Its not just Hughes though. Bradford's big money backer has also been noticeably quiet during this whole bid process. Mind you that's because there isn't one.

It would be suicidal for any Championship club to take on what is being asked without insurances of no relegation.

Well if bradford go up look for the drawbridge being raised

Col, there will be P&R next season.....up to now anyway. At the end of next season, we will have the new Sky TV deal for 2022. It's anyone's guess whether the structure will change for the 2022 season. Personally,I think we (Leigh) have done enough with our application to get that 12th spot,however, I think Bradford will nick it. I've said all along, that i'm quite happy to EARN a place in SL on the field.

I thought the rules was P&R alive for 2021?

Unless some of these clubs know different. Why apply?
.
.

According to the General Manager of Newcastle Thunder (Jordan Robinson) there is a team at the moment called Newcastle Magpies who play in black and white and there are plans to create a Sunderland side obviously in red and white to recreate that rivalry. This is at amateur level though.

So bitter.

I wonder what it is like being a little London fan ? I mean, it must smart a bit, knowing that despite being gifted a Super League Licence over & over again & despite great support from the RFL & despite moving like nomads from place to place & depsite changing your name like a failed corner shop, over & over again, & despite being one of the weakest teams year after year, little London still can't attract a thousand home fans & play on a college campus out of a marquee !

It must really chafe, knowing that the people of Greater London just don't want Rugby League in London & it must embarrass you that, despite year after year of being the protected b@$tard child of the RFL & SLE, little old London is still a much smaller club than Oldham, Rochdale, Whitehaven, Barrow or Batley would have been had they had a Hughes, a protected Licence & the collective support of the RFL & SLE behind them ?

#littlelondon #samaritans #fulham #crusaders #broncos #harlequins #broncosagain #failedcornershop #irrelevantlittleclub

I have a suspicion that the "winning" team were told a long time ago. And I also wonder if they were told not to worry about the reduced money and being whipping boys because they'll not be relegated.

I’m not going to do a Donnyman and claim I have definitive inside info (even though everytime he was proven to be lying)
But someone I know who has never been wrong before stated it’s definitely Bradford that will be announced on Monday.

Sad times for rugby league in this country

If you're not agitated why jump to his defense so often?

You can't just post stuff that accuses someone of something without backing it up.

Classy as usual.

Best post in this thread is the serial bull4hitter Donnyman claiming that Tolouse’s 3500 attendance was due to the 138 away Bradford fans.

Yet you still all fall for it lmao

I hope whoever gets 12th spot can stay up and bring a little karma to the chairmen that collectively decided to low blow whoever comes in by giving them such significantly less funding.

Fwiw I think Bradford or Leigh will go up with only Leigh capable of staying up.

I believe the announcement is on the 16th, which is not Monday.

Bradford are capable of staying up, but only by the intervention of the RFL & SLE who will will block their relegation if necessary !!!

It's the only way that Odsall can work for the RFL, the place is crippling !!!

Whoever gets awarded the place in Super League, good luck to them. It won't be my club Leigh, but hopefully we will gain promotion in the next couple of years....but it's not the end of the world if we don't, as we've only ever had 2 seasons in SL anyway, and we've done okay as one of the top championship clubs.

If that’s the case, the only club building for SL is Leigh. The only club to compete at that level is Leigh. I still think the advantage is another season in Championship, and sod SL.

"Thunder's coaching set-up and facilities are superb; its community outreach is well-established and growing.

"Newcastle and the north east has considerable future growth potential, backed by its owner - as has already been recognised by the decision to play the Super League Magic Weekend at St James' Park for a fifth time in 2021, and also by Rugby League World Cup 2021 with five fixtures to be played in the region including the tournament opener in Newcastle.

"The club has a clearly-stated aspiration of Super League success this decade. Overall the panel thought its application most closely matched the vision of the RFL's Strategy Reset."

Climax of the 2019 Championship

Toulouse.v.York 1,132
Toulouse.v.Featherstone 1,068

Definitive figures from RL yearbook 2019-2020

OK so we can agree Toulouse sadly have no chance?

Especially this definitive info [i"Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Occitania and the reigning Top 14 champion. Toulouse is one of the most successful clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup a joint record four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010"[/i

It was originally by the 16th, they have now stated it will be Monday

I have no faith that the right decision will be made.

Newcastle coming up is a good step in the right direction however.

As for toulouse, I do not think they will get the spot. Whether they should is a different debate altogether.

P.S I don't understand the relevance of the success of the union club has to do with anything?

But,but,but....You're championing Newcastle Thunder who are owned by the guy who owns Newcastle Falcons and Thunder use their facilities and stadium.

A union club presently top of The Premiership...

I'm not championing Newcastle Thunder for the 12th. Superleague place at this exact stage. Certainly the club themselves are doing that as I noted with the quotes [ufrom the Newcastle club. [/uNewcastle Thunder are applying for the Championship exactly the same place Toulouse are playing in, in case you did not know. Neither should be in Superleague at this stage. Let's see if Newcastle end up with crowds of 1,000 if they end up getting to the top of the Championship, which is what Toulouse got in games that could have seen them promoted - that's how much interest there is in Toulouse..

Direction to where? Superleague? Why not have a chat with the Optimist about it as he seems to entirely disagree with you?

Leave me out of it

The point,as you well know,was the weight you applied to the union argument against the overseas club but not against Newcastle.

I'm not falling over myself to disagree.Why would I do that? Just indicating your hypocrisy to any newcomers who may not habeen reading this forum for any period of time.

As for the nonsense bit - I defer to your superiority...