Maybe this paves the way for a second French team to be allowed in?

Oh joy. Another reduced attendance for everyone.

Not what I would want, just knowing how the rfl work my suggestion as to what might happen

It would be more or less like for like.

If a French team were to replace London, it wouldn't be that much of a reduction in crowd for the home game really.

Telling us, who to be fair have been close to falling over on more than one occasion one thing and then telling London another would not be beyond the realms of possibility.

Nobody thought the timing is not a little strange just after the fixtures released. I am sure the RFL have been kept informed but still released them including London.

As far as i can see, either the RFL are complicit or London have stitched them up.
Perm one from two bent or incompetent.

In a nutshell, these!!

Is the London owner backing the RFL into a corner? They have made complaints about various aspects of the governance of the game unfairly disadvantaging them, so perhaps this is an exercise in forcing the issue?

Either way, the RFL would have had no choice but to include them on the fixture list; they were still a SL club when the fixtures were announced and remain one today.

If they allow Toulouse in wonder what fev/fax/leigh/sheff will say. Doubt they will roll over just like that.

None of the championship sides you mention are capable of filling a spot in SL based on the recruitment they have for next season and none of them would have anywhere near a big enough infrastructure to cope IMO.
Promotion the following year would be the aim and that would even be a financial gamble too far for some.
Toulouse could be the right fit (with the neccessary support) for those with a vested interest.

To be honest, I'm not sure anyone would lose money if they made each London fixture a Bye.
There is surely no profit when you play London, certainly for the bottom half ofthe league

I don't think that MC would agree with you on this one Pop Tart.
IF London were to disappear, they would need to replace them with, either another team or, an additional fixture.
The attendance given out last season at BV was just over 8200 and even though the majority of those people would be low price S/T holders, it still represents significant income, especially when you take into account the current financial state of the game.

I'd forgotten we got a big attendance.....ok, maybe I take that back

Also if London disappear it could leave a potential issue with season ticket holders across super league.The ones that have already purchased season tickets,shelled out on the basis they would be getting a ticket to 13 home games - not 12.

Tbf, London at home probably does get one of the lower attendances (usually) but, as we are struggling for income with the current number of fixtures, we certainly don't want any reduction.
Unless they can find a solution quickly, which IMO will be some sort of major support from the RFL, then there would be severe ramifications next season, especially as we haven't even agreed the structure for the 2015 season.

A while ago, there was talk of Fev, having been put "on stand by", I wonder if they actually were asked to get ready for SL ?

Yes the London gate was high but weren't the tickets only £5/£10?

I don't think Sheff would be allowed up as they are moving to Owlerton Dogs, capacity won't be that high.

The only option is Featherstone but it is highly likely the RFL would go with just 13.

This.

I don't see them going with 13.
If we have a league format, then there has to be a balanced fixture list.
Just supposing Catalan were awarded the 2 league points for their "game" against London and they then qualified into the playoffs by 2 points or, secured home advantage in the play offs by 2 points, there would be an outcry (and rightly so).

I know that we don't always take a lead from other sports but, is there any kind of precedent for this ?

Is it fair that Cats get to play London three times yet the Hull teams have batter each other three times? The Magic weekend is unfair as it is so the awarding of two points Catalans would have more tham likely got anyway isn't as bad as promoting a team at short notice who wouldn't be adequately prepared.

The bottom line is that with the fixtures released they will have to go with London with what I expect to be financial assistance and player dispensation. They may even allow them to go into administration but keep their SL place with or without a points deduction. They will then look to find a new owner for a new company.
The alternative is to parachute a championship club at this late hour into SL. I doubt any championship club would want to at this time with two teams relegated at the end of next season and I don't think the RFL will grant them dispensation from relegation.

The Magic Weekend is not "fair" for any of the teams. However, to start and allocate points to any of the competing teams, without them passing a ball or making a tackle, is just wrong.
Whether the format itself needs changing is a whole new question.
Catalan have been dominant over London for the last couple of seasons both in the regular rounds (home and away) and at the magic weekend but, this hasn't always been the case.
Sorry, but the RFL are going to need a better solution than just handing free points to any team.

2 Things that are interesting here...

1 Did anyone else think that it was a surprise that the fixtures were out before the end of the WC? Now we have a published fixture list with a 14 team comp - inc London. This is the perfect argument for the RFL to 'protect' London as without the fixtures in place they could possibly have come up with an alternative schedule.

2 I am aware that London asked - and were refused - permission to have an exemption from the non-fed limit (on the basis that would have been unfair on the other clubs in a relegation season). It would not surprise me at all to find that this may have been Hughes' final straw and that without that ability he may have said 'stuff you'!

Either way, I suggest that there is some 'hard-ball' being played over the London club but that there will be frantic efforts to salvage something from this wreck.

To lose London at this stage, given the progress made on the international front, would be a blow for the game IMO, although as a Wakey fan, there is an upside - one I'd rather not have!

The x factor week end has never interested me. Each team should play each other home and away, and that's that.
It does nothing to promote the game, does not attract new support, and hinders some , while giving others an advantage.
If you must have it make it the last games of the season. Also with promotion and relegation games must be on a level playing field next season