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...

OK so it's about attacking me as always. Last ever reply from me to you then..........

They must be giving Mr. Sadler and TRL an exclusive then

It's a forum.For opinions.I point out where you flip-flop and you accuse me of following you.

You show your hypocrisy and then,when it is pointed out,you accuse me of attacking you.

Bit thin-skinned for a little Englander.

Try and be consistent.All readers know you don't want overseas clubs ,and you just want M62 clubs.

Best just stay on those subjects where you maintain the same stance.

It's great that Thunder have access to M62 players via the universities.

That should be another criteria for promoting clubs.Do Leigh have a university?

Don't think so.Nor a railway station.

Interesting that you agree with promotion for off - field matters.

All sports should follow the innovative sport of rugby league...

How is it a different debate? The applications for Superleague inclusion have to offer something to Superleague.

The formal analysis commissioned by the RFL of the value of TWP, Ottawa and New York was that they offer nothing to the game here. No TV money, no quality Players. Equally the analysis of the French was they offer very little unless you can show me a TV deal? [uOver to you[/u or anyone else?? On the playing front Les Catalans have just signed McMeeken, I don't think he's French. They only have 4 French players in their first choice 17.

And the fact is when it comes to Toulouse they too have only 4 Frenchmen in their starting 17.

So Toulouse have been knocking on the SL door since 1996 when Paris pipped them at the post for a Superleague place. Toulouse have had what? 24 years to develop professional SL quality Rugby League players and it's certainly not a given that the four French lads they do have in their first 17 are of SL quality?? If they were Superleague quality then Les Catalans would have picked them up................

So it is reasonable to suggest that between the pair of them they are incapable of SL player development. It's no good talking about the French talent in the English SL clubs. That doesn't justify giving two places to two French clubs that bring nothing to superleague does it???







12 English clubs would of course provide any quality French RL lads the opportunity to come play here for an English club and develop their game here like Fages. We wouldn't lose any French RL talent if there were no French clubs in Superleague. We wouldn't lose the French clubs here as long as there is a championship in which both French clubs could then play their derby games, and see if the French TV want to pay for them, and they can play a few more French lads instead of sacking them all off.

The Championship would provide the places and a decent level of Rugby League for French RL lads to try their hand at becoming pro. It makes far more sense to drop Catalans down than hoist Toulouse up

What so called expansionists won't admit is that "expanding" two SL places to France can only be done by taking two SL places away from English clubs. We had London in Superleague who were removed by the waste of space that were TWP, now it seems some people wish for Bradford to be rejected for a French club.

But that's what the so-called "Expansonists" refuse to acknowledge, is if you put overseas clubs into superleague the English game contracts and the TV deal dissappears and everyone is dead.......

Steph, that man in the white outfit in your imaginary pub is not the real pope whatever his version of the Gregorian Calendar

Thanks. Once again I am right. Sorry Jean

U wot m8?

What you refuse to understand and acknowledge is that English clubs are not more deserving of any vacant place in Super league and therefore have no more right than any other club, something that seems to have confused you for some time.

By including overseas clubs you're not denying any place for English clubs. The place is still there if whichever English club is good enough to earn it. Are they afraid of the extra competition?

What you also don't understand is over saturation. The m62 is at peak saturation and each club added eats away at the commercial opportunities of their neighbors. Ever wondered why English clubs have not grown in the last decade or two?

The one club that has grown, Catalans.

You seem to be fixated with Toulouse's crowds, something you told everyone didn't matter during the Toronto issue.

Under your rationale, perhaps clubs such as Leigh Fev and London should ply their trade in the Championship as well. Gives them time build their low crowds, player development. See, it works both ways.

Fev for example, are a team that relies on dual reg and they believe they could be a super league team. Why are they above your criticism, the very criticism that you direct at toulouse?

It's because toulouse are foreign and Fev and co are English.

You invented that which is why I don't believe for one second your having a debate, more like a laugh

What Crowds?





they only had one big crowd last season they played. 6,000 supposedly turned up for the Toronto game





so........

That's clearly the future for Catalans and Toulouse, form a French-North American league, Get Perez, Livolsi and Wilby over to Paris to meet Gausch and Sarrazain and take the whole thing from there.......

Clearly if the French fans find north American clubs so attractive but have no care when the English come to town then that's the way to go......

But the M62 Super League clubs struggle to manage a pair of English half backs after more than a century of existence, without a government interference, and the French club has a French head coach when the M62 Super League clubs appoint head coaches from overseas.

Only when a loss making owner of a M62 Super League club appoints a buddy from another sport does the TV deal disappear - no blame can be attached to an overseas club for that!