Is the way forward to play CC games in SL at Newport & then perhaps acquire the London Skolars franchise or a new club in CC1 to play at The Brewery Field - constructive thoughts please.

I think it is. We already have the Bridgend Blue Bulls, who previous to CC were offered a place in NL2, and are consistently one of the best teams in the Welsh Conference.

I think we'll ultimately move to Newport, and that's the right move for the club. We need bigger crowds, clearly, and Bridgend has never been an area renowned for big crowds at any sporting event. When Bridgend (RU) won the last ever professional Welsh Premiership title in 2003, the attendance was less than 2,000. We only lost 2 games that season, both away from home, and we still couldn't get crowds!

Newport-Gwent Dragons average 6-7,000 every game, and they have more Welsh Conference teams around here, a lot of who would find it difficult to get to Bridgend after playing their games, and I reckon we could add 500ish straight away just from these people. We already have a large number of people who travel from the Gwent area to all our home games already, and Newport is closer to Cardiff so there's more chance of attracting fans from the capital.

Not if they are going to have a load of aussies and no salary cap

Yes a sensible response and a pleasure to have a reoly of substance instead of the usual keyboard warrior one sentence clever dick stuff.

Pontypridd has been mentioned too but I agree with you that Newport could be the ideal spot. David Watkins as Chairman there as well. I think there is merit to have TWO clubs down there as interest will be retained throughout the summer.

I'd much rather the club stay in Bridgend, but we just aren't getting the fans. Not sure Newport is the answer though. The ground has a larger capacity, but it's all seating (boring) and just because its in a bigger population centre doesn't mean the crowds'll come. The Ebbw Vale Springboks (sorry, Nooport Dragons) themselves have taken 6 years to build up those attendances and you have to accept that there is in Wales a great irrational antipathy from some towards League for events of 30 years ago, even though the tables are now reversed and Union is doing exactly the same. Do I believe Leighton Samuel, if he moves us to Nooport will bring us back to Bridgend for our promised new Stadium? Hell no! If we leave Bridgend, I reckon we'll stay gone.

Unfortunately the town of Bridgend does not deserve top level sport because the majority of the allegedly sports loving population only get of their arrises for big matches.

Newport isn't all seater. It has terracing on each side of the pitch.

They were?

I thought the idea was that Cardiff Demons would join the pro ranks.

I stand corrected Crucrucru.
Good cos I don't want to sit down for Leeds.

Quote ="Grendel"I stand corrected Crucrucru. Good cos I don't want to sit down for Leeds.'" Tickets are available here - www.newportgwentdragons.com/Home.aspx About a third down the page. It's a pity Crusaders can't get a system where we can buy tickets and merchandise online.

Quote ="Grendel"I stand corrected Crucrucru. Good cos I don't want to sit down for Leeds.'" Tickets are available here - www.newportgwentdragons.com/Home.aspx About a third down the page. It's a pity Crusaders can't get a system where we can buy tickets and merchandise online.

Hey if Cardiff Demons want to go pro, then good luck to them! And the Blue Bulls! The Bulls are the better team, but perhaps finance would be better in Cardiff.

You League fans wanted to expand the game in Wales. Looks a bit promising eh? We might not be doing it on the field yet, but there seems to be an increasing impact on the playing front.

It would certainly give a smoother player path from the conference teams left to Demons/Blue Bulls then to the Crusaders set up hopefully ending in first team appearances.

Never mind playing at either Newport or Bridgend

What about playing your games up at WREXHAM

I bet that paragraph didn't make the franchise application....

the franchise was for 3 years not 5 months, lets see what the're like then . if the're still around. But until then lets not slag em off .

So you are saying it's ok to tell ouright lies to the RFL on the most important changes to the sport in 10 years

So it's OK for CC to apply the same logic to the Franchise process as Wiggin did to the salary cap? I.e. Do anything to stay in the top flight now, deal with the consequences later if ever. Nice long term planning, that.

Are you aware of what was in the franchise application? The only thing I heard (and that was direct from Leighton Samuels) was that the application stated games would be played throughout Wales and it was recognised that the Brewery Field was not a long term Super League stadium.

So in answer to the question I think that they've already acknowledged the Brewery is not the long term solution and that the Island Farm development is.

Is moving to a stadium that holds Magners League and Heineken Cup Rugby (so should meet Sky's needs for televising games and I stress should) that bad a move?

One presumes that the franchise bid was predicated on financial stability. The RFL's bailout of the club suggests that this has not been achieved. The comment I quoted originally suggested that Bridgend was never a viable base for a SL club because its spectator turnout, even for a successful union side, was lower than that required to breakeven. All of which suggests that, like Salford's stadium, there was more wishful thinking in the business plans than the RFL gave credit for.

I was/am [iagainst [/ifranchising, but for development in Wales... I thought the RFL's handling of the bid process was shambolic, but would have had more respect had they just said 'we want a Welsh franchise, end of story'.

Now there is a franchise at Crusaders, the RFL must do whatever is necessary to make it successful. It's funny that Newport has been mentioned as a good place to move because it's nearer to Cardiff.

So, why not just move to Cardiff?

When the franchises were being discussed on TV the short term nature of Brewery Field as it stands was also quite openly discussed, so I would imagine the club were quite open in their plans for a more suitable location at some point in the future. But they are limited as to what they can do in the short term due to financial constraints and also considerations where their fanbase is concerned. To move too far away would surely undermine what they have achieved in Bridgend so far.

There is a very interesting interview with Leighton Samuels in the RL press this week. In fact, the Crusaders have had some seriously good (and very positive) media attention this week: on the Superleague Show on the Beeb and in both versions of the RL press.

So why move to Newport when Cardiff is closer

Good and positive media wont pay bills and contracts

I too like Wembley 71 am against the principle of franchises but want the game to expand , and like him realise that now we have a Welsh club in SL it must succeed at all costs or future development is also doomed to failure

Simply put , if we cannot make a go of it in Wales I doubt we can any where else

I am pretty sure we can make a go of rugby league in Wales if it is done correctly.

The club won't be moving to Cardiff as they have told the fans this and it may be to do with the people that run Cardiff RFC and the Arms Park. It is their loss and Newports gain.

I am pretty sure the crowds will be up on Bridgend and the facilities are better. The ground is getting redeveloped in the next few years and is larger to begin with. Brewery Field was never going to be the permanent base of the club and in the present climate we need to make the best of the situation. Newport would be that, in my opinion. And to top it off it is walking distance from the local.

London and South Wales are'nt good enough for 2 teams in SL never mind 4

Whats the point in building a fan base to then move 30 miles down the road.

Because the club "appears" to me to be on it's @rse and few from Bridgend appear to want to watch the team given some of the recent crowds and season ticket uptake!
A gamble to play in Newport may well be based on increasing a local fan base. I remain unconvinced. I really do.

Unless huge investment comes in and the introductory offer of cheap season tickets a la Huddersfield come off eg £50 for the season, I can't see any change in the performance of the club.

It's very important to repeat the same mistakes as the London RL (Fulham, Crystal Palace, Barnet, Brentford, Charlton, Twickenham, Brentford, Twickenham) and the last serious incarnation of RL in Wales (Cardiff/Bridgend Blue Dragons).

Otherwise we might be able to say that the RFL had learned from history. That would never do.