So this season that's...
..Bradford
Castleford
Hull KR
Salford

The problem isn't purely franchising, its the system we employ and the exclusiveness of that system.

There 3 teams in the championship who want to progress and one who deserves to, the rest are not impacted by no p&r yet but should have a clear pathway should they be eg Barrow/Doncaster.

Look at Cas gates when winning promotion, look at that years GF crowd at Leeds. Tell me Cas fans dont want a winning/competitive team.

Two tens in a franchised structure is where we need to be now, building to two twelves as and when clubs are ready.

To be honest why have Castleford bought Shenton,Webster and other costly players if can not afford it?No sympathy if lose their licence and say Leigh or Fax replace them.I can see why Widnes have not spent too much on players now and we have 4000 Stronghold members and averaged near to 6000 in our first year.The game is dieing to death and clubs need to be realistic.

But hang on Leigh and Fax are always in and out of money problems and have been for years!So why should you be the ones to replace them?

First off, I hope Cas can resolve their problems, if they indeed have any.

Secondly, IMO, nobody in the Championship is 'ready' yet to replace Cas, or anyone else in SL.

However, I believe what most of us wants is the opportunity to join that 'exclusive ' club of SL, when we are ready. As Maurice says, surely the way forward is to perhaps have the two leagues of ten, and fund the teams (ensuring that they spend wisely) accordingly. Better to have 20 strong teams, than about five?

The game is all but dead anyway and the champ clubs tying up with SL clubs to surely save the SL clubs some cash are contributing to that death. What is their reward? A reduction of RFL monies to 70k a year.

Reality - any one SL club gets more money than the whole of the 14 champ clubs money added together.....and people wonder why there is a problem.

As I have just said on the other thread Alan. I think the whole social occasion of watching a RL game live at any of the stadia is whilting. I don't know that even having two full time leagues will help the slide. Look at the gates for the semis of the CC and the playoffs. There were empty seats everywhere and that was the four big teams in our sport. I said a while ago - in response to a post about there not being the tallent in this country to fill the SL clubs - that no one knows what a player could do in a full time enviroment. I have just read a piece about Chris Hill where he says that there are loads of players in the championships that would be ok in SL, given full time status. I think our sport now needs to look closer to home for it's new stars in our domestic leagues and not thousands of miles away paying big bucks.

Good point mate i have watched a few Championship games and there is some talent,but alot have another job.The NRL pay top wages for their star players, so basically we are getting cast offs in Superleague, or players at the end of their careers.If we paid fulltime wages to Championship players they would improve.I would rather see a less skillful and competitive games with decent funds at clubs.

With P & R Widnes would have come straight down to be replaced by Sheffield assuming they could meet the criteria.
If we are to have P & R then give the promoted team a 3 year term before they can be relegated, much like Toulouse had in our division. On this basis Cas would have been relegated.
Yo-yo teams are not good for any of our 3 leagues.

But don't forget it wouldn't have been Widnes promoted in the first place. And given any sort of grace is exactly the problem with the current system - if you come bottom then you come down, no if's or but's.

Well this is getting embarrassing.

Another of Matt's post I agree with.

Something needs doing if they stay with franchising which I don't want personally a 2 year licence would still allow the team that goes up a season to find their feet & the 2nd to start the real campaign.

Keith,

That's why (in my opinion) it's probably a blessing thet Bradford have been given a reprieve. For Leigh (or Halifax or Featherstone) to have been propelled into SL next season, could have been a disaster for those clubs. None of them has the necessary finance or structures in place to have made a fist of it.

In fairness, Leigh believe they could have been ready - so the above is purely my personal opinion.

After us nearly going under last year I see our club becoming stronger for that as we aren't relying a benefactor now & have to run our club on a tight budget. We look like a club being run the right way from what the board & everyone involved with the club are doing & hopefully our time will come one day.

most clubs playing in a non promotion league, where there is a 'remote' chance every 3 years you might get allowed in the 'promised land' would struggle for crowds/sponsorship etc.
How dare some SL prat have a dig at us & Halifax.

The only way P&R could work now is for players and staff contracts to be reduced should a club be relegated. Also players and staff under contract should be able to move clubs during the closed season but only for a transfer fee. There should be a maximum and a minimum based on the players SL contract and how many games he has played. Staff transfer fees should be fixed acording to the job.

Disagree mate the only way P&R can be re-introduced is by closing the gap between the two leagues and that can only happen by a fairer distribution of income.

But that is making the SL clubs subsidise the lower leagues which will never happen. I agree the RFL should give the lower leagues more exposure to increase revenue streams like TV and sponsors. Even giving more of the SKY money to us would work, but each club is a single business and you can't expect a competing business to help a competitor.

Not quite sure what you mean by subsidising mate ?

Can you imagine the look on all the SL clubs chairman if they got their money lowered to give lower league clubs more...........it will never happen as SL clubs don't give a s*** about lower league clubs and want all the money for themselves.

They want a closed shop like the NRL.

With the 'comfort blanket' of being baled out by the governing body and their mates when things turn pear shaped.

Does that mean we will not be applying for a license for 2014?

Not many well structured clubs in the SL at the moment Keith if you take away the top 6 /7 top clubs

A bit like FA bending the rules for Portsmouth so they could fulfil their games in the PL until they bugger off down the relegation chute and out of the spotlight of the worlds premier competition to fend for themselves.

Interesting developments for Kettering - again I suspect the FA would act differently if this was say Everton in the PL in the middle of a season.
[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19859492www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19859492[/url

Just highlighting the biggest competition in the world really cares about the lower leagues as well - and they have much bigger money fights.

What facts?