if we are to follow the australian model, after 3 years franchises will be up for grabs. i australia they are talking about moving the sharks lock stock and barrell out of sydney rather like they did with the LA rams in the USA.

DOES THIS MEAN IN THEORY

that if finances at say wigan were in a situation where some one were able to buy them out and move them to say workington, would they become the workington warriors.

i see this working in America but not in this country

OR

if some one does not meet the criteria for a franchise in 3 years for example saints don't have a ground up to scratch do say leigh apply for the franchise rights?

i'm a tad confused.....any one help me out?

it's all very confusing

bring back religation and promotion i say!

With even more delays to Salford's new stadium, I say move them to Cumbria. Failing that, rename them Manchester, move them into a better stadium and use the name Manchester to generate more publicity.

If Saints still dont have a new stadium in 2 years time they will still get a licence.

The RFL are a bunch of weak incompetent fools who couldn't organise a jolly up in a brewery.

Visionaries my backside

Saints will be the first into a new stadium I think.

Salford and Castleford are doing nothing but blowing hot air and to be honest, I'd prefer to see Widnes and someone else given their spots in 2012

Sounds like there has been another significant set back for Salford. Not looking good at all.

still doesn't answer my questions though

i think, yes, in theory, if someone bought a team, they could move it where they want, just like they do in America (wasn't it the Texas Oilers who upped and left to the East coast somewhere).

you still havent answered mine about that god awful rumour you started on saturday Slim.

Don't agree that clubs should have to build an identikit Ikea flatpack stadium like ours to survive in Super League, especially if they have other things going for them.

Saints are one of the biggest clubs in Super League, why would they not be given a franchaise?

IMO, rightly or wrongly Castleford or Wakefield will not get a franchaise next time around with either Widnes or Tolouse to replace them.

with the exception of the MK dons in football i can't think of any other sport or team in this country doing the same, mergers ie, hull and gateshead & sheffield and huddersfield were a bit different.

is it the name that's franchised..ie the wolves, bulls & warriors?

can you picture it widnes buy saints' franchise rights would they become the widnes saints?



the batley warriors!

amsterdam city reds?

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relocation_of_professional_sports_teamsClicky[/url

yes i have, i've pm'd some one on here with my prediction just to prove when it happens that i'm not full of cack

pm me cockles.

good old wiki

no if someone bought a franchise and had lots of cash they wouldn't just be able to move it as the RFL don't actually run a franchise system they run a mambers club, ( a very good friend of mine tried to buy London Broncos when they weent bust withthe idea of merging it with an Nl1 club and playing the game split over a couple of sites as per USA franchise and NRL mergers, SLE voted that they wouldn't be allowed and blocked the registration of the club and company with the rfl)

To answer slim's original question, as far as we know at the moment, the process will be similar to last time - i.e. clubs will be invited to send licence applications into the RFL. However, there are certain criteria to meet to be allowed to apply. Basically only the following will be allowed:

-current SL clubs
-clubs in the Championship in 2011 who have also contested a Northern Rail Final or a Grand Final in 2009, 2010, 2011.

If one of those clubs said they had been approached by a rich buyer who wanted to move them somewhere else, they might be still allowed to apply, but they may struggle to tick some boxes on their application.

that doesn't make sense tbh, they're not franchises then are they?
if i could buy batley for example, then move them to liverpool and had enough money to buy a good team and put the infa structure in place ie youth development why would the rfl turn me down when it came to franchising in 2 years time?

thanx


they're not really franchises though are they? not in the true sense!

why bother with batley though. why not just create a liverpool team? i don't think you would need to buy an existing team. if you could prove your finances, player potential, ground etc, you could form liverpool, and leave batley to plod along as they are

because initially you'd have to buy batley, invest, get to grand final/ northern rail final, then move to liverpool


tarrraaaa the liverpool bulldogs

No, they are not franchises, which is why the RFL don't refer to them as that, they call them licences.

Are the grounds such a big issue, i enjoy going to castleford as the atmosphere is great despite the atteendance being around 8,000. It sounds like, from what people have been saying on this forum, that our move of ground has generated more attendees but lessened the atmosphere.


Do we want all super league grounds to have no history or atmosphere?

However Wakefields ground has no atmosphere, I'm always amazed when i watch the match again on telly and hear the chanting from the wakefield fans because i was there and never heard it.

That's the thing, I'd like to see more teams redevelop their stadium rather than move to new ones, although this isn't usually cost effective.

14 teams playing in identikit stadiums like the HJ, Halton Stadium, Leigh Sports village etc where the only difference is the colour of the seats doesn't appeal to me.

That's just nostalgia. Many matches at Wilderspool had a rubbish atmosphere. That last SL match there though had a very special atmosphere - but then that was more down to the occasion than what concrete we were standing on.

Because slim in reality the rfl and super league don't want clubs too near one another as they want to get more money from sky. You buy batley they will tell you to keep it there no franchises just licenses as already said, they have and always will hold the cards to who sits at the top table, money on this occasion doesn't always guarantee entry!!