When there was relegation, they blew it, so your comparison doesn't really hold much water.



Saying that, I'm all in favour of giving the welsh team a chance. It's a three year experiment. Let's give it the alloted time to see hwat happens.

I'd agree with both points raised there.



Judge the Crusaders at the end of three years (should they survive) rather than half way through a disappointing first year.



If only Gateshead had been allowed such a period there could now be an outlet for the game established in the North East. Can you imagine a team finishing sixth, having (from memory) taken the scalps of Bradford and Wigan in their only season in the top flight being cast adrift.

That's great (back on the history timeline again) and just for the record Halifax have always promoted youth and even more now through necessity which clubs always snatch anyway, what do you expect them to do now when a SL club comes knocking and the player knows that Halifax won't play SL for a minimum of 3 years?



I think you fit into the typical SL fanboy club and I expected better from you to be honest.

I'm hardly an SL fan, but I am all in favour of clubs being run properly and not being somebody's ego trip, which many clubs that are currently whinging for SL status are. It's not just Halifax, there's Widnes, you could argue Leigh and a host of smaller clubs that once played top flight football but are now skint of languishing in the lower leagues somewhere.



The landscape has changed and the sport is now a business and should be run on sensible corporate lines, the cornerstone of which is not spending more than you've got to back it up with. IMO the salary cap has done more to preserve clubs statuses and put the game back on a sound footing, where any number of clubs can compete than any other rule. It will take time for the effects of it to be fully implemented, but look at some of the 'unusual' results we've had this season and as each year progresses, the more level the game becomes.



Wasn't it Neil James that was flogged to Leeds to cover the cost of the Halifax club phone bill ? Promoting youth is one thing, having the corporate governance in place to retain and improve them is quite something else.

Before we talk about undeserved super league status for the Crusaders maybe we should look long and hard at Harlequins and demote them to the lower divisions until they prove there's an appetite for Super League in the South. It seems to me that whatever they do Quins are not going to attract crowds larger than 2.5 to 3000 - they'll never win over the kick, clap and fall over brigade enough to justify their premier status. Catalans are different they come from a League mad area and average crowds, I believe, about equal to Cas or Wakefield.

If the RL want to strengthen/spread the game what about giving 'most favoured' status to Toulouse or a Cumbrian side such as Barrow or Whitehaven rather than throwing cash away in London?

How many kids & schools play RL in London?

give over, you jumped from your town to support Leeds Rhinos

I agree that quins have had enough time and have not got anywhere with spreading their fanbase. I think catalan consistently get 8000 every game and so should be ranked much higher than wakey who average about 5000

i only asked a question, what i saw on sky last night was a joke to the sport.

You are right.



Celtic dont deserve to be in the top flight.



Widnes by plenty...



I mean look at how well Widnes did in the GF last year.



Poor by the RFL IMHO. Letting the 2nd best team in the division take the 2nd new licence spot.

IMO the Welsh ‘experiment’ is going too far, too soon. RL isn’t a massive sport in its heartlands, never mind in a country that is hugely dominated by the other code.



Sometimes I think the RFL is trying too hard to expand our game. Everything they try to expand our sport beyond the heartlands has either failed or is being artificially propped up by concessions, grants and hand-outs.



Now from small acorns do mighty oaks grow but they have be planted in a place that will allow them to grow organically and not force fed with artificial fertiliser then left to rot when the expected outcome isn’t quite as pretty as initially conceived.



Now I may be proved wrong, and TBH I hope I am but in three years time I really can’t see Celtic pulling bigger home crowds then 3K and no more than a handful of fans taken to away games.

And when they do the RFL with view them with the same acceptance as a ginger step kid.

This is the same as Catalans first season isnt it?!





why are they here? Rubbish they are etc etc etc



GIVE.THEM.A.CHANCE