Edited for accuracy

Its nothing to do with us being or not being ready for SLE it is to do with the RFL taking away what little chance teams like us, Halifax and Barrow (and now Batley) had of actually being in a position to reach SL.
And contrary to what some on here think we are as equipped as any other club in this division off the field, notice I haven't said we are ready I'm saying we are as ready.

Where is this press release or whatever that states we can't apply should we get to a GF? (or is it reading between the lines stuff again)
The reason part of me doesn't want us to reach a GF (also known as a tick to some for SL) is tho most of us know we would struggle big time in SL, certain people will belly ache about being refused (which we knew would happen a couple of seasons ago). Then it will be splashed over website, local papers about how everything is unfair and nowt is the clubs fault. Then queue crowds falling further.......I will say it again, its not the system that is killing us its the fact we can't adapt to something new.

I admire your consistency in winding folk up, some even think you are being serious. Great wind up.

Franchising for any sport in the UK willl never be accepted.





RL after the new criteria is as good as ended pro RL so quickly it was inevitable.

You should be a comedian

In response to the original title of this thread, as much as I hate to say it, I'm not sure that interest levels, attendances and revenue outside SL justify pro-RL and the RFL are not entirely to blame for that.

I just know if there are enough fans or enough investors to fund more than about 15 pro-RL clubs in this country??

You should stand back as a Leigh fan and read the threads, like I did this afternoon. It would be hilarious if it wasn't for damage it does the club.
Thread can start off "RFL are stopping Leigh from training!!!"












and on it goes.......

The RFL should NOT be able to change rules when it suits them though which is what they have done ,how can it be fair to be given a set of regulations to get into the top flight ,the clubs spend x amount of pounds adhering to the said rules and then just just before the play offs they drop this bomb shell ,how do you expect people to respond ?embrace it and slap the RFL on the back and say well done we fully understand and know exactly where your coming from.The RFL are wrong in what they have done ,they have just sh@t on all the lower clubs from a great height.

And not one of mine quoted. I am thnking you agree with me.

Much as breaking away from the confines of the RFL and messrs Wood and Lewis [ and Hetherington , as he has far too much influence at Red Hall for comfort would please me

It really is a non starter , the infrastructure provided by the RFL is vital , we really couldn't finance a totally new competition with the legalitys involved and things like referees and sponsorship/TV deals

It quite simply isn't going to happen , it would be a disaster [ only way would be for somebody to have some serious cash to finance it , 20 million would just about do it

However , that is not to say that the clubs cannot start to take control of their future , they can , it does however require a change of attitude to the sport , their clubs , the other clubs and the future

They can because ..........they can, if the RFL want to ditch clubs below SL then they can because they are in charge and hold the purse strings. Despite the animosity thrown at the SL from supporters of teams that are not in it, it remains a marketable product to those that are willing to pay.
I watch Leigh because I always have done but I pay my Sky subscription and enjoy what is on offer from SL and that will always be the case. Forget the aspirations Leigh will never attain SL status, watch them wherever and whenever they play but lets not be jealous of teams who are more fortunate (for whatever reason) than Leigh.

Good post.

for me to make it fair we need to split SL up

Have a West League and an East League, that way games are more local, well unless Whitehaven are playing Crusaders.
But then 2 leagues and the top 4 sides from each league go into a playoff
2 leagues of 11, means 22 teams all technically in top flight and bring back Promotion/Relegation with it

So a team from the current Championship 1 (someone like Swinton, for example) would have the chance to be promted to the SL division for their region to play teams like Wigan and Wire then? Can't imagine which way those games would go?!?

Not overly impressed with the current set-up but your suggestion wouldn't improve things at all.

The fact they are in an 'elite' division means you could draw over bigger players, higher possibility of keeping hold of your local lads or even have a draft system similar to Yank football

No SL club will be relegated, there were never going to be any relegated teams. Once SL take in Widnes that will be that, draw bridge up & stuff the rest off you. That was the plan all the time it would seem.

But the RFL have said SL will remain as a 14-team league, and The Watcher accepts that Widnes are on their way up, so surely someone must have to be relegated??

One would have to drop out to replace Widnes but you are right it is not 'relegation' it would be a failed application



Anyway they won't close shop after that, there are still Tolouse and probably more foreigh teams to come

Yes someone has to be relegated who will be Castleford, because of the ground situation, everyone with a brain cell knows they can't finance a new ground themselves and the council have come out and said they are backing Wakefield, Salford already have a new ground being developed so that's who's getting relegated.

Now see i'm not jealous and never have been ,i too watch SL on tv and enjoy it very much and will continue to do so but the fact that the RFL make these changes and get away with it is wrong ,there should be rules and regs in their own backyard ,they have given stipulations to clubs and just before clubs can apply they do this its ridiculous and just for the record i don't think Leigh have the RIGHT to enter SL but what i wanted was for clubs to be able to tick these boxes and then get an explanation as to why they won't be accepted not for them to take away the right to apply which they have done .

I'm not jealous either ive always said i'd prefer us to be the best Championship team than an also ran SL one, but that doesn't stop me having an opinion on all matters concerning Rugby League and has been pointed out to me enough times on here we are all entitled to that opinion and are entitled to have a view on here. But to be dictated at by people who themselves have failed in their previous careers is totally laughable.

The clubs have to or they won't exist for very long (or may exist with funding but will be playing in largely empty stadia)..
For me I think Chamionship based fans will only have so much of this messing around by the RFL before they leave the sport for good (the gates are showing that now in the Chamionships).

If the Championships had been properly branded as a League worth winning in its own right with hardly any talk of SL then we may have seen a great comp that clubs could sell to supporters.
Instead we got Toulouse and Dual Contarcts players, both moves seemed to say "getting ready for SL" and "Feeder clubs for SL" , none of these improvements for the Championships jumped out and said "the Championship is a worthy comp worth winning that we want to remain in" anyone interested in investing would (rightly) have lost turned around there and then.

We then have the Northern Rail Cup competiton turned into worth winning not for getting a trophy and a fantastic day out for the clubs fans but because it "ticked a box for SL giving you a right to apply" (A big play on words leaving out many other factors out as it turned out).
All the above have been taken by fans and press and ran with but the people putting them out for fans and hacks to pick up on have been the RFL , Hardly says the Chamionships are worth anything if the governing body views it as such.

Im with fred on this one.