Yeah from reading in depth about the process, it seems incredibly like that Toulouse and Widnes will arive in Super League. The teams dropping out should be Salford and Hardlyquins. The later could always be saved through Crusaders or another team going bump in the night because of financial problems.

But all this idiot talk of petitions and boycotts and mass protests is ridiculous. Get a grip. The RFL are doing what they think is the best thing for the sport. Debate about the way to go about that and decisions that come from it are fine, but why protest? The bitterness the last time was unbelivable and this time it looks like it will be worse.

It's time for a lot of fans (Well not a lot given the clubs involved) and directors to face the facts. There is only so much money in SL at the moment (Probably less come the next Sky deal) and therefore only so many teams can enter. Widnes are probably the only team outside of SL with a genuine claim to a franchise. Toulouse seem likely to be let in as well. It's not like those being removed (Salford, Quins etc) can complain given their lack of performance as a club (Finances, crowds, on field success etc) and it's not like those being denied (Leigh, Halifax who else has a serious application to put in?) can complain either.

Agree with most of that but the RFL HAVE TO SORT OUT the cack-handed way they deal with clubs and the so called rules and guidelines issued to them. It's unprofessional to say the least. On the one hand they're handing out franchises with the aim of improvement. Well, they could do with a long hard look at their own standards in this regard.

Spot on.

Likelihood of it happening = 0. *sigh*

Have any of the clubs that could be affected (Widnes, Salford) etc commented?

Allan Rowley at Leigh is sharpening his pencil

Well he has proved that he is the only one amongst the Championship clubs that won't roll over and die.

Des Johnson at Barrow sometimes let's loose. However, it's all pointless anyway. The RFL still have Rowley et al at the cliff edge so they all have to push back and take it

You have [icompletely[/i missed the point of all this.

Fans of Leigh, Fax etc know they have little chance of suceeding next time around but fans are annoyed at being blatantly lied to. No matter what they say to spin their way out of this, 99% of fans thought that Toulouse had to meet the same criteria on the field as everybody else.

Fans are annoyed because it seems as if it matters not what they try and do because they have no chance of ever making it. The RFL will guarantee that they are overlooked.

You also stated previously that teams like Leigh and Widnes had a crack and failed which is ludicrous. Relegation happens, they only fail if they can't get back up. Widnes at the time had the 7th highest average attendances in the league. Huddersfield spent 3 seasons rooted to the bottom without going down, teams like Wakefield were 1 game away from relegation a couple of times. Who knows if they had have come back up had they been sent down one of those times.

Of course you will mention finances but Widnes never struggled as a Super League side. We gambled on getting back to the Super League but can you blame us, being in Super League was always going to be worth far more than anything else. Plus if P & R came back I wonder how many other clubs would last a couple of years outside of Super League, imagine if Hull KR were relegated and didn't get back up at the first attempt, how would they ever pay that debt off?

The RFL still hold the keys though. If you p*ss them off you may have the moral high ground but eventually you will have that in a division that nobody cares about in front of a few hundred people whilst other clubs like my own may be in Super League.

The clubs have to play the RFL's petty games, it's the fans that don't.

The RFL are only making it a level playing field. Toulouse don't play in the NRC. So straight away they are at a massive disadvantage. It's only fair they have a level playing field.

They have left themselves looking a bit daft by not coming out and saying this was the case when they made up the winning the grand final rule.

Someone else accused me of missing the point. Surely the point is that established clubs i.e. Featherstone, Leigh etc are wasting what little money they (and the rfl) have coming up with proposals for a Superleague place they are never going to get.

The RFL are defending these clubs from themselves. Their pi$$ poor PR is a side issue.

It's a PR issue when it doesn't involve your own club. I'm alright Jack


Anyway, the RFL have a long precedent of shafting clubs by fecking up their own rules. The salary cap cheating fiasco is right up there with the best of them.

All fans not already booked their trip there shouldnt book now and all that have should go and make their feelings known whilst there, banners etc, get max publicity on this issue.
Possibily of a Toulouse and NEW SOUTH WALES SCORPIONS franchise in 2012 looking good as the Crusaders players can also play for the Scorpions, how fair is that.

Has this been reported anywhere other than in that top quality tabloid newspaper? No mention on sportinglife, bbc, superleague and rfl websites at all.

Before I get too worked up over this, I'm going to wait until I see it reported in a reputable journal.

Both the RFL and Toulouse have confirmed it in League Express. I don't remember when this suddenly became disreputable.

The disdain that some people on here have for Championship clubs is disgusting.

This issue really is separating the genuine fans of the game who favour expansion and those who will don't care if they destroy lower league RL as long as Super League has expansion clubs.

The Toulouse business is very dodgy and it does look like it's designed to fast track the French into SL. Having said that the original criteria of having been allowed to qualify for application through winning a minor trophy is ridiculous. The NR cup should not be put on a par with the Championship Grand Final. If you can't win the Grand Final you obviously can't be competitive enough to be considered for SL!

I'm all for extending SL to include more French teams but only on the condition that these teams don't receive SKY money. We should have 14 British teams sharing the pot. The money is after all coming from UK based subscribers. If we want to expand SL to include French teams it's only right that they negotiate there own TV rights in France.

And what line of reasoning would you have for kicking Wakey out before Castleford?

Can't really defend the RFL if this is true, and to promote TO before they were ready would be a mistake. Celtic only narrowly lost the GF and were promoted, and that was considered too early. Hopefully TO will make the final and all this will be irrelevant, I dread to think what would happen if a mid-table team went up.

However, nice to see that the Widnes and Leigh fans are as quick to draw swords as ever

Why wouldn't they?

They have less reason to trust the RFL than anybody else and this if true would have proved it.

However there are some reports that it may not be.

Right. So by lying, going back on their word and changing the 'criteria' at their own will the RFL are protecting clubs with 'no realistic chance of SL'....

Of all the bull**** ways to put a positive spin on this outrageous lie, yours has to be the most ludicrous..

Yet you ignore all the fans of Super League clubs who are also outraged by this. This isn't about Leigh or Widnes but you carry on with your stupid agenda. You're no doubt one of the 'I'm alright Jack brigade'....

Cretin.

The RFL has now issued a press release stating that Toulouse do indeed have to reach the 2010 Grand Final to apply for a 2012 Super League licence.
An RFL official told our correspondent Mike Rylance that they didn't have to, but it seems that the RFL got it wrong.

What about this?

[i"A Toulouse spokesman has indicated that the club was aware they wouldn't have to satisfy the on-field criteria when they entered the league just over 12 months ago."[/i
[urlhttp://www.lasttackle.com/news_3335-toulouse-handed-path-to-super-league.html[/url