So what’s the thinking,

Bradford = no
York = maybe
London = maybe
Toulouse = Yes
Featherstone = Yes
Leigh = No
Newcastle = maybe

Bradford no, because they had it big time big club big fan base and ruined by ownership. Now they have no ground
Leigh just because I dont like them lol
Toulouse seem to be well run same as York would nice to see someone else get a crack even Featherstone and Newcastle. I believe all these clubs have thrown their hat in the ring.

For me Toulouse is a no we don't need another French team. For me it's either London or Featherstone.
I think London will be the likely club, they were great in the comp last year and are ready made for Super League.

If it's decided on recent playing records I can't really see why it won't be London ... as they were the last club to be relegated. If it is not, there will have to be very good reasons. It needs to be decided quickly for planning purposes.
Whatever decisions are made the RFL will be accused of getting it wrong ... it's the way of the world.

I think that the Super League clubs will not want to dilute their current share of the Sky money.

Toronto was excluded from a share of the Sky pot, but a new club would want a share of it, in the current financial world that we are experiencing.

I think it has already been decided that they will be having 12 clubs ... so they will be losing a bit of the pot.

Personally I think Toulouse would be a shot in the arm for the game in France and over here.

Commercially they are probably the strongest option, they are surrounded by towns and villages that play rugby league so I think we will see an increase in the number of French players in the competition (albeit there will be plenty of English / NRL based players in their squad no doubt). I also think it gives us the best chance of increasing TV revenue.

Of the rest I think it's too early for York or Newcastle, they are progressing well and I think it's important they don't try to do too much too fast. Let them keep building foundations.

Bradford I'm sure will make it back up to SL eventually, but again I think it's too soon from their recent problems and they still have issues around Odsal and i'm not confident their owners have the financial clout to not see them in the same situation in a few years.

London have a good shout based on them being the last club to leave SL and the club that replaced them have been removed. But their stadium is poor for SL and despite having 70% of their current squad coming from their own academy being a great achievement, I think they will struggle on the field without serious investment.

Leigh could probably come in and sign a host of SL standard players and do a decent job.

Featherstone I'm not sure, there are already 2 clubs in that area, I'm not sure a third is the best option for the sport. If they win promotion fair enough, but I think if we are placing a team in, I'm not sure they are the option.

Halifax, no I don't think they would cope very well.

So I'd prefer Toulouse, if not them, London or Leigh I guess.

I have to admit that I too thought the SL clubs would stick with 11 teams so as not to dilute the SKY monies, but it doesn't appear to be the case.


I think the infrastructure and financial backing is really important because the inclusion / promotion of a club in SL needs to be sustainable. Too often a club has an injection of funding, recruits top quality players and gains promotion, then the funding dries up and eventually they drop out or go back to the Championship.

The rise of York and Newcastle is really encouraging, but I think I would go with Toulouse. They play in a 19,000 capacity stadium that they share with RU in the centre of the city. I don't know who their backer is but if they are in a strong position then that would mean SL has two clubs in France with a bit of local rivalry and a chance of more TV coverage and money. I also think they should be given 2 years guaranteed in SL to establish themselves.

Added later;
Sorry Allfie, we seem to have penned a reply at virtually the same time but I was a couple of minutes later than you.

I love it that no one has mentioned our near neighbours.

haha fair point. I put them in a similar position to Bradford, they aren't in a position to come up yet after financial issues.

I think the "Stockton Heath Stumblers" side has folded!
I'd be surprised if London don't get in ... but I'd find Toulouse a bit more exciting.

I think it is a crying shame that there is no options for a team from Cumbria rather than London and another team from France

I am living in the North East but do not want Newcastle to be promoted, they need a few more years to get the funding & players in place otherwise it would straight back down & probable collapse.
Not too fussed as to who comes up - Toulouse will have the same travel issues as Catalans if Covid continues and London still need rebuilding but have little funds to do it.
We'll just have to wait and see what wonderful plan Elstone comes up with - he'll probably invite Ottawa!

Barring a miracle, it will kill whoever comes up. Reduced funding and little time to prepare will mean short-termism and panic.

All the good work the likes of Toulouse have done could be undone in a few months.

Whoever does come up will be on a hiding to nothing, news from the WG would indicate that the lucky club will receive nearly £1m less than the other 11 clubs.
Stuff expansion lets just look after ourselves is the message I am reading into this.
When we think it couldn't get any worse - it does!

