SL clubs and the RFL have all the power in the game these days, all we can do is doft our cap and say yes sir. If we try and stand up to them we will be cast out again and left to rot. Let the likes of Fev and fax do the dirty work and shout about all the wrongs that the RFL and SL are doing. They will eventually get some concessions but they will be alienated by the RFL and SL and be viewed as troublemakers. Clubs that have gone about their own business and concentrated on making themselves better will be viewed favourably. That's how the politics of the sport has been for over a hundred years. It ain't gonna change!

Barrow and Halifax have also been very vocal in slamming the SL clubs.

I see no reason why we as a club should not officially state where we stand on these proposals.

Anyway at least one SL club in St.Helens have publically stated they are fully behind the new structure.

' Greedy Sods ' or inept RFL management? , some choice?

I'd suggest no sides to be taken, but discussion to be demanded with both

Not much of a choice in all honesty is it.

Lenaghan makes some good points in fairness the RFL are inept as a governing body and I agree with much of what he has to say just don't agree with the way he's gone about it leaving it to the eleventh hour to effectively veto the changes.

While the changes are good for the game as a whole the RFL really need to get their acts together big time now and IMO heads should role.

I think the likes of Andy Mazey and John Roddy will have this under control and will be talking to both parties behind closed doors in a calm and business like manner and we won't publicly shoot ourselves in the foot like we've done in the past.

We'll said.

Allan Rowley as nice a chap as is he is isn't a businessman nor a diplomat and did us no favours in the Thomas years while acting as CEO.

No one could ever doubt Allan's commitment at the time but with the kind of money it was alleged Mr Thomas invested what did it all come to in the end?

Can you imagine this Mike Norris, John and Andy managing a club with that level of investment we would already be in SL now with the level of professionalism they have brought to the boardroom.

Yes saw what you did there reffy, very droll that .good post

How can you make a statement like that fella. If we hadn't had a massive ecomonic down turn and Aurthur's businesses had prospered who knows where we could be now. Personally I would say that what Alan Rowley said at the time, in the circumstances, was'nt that bad. We are in the mess we are in now because not one single Championship club stood up to the RFL and SL. Had all of them had some balls we wouldn't be so far apart from the top tier. You say what you say and get on in life. Sitting in a room sulking gets you nowhere.

Spot on.

The RFL lest we forget awarded Celtic Crusaders a 3 year SL licence in a supposedly fair and transparent franchise selection process.

It needed someone to stand up and declare the whole system a sham and a complete and utter waste of every club's time and money. I am glad Allan had the balls to do it and to give it them both barrels.

Furthermore Allan was proved to be 100% correct.

Glad to see I dont need to post a defence for Alan telling the truth, when we can no longer state the truth without fear of retribution from the sports governing body, then that is the time to pack it in

I agreed with everything he said but not the way he said it and publicly said it at that.

I much preferred the way Mr O Conner reacted at Widnes and in my opinion Allan Rowley while saying what we all felt didn't do himself or the club any favours at that time.

When you get knocked down in life you pick yourself up dust yourself down and come back stronger and wiser not spit your dummy out and cry about it.

Professionally what you think and what you say are two separate things in business.

Like I said not against Allan nice guy Leigh man but businessman and diplomat unfortunately not.

Licenscing has been an absolute disaster for pro RL and astonishes footie fans who know it is crazy even if they don't follow RL' ask them.

Why should anyone be criticised for telling the truth.

It should be shouted from the rooftops by every Championship clubs board of directors.

Did you witness Steve O Connors words in the Hilton suite on the subject, they made Alans tame by comparison?

Our board havent had to deal with that type of rejection ' yet ' , they might react similiarily when it comes, and it will

No nor did I ready anything negative about him or his club unlike ours and our CEO.

Allan would have been equally as wise to have left his opinion in a hospitality suite also or at very most confined to an email or phone call to the RFL.

I can totaly see where you are coming from but being a conspiricy theorist, the whole thing of Widnes getting the nod and the SL sponsorship deal stank to high heaven. A team that had won zilchos got promoted to SL and their owners company was given the promotion rights for SL and paid nada.

Exactly!! You have to work with them not against them. O'Conner is a savy business man and he never publicly tried to score points against the RFL. He work behind the scenes building relationships with the people that matter. He kept Widnes out of the headlines and did what as needed and took on board what the RFL wanted them to do. Guess what? They got a place in SL and other clubs were left scratching their heads about how they did it.

This with bells on!

Rugby League and Business are two separate entities, we now finally seem to have a board who recognise this and leave rugby lads to play and coach and not run the club.

I have to say C&W that is what I was saying in my post previously and it stinks to high heaven. I would say that if Leigh did it that way I would not be pleased. On the field is how it should be done and Fax and Fev had done it better that Wignes.

Yes it stinks. But you can't influence the sport unless you are sat at the top table. Get there then you can have a voice. Let's keep quiet, look after ourselves, be as good as we can be and get to where we want to be. The sport will never die because it is so loved. Look after number 1 and we will alright.

Yes it stinks. But you can't influence the sport unless you are sat at the top table. Get there then you can have a voice. Let's keep quiet, look after ourselves, be as good as we can be and get to where we want to be. The sport will never die because it is so loved. Look after number 1 and we will alright.

Interesting that it is being reported on other boards that it was the Championship Clubs that have pushed to drop the NL ( NR ) Cup

Did we vote for it?

Is that why the clubs have been quiet on it?

Well I'm not sure that is correct.

The Featherstone Chairman has condemned this decision (which might still be reversed) and I think on the balance of problabilities why would any other Championship club want the competition scrapped ? especially bearing in mind that it is a straight forward knock out competition for them' in the same way as the Challenge Cup.

....and champ 1 clubs have a group stage so extra income for them.

It actually forms a major part of their season, and gives them the potential of a day in the spotlight, something I doubt will happen if they end up with their own stand alone cup