Trying to think this through.....

Widnes were awarded a license 4 months ago. Presumably they met the criteria - good.
But, the available licenses are supposed to be awarded to the best 14 license applications. (aren't they?)
So, either the RFL had already prejudged the licenses then, or they were happy to relegate a club whose SL licence bid could have been better than Widnes'?

Halifax didn't meet the criteria today, but were allowed/ encouraged to apply for a licence on the basis that they qualified to do so.
So, how did they know they could promote Widnes without seeing the other bids first, but not know that Halifax's bid would not be good enough at the same time?

Also, Widnes were told early so that they could prepare for SL, but had Halifax been successful, they would not have been afforded that opportunity, and presumably ended up with a disastrous first year in SL.

Crusaders pull out at the last minute.
So, they knew their business plan/ finances were a joke but the RFL still thought their bid was good enough for a licence (in which case the RFL don't know what they are doing when they see a business plan). Or, the RFL and Crusaders both thought the application wasn't worthy of a licence - so why pull out publicly and cause lots of grief, when they could have just been relegated fairly and squarely anyway without all the backlash?

All in all - some people out there seem to need their bumps feeling.

makes you wonder why every time we have had the licence bids, there are plenty p***ed off people out there.

When I saw a thread titled "RFL's logic" I expected the post to be blank.

Mate - I think it was good that they guaranteed at least one club being promoted, subject to them meeting minimum standards.

If you don't, maybe it's you who should have his bumps felt.



Or is it just a case of jumping on a passing bandwagon?

They had said that one club would be given a licence from the championship regardless so widnes who had the best application were told early to allow them time to prepare for next season. Sounds logical to me.

Exactly.

Very good point, in my view the RFL have missed a good opportunity to give the impression that they are sensible people and had realised that the Welsh experiment was a complete farce so they gave them the boot - instead they look like idiots as they were blind-sided by a last minute pull-out. Surely KPMG would have looked at their plans and declare the plan was not viable and they would have been out anyway?

RFL & logic - surely an oxymoron Sir??

It is a very secretive organisation now the RFL isn't it. Do you think that they all have been to the Sep Blatter school for for sporting organisation management. Fax hadn't been told why they have failed and they won't say anything publicly. No doubt they will get a visit this week and with an arm around there shoulder be told not to worry as they will definitely be in next time. Ring any bells. If I was ther Fax board I would keep shtum from now on.

They also said it may be more than one that drops out. If they had anyone believing that then they are dumber than they look.

There is no logic because Wakefield have been in administration, haven't got anything sorted with regards to a stadium, and are subsequently getting whooped week in and week out. Therefore whether Crusaders withdrew their application or not Wakefield should have gone. They're not going to convince me that Wakefields bid ticked more boxes than Halifax's... come on!

There may be, but there wasn't. Perfectly true.



How do you know how dumb some undefined person looks, anyway ?

It makes no sense.

Well it looks like its not now about meeting all the crieria. Its a case of that you can fail in some areas as long as you are strong in others. The only problem for the Championship teams is that the `others` areas are ones that are unatainable to them without either a big money backer or the extras that the Sky money allows.

Then surely the bid process is a waste of time Greg? How do we attain the turnover and attendance figures in a league where all the casual fan can see is that you are basically playing for nothing.

I also think it makes SL far less entertaining because the clubs at the bottom are comfortable with finishing bottom to try and improve the following year hence attendance figures being affected (along with the fact they have had some poorly supported clubs in Harlequins and Crusaders in the division).

The gate has now been shut, locked bolted and the no entry sign is up they are now thinking of ways to engage the burglar alarm.

Absolutely.
It hasn't gone unnoticed that in yesterdays announcements there was no mention of a guaranteed place for a championship club next time round

What if the club who lost It's license had a better application than widneseseseseses?

Irrelevent because they wern't in compitition with Widnes.

Brilliant post from the author of the thread.

Can anyone give me 3 good reasons for the franchise system please??

i) its a "process" so no-one is responsible for the decisions.
ii) employ KPMG - so they can be blamed if a duff club gets into SL and screws up
iii) do it under strict confidentiality to alienate the fan base and undermine your own credibility.


oh, I guess that was only 2 out of 3 then.




addendum - The next time I hear someone at the RFL say "Balanced Scorecard", I will scream.

