If it comes down to the clubs most of them know they'll still have their snouts firmly embedded in the Golden Trough so I doubt there will be much concern for casting someone else into the abyss.

As for it not being fair if it happens this time, it was hardly fair when it happened last time.

Let me explain…

If the Crusaders are wound up on Wednesday and reformed as a new entity, this makes them the weakest bid in SL. The financial area of a licence bid is seen by the RFL as one of the most important aspects of a clubs infrastructure and bid. It was important enough for them to turn Widnes down last time for the same thing. How can the RFL then kick out another viable and financially stable club and leave the Crusaders in, without almost certainly leaving them open to a legal challenge that would be very strong, due to the RFL ignoring their own rules and criteria, from the relegated club?

Forget about any agreement the SL clubs may have signed about not taking court action against the RFL over their decision, that will be null and void if the RFL then break their own operational rules and criteria in order to favour another club. This is why the RFL are desperately trying to get an agreement from the SL chairmen to allow the continuation of the new Crusaders club in SL beyond 2012.

This may mean one of two things:
- Expanding the league to 15 clubs
This would require an agreement from the SL club chairmen to share out the Sky TV monies they receive 15 ways as opposed to 14. Most SL clubs are running up debts and have already dismissed the idea of a 15 club SL. Some of the clubs most at risk may take this option, but I very much doubt it will be enough to sway the vote. I hope I’m wrong though.

- Keeping a 14 club SL
This is where it gets dodgy, because there can only be two courses of action that can be taken. Either they get all the SL clubs to sign another agreement not to take legal action should they demoted, despite there being an inferior club with only 7 – 8 months trading behind them (the New Crusaders) or, if they cannot unanimously agree on this, then the RFL will have no option but to go back on their word and not promote a Championship club. The RFL’s get out clause is that they said that this would only stand should there be a suitable Championship club at the time. In other words the RFL will just play down Widnes’ bid, as they did last time, and refuse us a licence. They’d probably play heavily on our poor league finishes over the last three seasons. This would be a far easier situation to defend in court imo.

There’s not a cat in hells chance of the likes of Wakey Cas and Salford signing any agreement that will give the Crusaders a licence, possibly at their clubs’ expense and lose the threat of legal action should this be the outcome. These clubs are now in a very strong position. The current situation at the Crusaders and the desperation of the RFL to keep them in SL beyond 2012 changes everything.



It has to be signed by any club which puts in a licence bid. But, as the RFL would have to change the rules and criteria, in order to keep the Crusaders in, it will probably be null and void and a new agreement needed, which I doubt they would get.



They don’t have to put us up. The RFL couldn’t give two hoots about the Championship clubs. They are destined to be nothing more than feeder clubs anyway. The RFL have never regarded Widnes as the future of RL. Why do you think we are where we are now?

They regard clubs such as the Crusaders and Harlequins as the future. They’re wrong about that imo, but that counts for all in Red Hall.


That’s just your opinion. It has been demonstrated time and time again, by the RFL, that it is most certainly not their opinion. That is why:
So you see the extent of the problem.

With you now Pepe.

I agree with you that the RFL are self serving and as I stated will do anything it takes to keep the Crusaders going.
This includes everything you have explained, changing their own rules etc, as they have proved before!! As you say they can deny us entry for anything they want to make up.

My view on this is if the RFL decide not to promote a champ club (in reality us) they will suffer a world of pain from the whole RL community and the media. As they are all aware that Widnes have done everything they were asked to do and are in better shape than perhaps half of the existing clubs already in SL.

It will also mean there is no hope for any club outside of SL ever reaching it. In effect they will become feeder clubs as stated, but for all the unjust acts and stupidity previously carried out by the RFL surely they must see that the feeder clubs will fold and die, therefore destroying lower league RL and the system for bringing new players into the game.

This will starve SL of new young players to choose from, where will new talent come from as the existing SL clubs academies will not produce enough? So the ultimate aim of the franchise system to improve the quality of SL and the England side will not be realised.

When this is considered alongside the RFL's desire to retain the Crusader's it only leaves them with option IMO, which is as you stated expanding SL to 15 meanig paycuts in Sky money for all SL clubs.

I don’t believe that the RFL think that downgrading the lower leagues in status would harm RL as a whole in any way. In fact, I believe they regarded as a desirable aim.

They think that they would actually increase player production from the expansion areas and that the lower leagues would serve RL better as smaller feeder clubs, with fewer fans and no ambition.

The good news is that the Crusaders won’t be wound up on the 10th, as they have paid off their tax bill - phew!

Rugby League will never expand,with union and football more popular in other areas.I have been based in London and Gloucester,and they laugh at Rugby League. They can not understand the tackle and then time to play the ball, with player releasing.If game is not played regular in schools, then nobody will be interested in going.I never go and watch Widnes rugby union, so is the same down south and in Wales.Rfl are stupid in my opinion and wasting lots of money.

not paranoid. RFL will always change the rules to suit themselves.