You seriously think the rfl would have stepped in to take over running of the club. Sorry mate you are in dream land.
The word bribe is slanderous.
So the club have made errors in the past, the point is its in the past not a single thing you can do about it so what's the point in bleating on.

It's highly unlikely that any champs club will be promoted any year under this system, Wakey may be the weakest squad in SL but they're probably still better on paper than all 3 fully pro Champs squads AND will have been competing against fully pro SL opposition (including some very good sides) all season before playing Champs teams.

The new system's a con and everyone will see through it within 2-3 seasons and the RFL will have to find a new way to re-invent the wheel....again.

Yup and, as has been said before, the only realistic hope for promotion could come from a financial meltdown at a SL club.

Even if a champ club is promoted, they'll be faced with the problem that clubs promoted under the pre-licensing system had, which is that all the decent players will already be on contract at existing SL clubs, and they'll have a desperate scramble to build a SL squad in next to no time at the end of the play-offs.

So the licencing system really worked did it? Really made clubs more financially stable and made it a competitive competition, nope I think not. The top 8 play off became a shambles so summat had to be done, it may work it may not, but at least it's gonna make every game worth something. As for the promotion and relegation issue, every sport has the same problem but let's not forget widnes seem to be doing ok so do KR it was not that many years ago when Wigan were promoted as runners up to York in the old 2 league system. The game has to change, franchise did not work.

Arguably, the RFL should have thrown London out of SL once it became clear DH had no intention to meet the commitments of the licence.

Much as I'd love to disagree, I'm afraid I think you're spot on

I think that licensing was a great concept that didn't work. The financial guarantees that clubs put into their bids were clearly not subject to sufficient scrutiny. That said, the recession that the country has been through would always have put the skids under things, and I'm not sure that too many other clubs would have been able to step in.
I'm glad that Widnes seem to have done OK, but that was under licensing.

I think there will be at least 1 promotion this season, we'll see come the "Super 8 stage"...

1. SL clubs buying bradford was an option 2 years back and look at the help they got anyway. It's not too far fetched to believe that the clubs could have bought us.
2. Then let someone sue me! AK was given a marketing budget to market games that if he had been successful, HE would have received the additional gate money. That is a bribe.......if you cant see it then you are more niave than I thought.....i repeat, he was given money so he could try and get more money.......what would you call it? it was the tipping point at the meeting in december 2013 that saw us saved........blake solly to the rescue with the SLE cheque Book.
3. I have little confidence in Hughes and as long as he remains at the head of the club, that lack of confidence shall prevail. He has destroyed what was a club on the cusp of a potentially secure era and no amount of lip service and unsubstantiated claims will change that. He destroyed the relationship with Quins which was our true chance to build a home and a supporter base.....now we are 100% reliant on him and in an area with little interest in live sports.


Bradford are the strongest side in our division and it is they who will lose to the SL also rans in the million quid game.

I'm not sure we can blame David for the demise of the Quins relationship. It's fair to say he was less enthusiastic than Ian but I'd suggest the main reason it began breaking down were changes at Quins end. In particular the resignation of key mover Tony Copsey not long after it was sealed. Admittedly the copious amounts of red ink on our accounts made the end pretty inevitable even if Tony and Mark Evans were still at Quins.

Halfdan stop it now you are doubting gotnofax sorry I meant gutter fax.

Franchise was never going to work we ended up again with a competition where games at end of the season meant diddly squat, fans lose interest and walk at least with promotion and relegation the way it's been introduced with super 8 will at least keep interest in the end of season. It may work it may not, but how it can be seen as any worse than franchise I don't understand.

For someone who has got no facts I do seem to get it right more than not
By the way, any news on ticketing prices for 2015 yet?

I think you can blame David Hughes in part for the way the relationship fell apart. You can also blame him for some very atrocious decisions that have led the club to yet another reboot. We are dependent on him and regardless if our crowds were 5,000 or as now we have always been reliant on a benefactor. We are probably further away from a sustainable model than in the past 18 years.

On that basis people have two choices learn from the past and move on, or just continue to rake over the past. It looks like the club are starting to reconnect and resolve long standing issues. The ambition has been stated whether we have the wherewithal to deliver it will be seen over the season. Only 6 weeks to the first game.

Completely correct, but sadly some just can't move on, they seem to get more joy out of living in the past, all that is important now is The Future, and no one can forecast that!

We won't even make the million quid game and some on here will be thankful for wins against Dewsbury and Sheffield. There's a forecast for you.

Actually, anyone can make a forecast but those who take into account past experience are much more likely to get it right.

“Study the past if you would define the future.” - Confucius

No harm taking the past into consideration, just need to remember it can't be undone and you have to assess the future from where you are, not where you wish you were.

So gotnofax you saying you will not be happy with wins against Sheffield and Dewsbury?

Yep agree you should learn from your mistakes and errors unfortunately sometimes things happen that you cannot control.
Was Mac a mistake as a coach ? He does not seem to have done too bad since moving on, Rob Powell a gamble that didn't work. Moving from the stoop error or unavoidable.
Looking back is ok to a point but you have to look forward if not then it's pointless taking part at all

Other than recruitment and pre-season training which was disrupted in 2013/14 because of Hughes brain fart, what have we done this time around that is so much better?
If you compare the build up to 2015 with say 2013 all that is different is that we don't know how much match day tickets or season memberships are. Using facebook and twitter is communication 101 so please don't cite having lip service paid to us as an improvement, the shirt launch was done in a public park with tourists apparently the main onlookers, the owner is spouting the same positive guff as ever and all we do know is that the only time we will host a top tier team is if we get a home hammering in the challenge cup.

Nothing has changed.........except the division we play in

Another thread destroyed by guttertrash, im starting to believe you actually are a union troll.

The thread is about the stated aim if the club. I have simply pointed out that other than the division we play in, little has actually changed at all. Positivity for ita own sake or to try to cover up yet more uncertainty surrounding the club is as damaging if not more so than negativity.
I started a thread regarding the hive not being happy about the 2nd year of the 2 year deal and it being renegotiated. I was much maligned as being wrong, yet here we are 7 weeks from the start of the season and still no ticketing confirmation.

A union troll you say? I thought there was more to you, but obviously you now believe that negative discussion = anti-league.....what next, outrage at burgess not getting a look in at spoty

Well, the stated aim has to be what it is, doesn't it, can you imagine if someone said:

"Now we've been relegated to the second tier, our aim is to cut our losses, stay well within budget and do everything at a knock down bargain cheap as chips price and hope we don't get relegated to the third tier!"

I once asked mac where he thought we would finish. He said 1st.....and repeated it when I pressed him. We finished 11th.......but mist if those who attended the pre)season forum where I asked the question thought mac was the messiah.
Hughes can say he believes we will bounce back but Hughes employed a succession of failures, so forgive me for having the audacity to doubt hua judgement on anything other than the price of oil

Well I wish there was more to you than derailing every thread with rants about how much you hate Hughes and Gus. There are some positives about the new season, not least playing at a level we can compete at and having a full Pre-season to prepare. You don't need to correct me on my Positivity and bring me back to reality for the good of the club. That's a ridiculous position to hold. I can guarantee you I know more about UK RL than you so give it a rest.

Gotnofax I thought you were a marketing guru? What did you expect Mac to say to you? What message would you advise the club to put out at the start of the season. As for prices that's nothing to do with this thread but am pleased that the one person who Def is not gonna be buying.membership is so worried for us that are

See you ducked the Dewsbury Sheffield question