Whatever team is allowed into Superleague , the way forward for RL imo is to embrace all of the current clubs within all the divisions. Perhaps a tie up between clubs at different levels to promote the development of youth from SL academy set ups to help out & gain experience within partner clubs at a lower level but ,equally, giving younger players the experience of playing against older but more experienced players in the latter playing days. More than the previously tried "dual registration" system. Also upcoming youngsters from lower division clubs could be tried out at SL level . Moving RL forward as a whole would ,i think ,be better than focussing on the elitist Superleague although SL would probably be the main TV attraction.

Typical Rugby League! Years ago Maurice Lindsay's plan was rejected wrongly in my view. Mr. Kookash got out having had enough. Mr. Hearns' ideas clearly did not appeal to the backwoodsmen of our game. Pity considering every sport he's involved in is thriving. The changes made in Australia angered many but were massively successful but we keep going round in circles and getting nowhere. Money is key to the game's future so it seems a form of franchising is vital. How about a team in Cumbria! Bit late obviously but long long overdue.

Featherstone contested the last Championship GF, so there's a case for them.

With the 12th team screwed over with pot money. I’d say Toulouse, as they could afford it and send KR down. KR the vote cheating .......

I'd give the 12th team 2 seasons. In the absence of fans it's very hard to see the chpionship going ahead so hard to see promotion/ relegation anyway.

Toulouse are the standout contenders but travel is very likely to be a problem. I'd love to just rename barrow Cumbria raiders for the season and see if it works with a Cumbria side. Give them 2 seasons, it's about time cumbria was involved again.

Featherstone massive no we don't need another team in that area...

Toulouse, London, York, Newcastle any will do

Is there any confirmation of how many would definitely take up the offer of a place in SL under these circumstances (they could change) and at this time?
Teams may have ambitions for SL but might feel compelled to wait until they are ready rather than scramble and struggle effectively putting them back in their planning.
The problem is time but you could make a case for certainly 4 teams possibly 6 and ideally you'd have a play off at least an attempt at meritocracy imo

You'd get plenty of Cumbrians arguing Barrow wasn't in Cumbria, and it's quite a long way from the Cumbrian rugby heartlands, but I'd agree, a Cumbrian team would be a boost to an area that traditionally produces it's fair share of players. It would probably need to be based around Whitehaven & Workington, who obviously have a traditional rivalry but you would hope would come together under a Cumbrian banner. A merger wouldn't work, but possibly still having Workington & Whitehaven in the lower leagues with a professional Cumbrian team might?

It would need a lot of money thrown at it, new stadium, and the population isn't huge around there to bring in the 6k fans minimum you need to compete, 50k between the two towns - it would be difficult to sustain I think.

I'd love to bring Toulouse in under a 2 year franchise. But where would that then leave the Championship? Would the backers and fans of Leigh, Featherstone, Halifax etc etc be interested in the Championship if there was a closed shop? Especially given they are likely to get reduced funding in 2021, would it be fair to relegate Hull KR / Wakey if Toulouse finished bottom. The ideal answer is a 14 team franchise comp with plans in place to expand - but it feels like we are further away from that than ever given the state of finances currently. Rugby League is at a difficult point at the moment

It's an important point, I think the likes of Toulouse, Leigh, possibly London through David Hughes have the backing to spend to cap, but they are seriously behind the 8 ball when it comes to recruitment, and by the time SL kicks off next year, much of their current squad wont have played a game for 12 months - so they are bound to start slow which will heap the pressure on. Then they have a big financial outlay in 2021 with the most likely outcome a relegation the following year, so the break up of a squad, it could absolutely set them back.

Featherstone I'm not sure, but Bradford, Newcastle & York just need to keep growing from where they are. It's too soon for them I think.

The focus, pre COVID, was on growth. In particular by tapping into the potential of overseas markets (France, Canada, USA).

Now we are in survival mode so a 12th team has to provide the top flight with a net gain. That means a club with an established, but possibly dormant, fan base and who are prepared to take less of the TV pot meaning that they need a wealthy backer. Bradford could potentially attract the fans but, if the fail after 2 years (and they probably would), then it would destroy all the rebuilding that has been going on for a few years.

All these posts simply reinforcing my earlier argument on this forum, that relegation is an outdated system & that we need to change to 3-5 yearly licensing system, allowing both new and existing SL clubs the certainty to be able to plan properly for the future.