1) The gap between a full time and a part time club is massive, around 500% larger. The obligations on a SL club are far higher. It's not sustainable for clubs to business plan on a rolling 1 year basis, and its not realistic to expect clus to invest in facilities if a new standoff might keep them in the division by winning a couple of matches for them.

2) The obligations on SL clubs include facilities, administrative teams, and youth development. Clubs can only commit to the longer-term investment in these fundamentals if they know they have a 3 year cycle to plan.

3) Very few of the next tier of clubs would be capable of living up to the standards of SL in terms of infrastructure or stadia. The licence criteria sets a clear benchmark for long term planning, rather than relying on throwing up some temporary stands and hiring administrators for 9 months then sacking them when you get relegated (like we did).

-

I am not saying I agree with the system, but that's why its there. It is very well thought out, very logical, and I know the peeople at the RFL who implemented it did so because they saw it as the best way to bring stability and investment into the game. Again, I'm not saying I agree with that, either... but it will amaze many forumites to hear that the RFL is run by talented people who's ONLY desire is to see the game flourish. How we do that... that's a matter of opinion. But the integrity of those in the Red Hall boardroom is nailed-on fact.

Joe if you had seen some of the stuff I have over the last few days you would change your mind re the last statement (nailed on fact).

The reason for the difference in the leagues is because SL and it's expansion program has been the b all and end all and stuff the rest. Thats why there is a massive difference, if the RFL had built heartland clubs up first we would not be in this ridiculous situation. No other sport has treated its lower leagues like the RFL has. It's all right Joe you keepm banging on about how they have had vision and how it is happening down the south west but it is up here where there is the biggest fan base for this game and it is clubs like ours and Haven and Barrow that should be getting more help. Why does the RFL not pay KPMG and the others to help clubs with business plans so they could keep there heads above water. No they are paying these people to weed teams out of their little clique. I don't have a clue where to start myself but watching the gap grow ever bigger is making me sick. I say stuff expansion at all costs. I say just stuff expasion untill the heartlands are in order.

You do not need franchising to achieve anything other than the status quo.

With P & R the promoted club could be given a 2/3 season exemption from relegation and that would stop most clubs games from being treated as glorified friendlies.

Under the present system our game is on a one way spiral and I think we all know in which way that spiral is pointed. Maybe direction would be a better noun than spiral.

Featherstone now top of the Championship and their home attendances are very poor I wonder why.

1. nonsense no new grounds because of franchise,tesco are building saints a ground just to get a massive store in st helens nothing to do with rl,salford have been building there new ground since the ark was started


2were is this 3 year plan when super league clubs keep going burst,so thats another bubble burst

3 the so called lower tier clubs can compete,a third of the clubs in super league testify to that fact as they are still in


The bottom line is franchise was invented to save 3 clubs,the french one the never ending london failure project and the wonderful welsh farce and seeing as the welsh one as gone boobs up I think that proves that for 3 years they stopped barrow,halifax and featherstone from being promoted and who knows what if barrow were let up when barking mad des was on a roll who knows what players he could have bank rolled for them.

I work with pie numpties and believe it or not half who watch wigan had no idea what this franchise thing was mainly because it does not effect them and to be honest apart from 4 teams at the bottom of super league and 4 in national leagues no one cares

As someone posted feath top of table 1000 fans,why,because whats the point if you can't go up.

Please no one come on and spout lets be the the best at second best when our society is built on becoming the best there is not a tiddler splashing in a puddle

Franchise rip

Mark Bryant the Crusaders player has some interesting views on the last couple of years at that club...

I have no doubt whatsoever that if we went into SL next year, franchise or otherwise we would be bust within a year. We simply do not have the structure or fanbase to support it. Yet. One day, a 3 year license would help and is the right way to go for sustainability. There, I said it.

What I cannot accept though is the constant moving of the goalposts, lack of tranparency, and blithering lies bull5hit and contradictions coming out of the mouths of Lewis and Wood. Todays example...Halifax do not have the support of a wealthy sole benefactor and rely on a group of individuals (Micheal Steels words on Sky Sports News, not mine). 3 years ago, Leigh were 'too reliant upon single investor involvement'.

If they told me the score from tonights Fev game I'd wait until reading the paper before believing them. The pair of them would make great politicians.