True. I like the test definition given previously.

Assuming no relegation before 1996, if we have played in every single round of SL since then - status retained, else status lost.

Mr Winslade, i think your theorem style response just goes to prove what we & most other RL fans know...the Wire are a top team.
QED

This is simply one of those issues that rival fans will use to annoy us irrespective of any arguments or evidence...much in the same way that we would with them -given the chance.

Very true, if it was Saints in this position with an identical history to Warrington we would be saying the record has gone for sure. I think we all know deep down it has.

Yep and Agar should go with it.

For me it's an akin to the football play offs but in a mini league. The football clubs remain in the division they're in unless promoted. Same for us- if we remain in the same division at the start of next season then we've retained our top flight sstatus. The mini league is just an elongated play off system so we should, by of the season be able to still claim that we've always been top flight.

We have not lost our superleague status.
If we had. The rfl would of mandated that we take the superleague badges off our shirts.
The qualifiers is basically a 7 week play-off to retain superleague status.

We've not been relegated. We won't be relegated. We've not lost Super League status. It was Super League Warrington against Championship Halifax at the weekend. Does anything else really matter? I'd say the fact we've not won the league since 1955 and the need to rebuild for next year are more of a pressing matter personally.

We still haven't been out of the top flight, I.e the highest division. All that has happened is the top 8 of the top division has entered into a comp from which the champions will emerge, we are not part of that. We are in a competition to remain in the top flight. We cannot claim to have been in the 2nd division anymore than a team that has never been in the top division but is in the qualifiers can claim they have been promoted

No. In the same way Halifax Featherstone Hull KR and London can't claim that they were promoted to the top flight at the end of the first part of the season in 2017. Unless we do get relegated obviously.

Not really d about the "record" either. What does it even mean? Nothing. Hardly a measure of success when we havent won the league since 1955.

As far as I'm aware, Warrington is the only club team in association or rugby football, never to be relegated and the longest continual top flight presence of a league team sport in the World.

We continue to be record breakers every day. I think that is a measure of success!

Add Celtic & Aberdeen to that list.

Guess it depends on your measurement of success.

It certainly won't show up on any honours list which is where it counts and where real success is measured.

It's more a cutesy side story.

In the absence of a Grand Final trophy, a cutesy side story will have to do at the mo

If I was more specific I ought to have said original teams...but that would still leave Celtic.
Not a bad shout though.

Incorrect on both counts I'm afraid: both Leeds and St Helens have longer runs in the top flight than us, by virtue of the fact that we didn't compete in the Wartime league. Catalans have never been relegated (yet!); technically I'm not sure Leeds have-I'd have to check, and might be wrong here, but think their season out of the top flight was due to the breakaway forming the NRFL in 1902, when they weren't part of the top 14, which left them in the Yorks Snr Comp and then the 2nd division. Or maybe this was what happened to Saints: I can check if anyone's that bothered!!

I've said before our claim is tenuous and often mis-quoted: we're not the only club never to have been relegated, & other teams have played more seasons in the top flight (Wigan, Saints and Leeds); some Aussie clubs can claim to have played every season in the top flight, as can Catalans (we cannot).

The claim we can accurately make is that we are the only British RL team never to have started a season outside the top flight. As I said, tenuous, and I'm sure Leeds, Saints & Wigan fans wouldn't be lining up to swap many of their titles for this 'honour'; I doubt Cas fans would even swap this season for it TBH. I'd certainly give it up for a GF win (as long as we didn't 'do a Bradford')!

Quote ="NtW"Incorrect on both counts I'm afraid: both Leeds and St Helens have longer runs in the top flight than us, by virtue of the fact that we didn't compete in the Wartime league. Catalans have never been relegated (yet!); technically I'm not sure Leeds have-I'd have to check, and might be wrong here, but think their season out of the top flight was due to the breakaway forming the NRFL in 1902, when they weren't part of the top 14, which left them in the Yorks Snr Comp and then the 2nd division. Or maybe this was what happened to Saints: I can check if anyone's that bothered!! I've said before our claim is tenuous and often mis-quoted: we're not the only club never to have been relegated, & other teams have played more seasons in the top flight (Wigan, Saints and Leeds); some Aussie clubs can claim to have played every season in the top flight, as can Catalans (we cannot). The claim we can accurately make is that we are the only British RL team never to have started a season outside the top flight. As I said, tenuous, and I'm sure Leeds, Saints & Wigan fans wouldn't be lining up to swap many of their titles for this 'honour'; I doubt Cas fans would even swap this season for it TBH. I'd certainly give it up for a GF win (as long as we didn't 'do a Bradford')!'" 1903-1904 ...2nd division www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/ ... e=1903%204

