We have seen the last club move up from the NL/ Championship to SL , enjoy yourselves people , there but for the grace of God go you

Why do you say that? Because Halifax didn't get in. The RFL made a special case for the Championship, by determining that one club would come regardless of whether it was one of the best 14 applications. Who's to say they won't do it again.

The mistake they won't repeat is to guarantee that the clubs will stay at 14.

14 is the optimum number slugger , in three years if yourselves and Cas have stadiums built or started , then the gap will be huge , and the fall from SL even bigger than now

Not going to happen

We dont operate a franchising process in Australia... here you are in and in forever or until you can't continue! There are no clubs looking over their shoulder every three years.

I just do not think tradition is enough to offer anymore.

I appreciate the move would not be universally accepted, and we may well lose some fans in the short term but rugby league is a professional sport and needs to be run like a business. We must cut the inefficiencies.

Let's not forget the last really radical move to SL upset many people, but I do not think you can question the long term success it has become. Likewise taking Australia as an example and the merger franchise clubs, short term there was a wave of anger, but not too long into the new clubs lives the fans came back.

my experience this that is not very true... some people did start to attend the merged teams games ... however I know many fans of the original unmerged teams and there is a deep simmering resentment that thier teams and culture was destroyed... particularly Balmain, Illawara and Norths fans. I know many people that have not returned to the game.

Personally before the merge I was a Wests fan... but will not support the TIgers... I became a Cronulla fan instead (by virtue of where I live)

the ones who stay away will always make the most noise, but West Tigers as a club have not suffered from low attendences/stay away fans.

You kind of prove the point I was making ie, you club was lost but you remain a league fan. Some will be lost if the smaller clubs vanish, but many will align themselves with a new club once the dust settles.

Well said Spook and the comment about the Aussies beating us is irrelevent. They've been beating us for years and although its early days, the gap is getting wider.

How many of the top clubs are sustainable without their sugar daddys, thats not buissnes its charity and it wont last.

More and more clubs are now being run by business men wanting to turn them in to profitable concerns. Hull being the most recent.

There is a world of difference between a professionally run club and a club with a "sugar daddy"
All clubs should be trying to maximise revenue and also strive to be profitable and IMHO there should always be a pathway between the divisions based on sporting performance and not just the size of someones wallet.

Hear hear!!!

I'm with you. Just cos they aren't listening doesn't mean we should speak. If enough pressure is exerted you never know. Even Communism fell in Russia

on another note if it wasnt for franchise you would not be in superleague next season!

Just a thought

Not sure who your comment is aimed at, because the last time I looked, we weren't in the relegation spot. Now, you would be correct if you were directing it at Widnes,

Thats what i thought, maybe he did not think before he posted.

I can't put my finger on why but after pretty much all of your posts I want to respond with a bile fuelled outburst. My tongue is in shreds having to constantly bite it. As you were...

I agree. Especialy them teams that have recently entered administration. Shouldnt be anywhere near SL. I guess you agree as well?

Let it go brother!

Hard to do when you've been led up the garden path and given the forbidden fruit , but what is the other option ? , if in 3 years time Quins collapse crusader style , and 1 club goes up , either Fax,leigh or Fev , then this league is completely dead , or if they expand to 16 , which is the absolute maximum , they will still take 1 heartland and possibly a new french club

So once again whoever is left down here will basically have nobody to play , it really is depressing

Agreed Starbug, I'm not happy about this situation but can't see a way out with the current rfl board in position.

The RFL need to invest heavily in the championships otherwise as starbug rightly says the quality will be drained from the structure at that level.
The gap is only going to get bigger between the championships and SL unless the RFL address the problem, supporter levels will drop if what is left of the glimmer of hope dies, and with that so does higher end semi pro RL at any level, and any opportunity for good player development outside of SL.

So do you want fewer Championship clubs to go up, to keep the Championship more interesting?

The franchise system isn't going to alter, as much as we moan, because why would any super league chairman vote for a system that may be disastrous for their business?

I can see the benefits of franchising. For instance, we know that Glover can rebuild this club, allow a coach to find his feet, let the coach bring through youngsters. and does not have to worry that next year it will be all in vain. So for the clubs, there are a lot of advantages that far outweigh the disadvantages.

The problem I have as a sports fan is that the roller coaster has been replaced with a merry go round, and at the bottom it's all a bit pointless.

The last third of the season is like a series of friendlies - pointless.

What about the system in South America where the average league position ovef 3 years determines relegation with a one year exemption for newly promoted clubs.

Oh wait.. a big club got relegated and they changed the rules which would never happen here.

There are only 2 long term outcomes of the franchise system.
Either pull up the draw bridge when the RFL have their chosen mix of "elite" clubs or find a way of having SL1 and SL2 with promotion and relegation between the 2 divisions.
However, the consequences of these 2 sets of circumstances are pretty dire for the lower league clubs who are not involved.
For the long term future of the sport there MUST be a pathway between the different leagues and some way of expanding the game ?