Its gonna be tense

"You may select 1 option"
do you know something we dont?



Salford are almost definately going imo. Even if they get a new stadium i dont think they deserve to be in (unless they somehow get a decent team, a decent youth set up, and loads of fans before the next applications)

Quins really shouldn't be anywhere near super league if they cant drastically improve their crowds.

Crusaders shouldn't be in at the moment imo (I've not read their application, but surely their whole application was based on being in the South of Wales, and not a few miles from the heartlands), but unless their crowds drop significantly, they will probably get a license.

Cas and Wakefield will both get licenses (even if their stadium plans arent anynearer to becoming reality), unless of course someone from Stade Francais says they'd like an rl team, and implies they'd be willing to fund it

Thats it crowds are everything

Its a good job we dont look back at the last ten years- You would remain in "div 2" with Wire, Reds, Wakey, Hudds, Cas

Lets not kid ourselves we(RL) have huge crowds- Only Wigan, Leeds, Bulls in the early days of SL have had what could be described as good crowds- Hull possibly

They've been trying to get rid of Wakey from the begining for some reason (or so it seems) and I think they'll manage it now.

Quins won't and shouldn't be kicked out of SL. If we kick Quins out we may as well forget all about expansion, put our flat caps back on, go back to Winter rugby, and while we're at it bring lineouts back.

Salford all the way.
Forget about new stadiums, Widnes and Leigh have already got them, as have Doncaster etc etc They've been shocking and I'd replace them with ol' Widdy.

When is the axe falling?

I go for Lewis and Wood

Wood yes, Lewis no.

I agree. Quins, Salford and Nomads all safe on geography. Cas over Wakefield purely on fanbase, whether they're playing well or not.

I don't think Salford are safe, far from it. Cas should be ok since they've got an ok team and decent crowds.
Wakefield should be more worried than Cas in my opinion but since they've got a decent team and a good youth system they should be ok as well.

Salford don't have a good first team, don't have good crowds and don't have a great youth system.

I'd be worried if I were a Salford fan.

Castleford and Salford are the most vulnerable I feel. Crusaders seem to have been taken too warmly by the Wrexham people and Wakefield/Harlequins are producing youngsters which will go in their favour.

Not everything. They are very important though. We need a super league where every team is spending the full salary cap every year, otherwise it will continue to be uncompetitive, so that is where we need to be heading. Imo, either Quins need to seriously increase their crowds, or find another massive source of income, otherwise they wont be able to compete. I find it fairly hard it believe that there is a massive source of income they have ignored thus far, therefore substantially increasing their crowds seems to be the only way they will be able to compete in the long run. Which part of that dont you agree with?

I think Crusaders have the weakest application on paper if you go by the criteria set out by the RFL but if you look at the way the RFL did write ups from the last assessment (some clubs get everything spun positively whilst others are spun negatively) then I think they are safe

Salford for mine - especially if they finish bottom.

It'll be difficult to kick out Cas/Wakey if their on-field performance stays reasonable. (Don't quote the stadium criteria rubbish at me either - they won't kick these two out if they finish in/around the top six).

Castleford aren't producing youngsters? We have less foreign players than Wakefield. Most of our squad is English.

We have Huby, Shenton, Westerman, Owen who are all Cas academy first team regulars. Then we have Thompson and Massey who have both played a part this season and last season. Then we have Oliver Holmes and John Davies on the fringes. We have let Boyle go to Salford who is a Cas youngster.

What are you smoking??
That new management is fantastic, there's huge potential there!
They'll be on a B license next time, on which note I fail to see the point in having a mark for salary cap breach seens as it can't be done now

IF, and it is a BIG IF!!! the criteria was applied equally, fairly and taking into account FINANCE (no sugar daddies etc) then a lot of "BIG" clubs would be struggling!!!

They are now and some possibly would be over the edge if it wasn't for "Daddy".

If the Sky money went down, and who is to say it won't, I mean it's not as if people are kicking the door down at the RFL, then some clubs are really on the edge.

Look at the state of moronball and it's "finances" through its "fans/income/tv money" and most clubs are now owing millions!!!

Consider that in relation to clubs who went under owing less than a moronball players weekly wage!!!

oh yes moron ball teams being called up for tax debts chester got wound up this week and pompey (dog S**t city) are in serious problems. mmmmmm this truely is a happy happy time for all who hate the stupid annoying "game"

as for this poll meh who is to say anyone will get kicked? quins no they exist outside the window of the RFU chief exec any pulling of them would be a massive coup for the blazers. Salford probably not they are suffering terribly but if they pull salford they lose all representation in manchester not likely to happen.

cas and wakefield same old rubbish yawn yawn yawn. oh the grounds are not up to scratch yadda yadda yes ok they are both run down but where is the new saints ground? oh but they are far to important to be on your poll aren't they.

Crusaders? doubtful if the RFL were not going to let them back in next time then they wouldn't have bothered letting them move and just watched them go under woulnd't they? it would be so much easier for them and also would have really put the cat amongst the pigeons in the championship if the RFL said 1 sl team would still go down making 2 spots available.

to be perfectly honest this sort of poll is boring pointless and well a bit pathetic it just shows how bloody bored i am to even bother to respond

They've been saying this down London for well over 20 years now, there is around 10 000 000 people in that area and yet they can only muster just over 3000 fans.
Sorry but I think they are only good enough to play in the championship, only for the away support (weekend in London) the club finances would be an embarrassment. The only positive is that they have made inroads into introducing league down there.
We would have hoped they could have developed support like the catalans bit I'm afraid we might be waiting another 20 years.
Maybe playing in the championship and winning lots of games can draw in some local support.
People might say spectator support does not matter in superleague but it does, no fans.....no club.

That would kill it dead. I'd persevere a bit yet.

There's only one club knocking on the SL door at the moment so there's no panic. If a club in the capital is as key a factor as the RFL make out then go with it for the forseeable future. Harlequins need to start panicking when there's a few clubs knocking at the door, especially expansionist ones. It's probably going to be Salford out, especially if they finish bottom.

You also need to consider the financial status of some clubs as well, the Inland Revenue may end up having the final word in some cases.

Why aren't Hull KR on the list? Terrible ground and a poor record with youth development even if according to their chairman (who is known for his honesty) they are financially fit and well.

Isnt that the whole point of the club being there? The key to the long term future of the club?

There was a struggling Parisian RU club for many years, out on a limb from the rest of the game. They persevered and eventually got a great backer to progressed. They got 80 000 at the weekend!

i dont normally respond to these threads because my knowledge is limited but comparing london to catalans seems like a load of ignorant nonsense to me, catalan is a rugby league heartland going back many many years is it not? hardly a fair comparison

Melbourne Storm are far from the best supported club in the NRL and the people of Melbourne seem more impressed with other codes. Should they get the boot?