I have always had the belief that City would challenge for the league at start of each season when we was all level points. That belief went out the window once Chelsea took away our best player Shawny Wright (which is why I wanted Terry from them this season as revenge

). The premier league as a competition is rubbish. OK Burnley beat UTD (



) during the week, and celebrated like it was world cup. But because of amount of money involved nowadays the gap is huge, and we will never see Burnley win the league like they did years ago when it was a more level playing field.
Now that is a sport with a proper pyramid league for progressing. But for 100th time you can't compare RL with football.

When was the last time the you won it ................

answer the question.

You dont know that , quite simply because the path is not artificially blocked if Burnley were to attract the type of investment that your club has attracted they could

There are now 8 north west clubs in the top tier of football when a few years ago there were only 4

That scenario will not happen in RL again , and because of that the required investment will not happen , and yet the RFL's main focus is for clubs outside the top tier to try to get that investment

A salary cap in footy would make it interesting

Do mean this rephrased question ?


Lets face it world class is a bit ott for our sport yet. Our half backs now would run rings round most of nations that play RL.
The fact we can't beat Aussies in a series kind of answers the question anyway. We have very good players - my own fav is Rob Burrow, and also the new kid on the block Eastmond. Them players would run rungs around the ones 15 years ago.
Hopefully this will change and we will not only have that ONE half back better than Aussies but a world class one where other nations grow too (France/Wales). But again rome wasn't built in a few months so give the licences a chance to hopefully help towards this. Same goes for Wales. London has shown what can happen given time.
Now you answer what I originally posted instead of repeating question to it.
Is it better to have 6 FT NW teams servicing a small area, or 4 NW and a team in Wales and London servicing a potentially much bigger area and population ? Forget the ifs/buts.

So you agree with me then. A club like Burnley can only have a slight chance of winning Premier League if they get taken over by a billionaire and money thrown at them. How is that good for football ? Why can't Burnley build to win Premier League ? Simples.......they can't. All their best players would get snapped up before they even got to be a mid table side never mind challenging. They can't afford to compete with transfer fees and wages from other clubs. City have always been around abouts one of biggest clubs, and the fact Chelsea took Shawny Wright away from us proves that Premier League is now dead duck as a competition for doing it the "right way"

What happened between 1970 and 2008 then?

They nearly won the Cup in `81........

Not A Lot....Correct me if Im wrong, but I thought this was a site about RL, not Puffball.

Yes to owd buggers like me

Try telling that to my kids

Any club , ANY club in english football is capable of playing in and winning the top tier of it's competition with no restrictions set by the sports governing body other than H and S

It's pretty relevant as pretty much every RL club has a parallel in football.

if you think yourself that being a big club is all about winning trophies within recent years then you must either be joking or a typical Fred the Red.




prior to around 10 years ago. Nowadays teams come from the lower division to make up numbers and hope to survive. They have no hope of winning it, unlike years gone by. Unrestricted means just that in football so that clubs can be successful as long as they got the money. Which you seem to agree is ok. But even if clubs have the money its difficult to break the top 4 never mind winning it. So what chance do Burnley have of winning it? For me that is kind of artificial in itself. Its not a level playing field, and is unfair. Makes a mockery of the competition, and is predictable.

We won a couple of trophies in between know nowt. We also finished 2nd to red scoucers in league

Do your research.
But rest of time being mismanaged mixed with comical (for the neutral) bad luck.

Quote ="plonk loner"From bad to worse news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 207827.stm'" Did Celtic ever get punnished by the RFL for this or has it not been dealt with yet

Quote ="plonk loner"From bad to worse news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 207827.stm'" Did Celtic ever get punnished by the RFL for this or has it not been dealt with yet

Yes. Apparently, they're forcing Brian Noble on them.

They are probably sugaring the Noble deal though by paying his wages too. Wouldn't surprise me if a couple of big name players follow Noble too, I don't know, lets say Fielden and Paleasina

Steptoe and Sons's horses.

It was Hercules- he is signing for us at prop next year

Anyone know if the RFL have done anything to stop this happening again at all clubs (maybe a brief has gone out - change in registration paperwork etc) ?

Letter sent to the RFL 04th Oct 09.......no reply recieved as yet.

Sir, / Madam,

I'm enquiring to see if the RFL have looked into what happened at Celtic Crusaders (in relation to employing' illegal immigrant' players - unwittingly or otherwise) and have taken steps to ensure that it will be totally impossible for this to happen again at any Rugby League Club.

Go around the world and ask who is the most famous footie team , Man Sh1tty will not make the top 5.



I say bring in a salary cap too in Footie.

People in Africa or Asia don't buy season tickets though and contribute nothing to the fabric running of these obscenely rich sports clubs.
How any sane minded person can support any sport that pays its top players the sums that are currently being paid out in Soccer, well they must question their own sanity for a start.

Shake your head in shame.....as a Leigh fan you should know there is more to supporting a team than glory



Salary cap in football will never work. Platini is trying to bring one in, but how do you stop Real Madrid and Man U spending money they haven't got because of their big debts ?

There should be a cap because the money they get for playing is obscene!Also the number of overseas players should be limited as its a joke, how are we supposed to get a very good English team with all the foreigners that get lured over with obscene wages.

Hence me falling out of love with the game over the last few years. But, until 60000 folk will pay £50 to watch a doctor or a soldier go to work, it is what it is.