RLs expanded by hundreds of teams over 114 years.

I think you mean Super League.

There are different ways to expand the game.

This ones not going to work.

So why has it taken till now to try any real grassroots development? Why did these 'hundreds of teams' (all more or less within walking distance of each other) not spread the game?

Because they couldn't see past the end of their nose. RL is making progress and deride it as you like, it is down to Super League.

I think only time will tell on that one....

The real truth is that to expand you go outwards, not start out and work back in (which is what is happening).

Having a French team certainly has not strengthened the French national squad one iota, and I doubt that having a Welsh team in for a few years will strengthen the Welsh national team either.

I really cant see what Catalan bring to the table, ok they get good gates in Perpignon, but that is because all superleague teams are now prepared for the yearly trip to the south of France and save for it, but really how many do they (or can they realistically) bring to every away game... Not that many, and this was always going to be the same for the Celtic's beacause they were always going to loose more than they win for the first few years, which makes it difficult to get a strong following who are prepared to travel hundreds of miles every other weekend to see their team "have a good go".

I am a Halifax fan, who doesnt believe we should have obtained a franchise this time around (we were not ready), but we will be ready the next time, but could see ourselves pushed out because of Superleagues "master plan", it is obvious they are grooming Toulouse for a place, and maybe even Gateshead.

But that said I do think that Widnes would definately have brought more to the Superleague table than Celts have, and NOW its going to cost all clubs when they are "bailed out"

Give it time, ffs.

I haven't derided Super League.

Your perception, not reality.

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/celtic_crusaders/8142408.stmAnd now they're in bother with Immigration[/url

About as tough as any other club thats been promoted in recent years but had everything in place.

They should admit they were rushed into Super League.

Looking at the hoops Keighley have to jump through just to get one player sorted, I can't say I'm surprised by this news.

They couldn't possibly do that.

As we all know, anybody who dare utter one word which could be construed as "anti expansion", will be seen as a heathen and burnt alive.

So...if Celtic are found guilty of breaking any rules...do we get awarded the points?

Yes, desperate I know. But needs must!

A bit of good news for them, they have beaten Salford.

That's 3 wins now, not exactly brilliant but a lot better than, say, Halifax in their last season in SL, who managed one IIRC. And I don't remember the knives being quite so sharp for [ithem[/i.

And better than Leigh who i think only got 5 points

Spot on, they did get 5.

Halifax won 1 game (the first game of the season against London iirc) and even had those 2 points taken off for breaching the salary cap, so ended up on 0.

And IIRC, they did well to get 0.

Even better it stops us possibly going second bottom tomorrow.

They made their usual bad start giving a try away, and a penalty which led to Salford's second try. Matty Smith returned after injury, and was man of the match for me. Guided the team roung, and scored last try plus making sure with a drop goal. Probably a better performance than against Wigan, sorry, but Bulls will have to perform if they want to win the game, no silly taking things for granted.

I don't think we do, the players might, but we definately don't!

That'll keep McNamara in a job for another week regardless then.

Probably due to the fact that we were going to get relegated for having one terrible season.

Hope its not true, but if it is you can bet your last quid that the RFL will NOT treat it the same way as they have for Widnes. Its an instant booting out of SL if they are according to the rules (well, yesterdays rule anyway, todays may have changed)

everyone outside of super league already new it was a farce before it even started. they put the crusaders in before they were ready in my opinion.

it will be the case next time round cause you can guarentee that toulouse will get a franchise next time round even though they will have been in the english competitions less time than the crusaders and teams like halifax and widnes and leigh will get left out in the cold for years to come.

the franchise is a farce, promotion and relegation should be brought back and these teams from other parts of the country or other countries should be made to try and earn promotion into super league like evryone else instead of being thrown in at the deep end.

I'm not sure thats such a good idea.

why

Because we'd end up playing in the Co-Op league very very soon.

but we would end up playing in the super league very very soon