On a personal note with my Welsh heritage it's a sad day, Wales for me is ripe to have a sucessfull rugby league team. It just remains to be seen who can find the right formula.
I for one hope that the scorpians benefit from this shambles and progress slowly to become a SL franchise.

What I find bewildering is that this was meant to be a process that has been ongoing by a panal of independant evaluers.

I would suggest that if they have looked at the books and set up at the Crusaders and didn't spot that they were in financial difficulties then they are either innept or corrupt. The fact that the board (or owners) of the CC pulled their application is shaefull as it should never have got to that stage.

What would have happened if they hadn't? would we now be in the position that Wakefield would have been kicked out and CC went bump at some point in the next 3 years?.

The only potential saving grace for the RFL and it's supossed panel of indepenant judges is that they were going to bin CC anyway and they fell on thier swords rather than being given the Spanish Archer.

Shame for Crusaders but illogical they should have been in SL when they moved to Wrexham.
Wakefield so lucky but will be interested to know why the Halifax bid failed,unless I've missed a post on that.
Despite the long and well thought-out posts about the flaws in the license system,it has led to higher standards; the Sky money has led to full time professionals throughout the top league and to Salford moving to a new stadium.
On balance,it has been exceptionally good news.
Surely you remember when Rugby League was rarely on TV,now we have wall to wall coverage and magazine programmes

Rugby League on TV, not really, the super league show is harder to find than Lord Lucan, it needs a set time and also who is watching TV at 4.00 in the morning?
Another bugbear I have when I find it is the final "enjoy your Rugby League" parting shot, the same every week, they don't do it on MOTD, it makes the programme look so old fashioned and dated, we don't need a catch phrase that for the 70's, we need to project a dynamic modern game and the BBC fail to do this. Sack the presenters and get people in who are conversant with the modern game to anchor the programme, it currently gives rugby league a whippets and woodbines image.

Correct but only as regards the BBC.
That was my entire point !
That's how they are and that's how they were.
Thank goodness for Sky.

not sure those two clowns Eddie The Wire and Stevo present a much better image though!!!!

[iIt appears the owner of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats was confident his club were going to be given the nod despite the Crusaders chucking in the towel.

If that was the case then I can't wondering which club the RFL were going to kick out before they knew what was happening over in Wales.

But anyway sod it the Salford City Reds are all that matters in my book and at least now we can move to Barton full of hope of whats to come over the next three years in the top flight.

[/i

I bet Norman Owen was really p155ed off that Crusaders chucked in the towel.

Definitely. Sky just put up the beans these days. The RFL and Super League clubs act off their own backs.