The RFL lest we forget awarded Celtic Crusaders a 3 year SL licence in a supposedly fair and transparent franchise selection process.



It needed someone to stand up and declare the whole system a sham and a complete and utter waste of every club's time and money. I am glad Allan had the balls to do it and to give it them both barrels.



Furthermore Allan was proved to be 100% correct.

Glad to see I dont need to post a defence for Alan telling the truth, when we can no longer state the truth without fear of retribution from the sports governing body, then that is the time to pack it in

I agreed with everything he said but not the way he said it and publicly said it at that.



I much preferred the way Mr O Conner reacted at Widnes and in my opinion Allan Rowley while saying what we all felt didn't do himself or the club any favours at that time.



When you get knocked down in life you pick yourself up dust yourself down and come back stronger and wiser not spit your dummy out and cry about it.

Professionally what you think and what you say are two separate things in business.



Like I said not against Allan nice guy Leigh man but businessman and diplomat unfortunately not.

Licenscing has been an absolute disaster for pro RL and astonishes footie fans who know it is crazy even if they don't follow RL' ask them.



Why should anyone be criticised for telling the truth.



It should be shouted from the rooftops by every Championship clubs board of directors.

Did you witness Steve O Connors words in the Hilton suite on the subject, they made Alans tame by comparison?



Our board havent had to deal with that type of rejection ' yet ' , they might react similiarily when it comes, and it will

No nor did I ready anything negative about him or his club unlike ours and our CEO.



Allan would have been equally as wise to have left his opinion in a hospitality suite also or at very most confined to an email or phone call to the RFL.

I can totaly see where you are coming from but being a conspiricy theorist, the whole thing of Widnes getting the nod and the SL sponsorship deal stank to high heaven. A team that had won zilchos got promoted to SL and their owners company was given the promotion rights for SL and paid nada.

Exactly!! You have to work with them not against them. O'Conner is a savy business man and he never publicly tried to score points against the RFL. He work behind the scenes building relationships with the people that matter. He kept Widnes out of the headlines and did what as needed and took on board what the RFL wanted them to do. Guess what? They got a place in SL and other clubs were left scratching their heads about how they did it.

This with bells on!



Rugby League and Business are two separate entities, we now finally seem to have a board who recognise this and leave rugby lads to play and coach and not run the club.

I have to say C&W that is what I was saying in my post previously and it stinks to high heaven. I would say that if Leigh did it that way I would not be pleased. On the field is how it should be done and Fax and Fev had done it better that Wignes.

Yes it stinks. But you can't influence the sport unless you are sat at the top table. Get there then you can have a voice. Let's keep quiet, look after ourselves, be as good as we can be and get to where we want to be. The sport will never die because it is so loved. Look after number 1 and we will alright.