're not even into their second proper year FFS. It's pathetic that people feel the need to label expansion clubs as 'a success' or not and write them off. Would you look at Salford, Warrington etc in the same way? The insular attitude of a lot of RL people is absolutely ridiculous and it's no surprise that rugby union has gained so much more penetration into the global market with a far inferior product. Thankfully, with forward-thinking administrators now in charge these fans have no influence whatsoever over what happens.

But if the backer withdraws, what then?

I don't want Crusaders to fail, I think expansion is good, into proven areas (Catalans), I just think some decisions are made for the wrong reasons. To sanction moving the club 31 miles from Widnes is a real kick in the preverbials to Widnes fans.

With the immigration breaches etc. you can understand the opinion that Crusaders was flawed, it was too soon for the club, in some people's opinions.

How can expansion involve placing clubs in proven areas? That doesn't make any sense. Crusaders are not moving to Wrexham, they are playing two games there because Rodney Parade is unavailable. I don't really know why they moved from Bridgend, but if a new stadium is built there then they will have a permanent home. Crusaders will be fine, they will be competitive on the field next season and hopefully will be able to develop a fan base in Newport. I've not seen any evidence that Samuel is planning to pull out, and I'm sure that the club would have not moved to Newport against his wishes. To be honest the Guardian article looks like a rehash of some of the paranoid postings on the official Crusaders message board rather than anything of substance.

We shall see I guess, although I trust a Guardian journalist over a fan.

Maybe you should stop believing that Rugby League journalists know anything about the game then.