There is unlikely to be any great change because the clubs in NL aren't strong enough to make a success of a franchise. Widnes, Leigh etc, if they came up, would do no better than Salford now....ie be bottom 2/3 every year, struggle to attract players, struggle for crowds.

The irony is if Salford were down in NL1 at the moment everybody would be taking it as read that they would be the team to get a franchise, because they would be so obviously stronger than the others down there.

They've already said at least 1 NL1 club will get in though, that has to be Widnes imo. They should have got in the first time round as they have the stadium, following and academy all set up correctly. Salford are going to struggle to stay in.

I hear what you're saying, we played Fev, never got out of second gear and still won comfortably (they did make a better go of it than Salford though)

I think Widnes could attract players though, they have good facilities and a decent fan base considering.

I disagree widnes came 7th in their first season up and crowds where better than wakey,salford,london,cas etc.Widnes have a good academy now beating Warrington the other week.We have a owner who has money to spend and we will do well if given a chance.Widnes for me anyday.

For me Widnes should get a licence (good ground, stable financially, meet the criteria) with the one from the SL to go either Castleford or Wakefield on the basis that they haven't got new grounds. The RFL will bend over backwards to keep Salford as they are desperate to keep a "Manchester" team.

The difference this time will be that a lot of clubs were given a degree of latitude because of their stadium situations 'we're just finalising funding' 'all the cash is in place we're starting the groundwork shortly'. That won't wash this time. The obvious candidates for expulsion are Wakefield, Cas and Salford. The only genuine promotion candidate is widnes probably. I know stadium quality is not the only criteria but if all of those 3 are still bluffing their way through the process, they'll be in serious doubt (which one you'd pick I'd don't know).

As for us, well, biased though I am our application is stronger this time round because we've achieved on field success. Say what you like, sex starved fans of other RL teams, but 2009 was a year of the wolf whether your joyless existence allows you to accept that or not.

The RFL will probably give Tolouse a license....

According to a mate who knows Bobbie Goulding, BG reckons that Paris will get a licence. If you're reading this Bobbie - stay off the sauce.

Can't see why Widnes should get a licence. It is a village between St Helens and Warrington and it is not sustainable to have a Super League located there.

It manages to sustain a healthy amateur society with large numbers of open age and junior players with an enthisiastic service area set-up, in some respects better than Warrington. Our record signing also happens to be from Widnes.

It would be criminal if they don't get a SL licence.

Well that's them and Featherstone in Super League then.

i hope the chemics get in

I think that profile fits Castleford more, super record locally in schools development in particular. Apart from the stadium of course. I would suggest that Wakefield has none of the above.

How can you compare how you played against Featherstone, or how Widnes would do against SL opposition this year? Our cap is £350,000!!! What's a SL cap? £1.5m or something like that?

Widnes are running 14,15 and 16's scholarships this year, which no one else in the Championship is running. We're gearing up for the licence bid, and I don't really know what more Widnes can do to be ready for it.

Move 200 miles away ?

Rugby league is best loved in the North and I couldn't give a about the southern softies who refuse to pick it up - just get the heartlands sorted for mine. Catalan are in French RL territory and I take no issue with them being in - that place absolutely laps it up and it's great to see.

Salford need to get their in gear and quickly otherwise they will be out on their ears and Widnes should have had their place in any case last time around never mind this time.

Quins will get in despite their absurd attendancies which simply are not increasing. Never going to increase so long as I have a hole in my . Even if they made every game free entry they would struggle to gain decent attendances IMO because there is simply too little interest. It is ridiculouse that Quins are in and Widnes have been out in the cold (as funny as that is) for so long.

Leigh
Fev
Widnes
Barrow... all offer better alternatives to Quins IMO.

Wakefield and Castleford should also stay but you can pretty much garauntee that due to their close proximity and non starting stadiums, that at least one of them will be out.

Crusaders are a mockery because the idea of them being in was due to the fact that they were in true welsh territory in the south. Now they are just outside Widnes it's simply not acceptable. But will the RL have the balls to boot them? No way.

In my opinion the following will happen.. Wakefield will drop out - replaced by Widnes

What should in wirefan's world happen is:

Quins out > Replaced by Widnes
Crusaders out > Replaced by Leigh

I've asked this a couple of times and like you here I've been largely ignored by the "I'm all right Jack" brigade on the forum too.

A couple did try and claim they wouldn't mind if it was for the good of the game but I suppose that's easy to say when you know your club is safe. The acid test only comes when you aren't.

In the context of Widnes I do think we as Warrington supporters probably need them more than Super League itself does. By that I mean that although we enjoy a good laugh at their expense and have great memories of putting sixty points on them or their own ground to send them down one glorious sunny afternoon in 2005, we do miss the derbies and therefore miss them more than most others do.

Personally I'd love Widnes in but the cynic in me says the RFL will bend over backwards to accommodate Toulouse.

hope not

its bad enough travelling to catalans

and then you have got quins and then the magic weekend where ever it will be

people wont be able afford it

It is bigger than a village as 60000 people live in it.Widnes also have runcorn to attract from and it is part of halton borough.If we get into superleague we will look to attract from south liverpool, and frodsham etc.If a team does well they travel from anywhere.Alot have moved out of widnes and come to the games like myself.Widnes is actually bigger than castleford, and you do not need 16000 fans average to be successful.Saints dont average much over 10,000

If people in Runcorn or South Liverpool want to watch Super League then they are already adequately catered for with the close proximity of both Warrington and St Helens.

I accept that Widnes is not a village however if anybody from the Hamlet of Widnes wants to watch Super League its not exactly that big an effort to travel to Warrington or St Helens. Amazing that people expect Harlequins to attract support from say Lewisham yet the people of Widnes cannot be expected to travel 10 miles maximum. You could walk to Warrington from Widnes quicker than getting from Lewisham to Twickenham by public transport.

If roles were reversed would you travel to Widnes to watch SL if you lived in Warrington? Not a chance.

If you kick out the expannsionist teams then the Sky money will go down. Widnes didn't get in last time because they lost the GF and then went bust a couple of days later. I firmly believe that they'll get in this time, most probably at Salford's expense.

I totally agree with your post.

Am I right in saying that Wakey got in last time based on their plan to have new stadium?
If so then I'm afraid they have failed and for the chop.
I think Cas said they would have an improved or new stadium, so again they could well / arguably should go.

It's ironic that they are both good teams.

I can see Widnes coming in but after that not sure who else.

IMO there's something not right at Leigh and 'fax have a good stadium but need a couple more years to develop.
Fev need to build more and there's the stadium issue.

Why have Leigh, they bring nothing only a shiny new stadium? I'd have Weirdness, Barrow, all the current SL sides possibly Fev, Halifax and Toulouse all above Leigh.