Quote ="NtW"Incorrect on both counts I'm afraid: both Leeds and St Helens have longer runs in the top flight than us, by virtue of the fact that we didn't compete in the Wartime league. Catalans have never been relegated (yet!); technically I'm not sure Leeds have-I'd have to check, and might be wrong here, but think their season out of the top flight was due to the breakaway forming the NRFL in 1902, when they weren't part of the top 14, which left them in the Yorks Snr Comp and then the 2nd division. Or maybe this was what happened to Saints: I can check if anyone's that bothered!! I've said before our claim is tenuous and often mis-quoted: we're not the only club never to have been relegated, & other teams have played more seasons in the top flight (Wigan, Saints and Leeds); some Aussie clubs can claim to have played every season in the top flight, as can Catalans (we cannot). The claim we can accurately make is that we are the only British RL team never to have started a season outside the top flight. As I said, tenuous, and I'm sure Leeds, Saints & Wigan fans wouldn't be lining up to swap many of their titles for this 'honour'; I doubt Cas fans would even swap this season for it TBH. I'd certainly give it up for a GF win (as long as we didn't 'do a Bradford')!'" 1903-1904 ...2nd division www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/ ... e=1903%204

Quote ="Builth Wells Wire"1903-1904 ...2nd division www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/ ... e=1903%204'" Good link, thanks (Didn't know they had them up on there: saves me digging out my old Record Keepers Club booklets every time I have such a query!). This confirms my point about Leeds then: never relegated for the reasons I suspected.

Quote ="Builth Wells Wire"1903-1904 ...2nd division www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/ ... e=1903%204'" Good link, thanks (Didn't know they had them up on there: saves me digging out my old Record Keepers Club booklets every time I have such a query!). This confirms my point about Leeds then: never relegated for the reasons I suspected.

In 1901, the Leeds Parish Church team disbanded

We are the only team. Until SL Widnes and Cas also were with us.

We are the only team what?? Never to be relegated? Did you bother reading my post?!

Yes.

And I read Bulls after it.

Interesting that you consider a war time league i.e a league during the second world war as a regular competiton..... surely it cant be regarded as such.

I noticed a few years ago Wigan had that league as count towards their number of championships Which I always though a bit rich considering some teams disbanded... you know to do other more important things. Also If I remember correctly players that weren't fighting were allowed to temporarily join the teams that kept going. So was it even a regular Wigan team that won it (I dont know BTW and shan't be looking either)

last time I looked Wigan had separated their war time league wins from regular Championship wins.....

to count that league as a regular top flight league is a bit disrespectful to what was going on at the time.

It's not my opinion, but an accepted statistical fact.

In WWI, the NRFU decided to abandon competitive matches following the completion of the 1914/5 season. Games played during this period do not count in official records, as matches are classed as friendlies (newspapers did produce 'merit tables' based on their results though, interestingly).

In contrast, following the outbreak of WWII the RFL decided to run wartime emergency leagues; part of the rationale was to boost morale and provide some sense of normality for those remaining on the home front or on leave from active duty. The RL Record Keepers Club classify such games and competitions as first grade matches (which I think is consistent with soccer).

Registration rules were relaxed during the period, so players from clubs that were not playing could guest for others; some Wire players did this.

It's just a statement of truth then to say that our unbroken run of top flight seasons starts at 1945/6, as we didn't play in the 1944/5 season. Equally, it's right that clubs that won these wartime competitions list them in their honours (usually these as separated out, due to the competition being distinct from peacetime leagues).

None of this should be taken to disrespect the efforts of those who fought, and in some cases made the ultimate sacrifice, in both these conflicts. The heritage wall in the south stand does a great job at remembering those Wire players who sacrificed their life for king and country, and is well worth a look at, if anyone hasn't seen it.