Have a look on the Fax site , re stadium issues

Would they? If you are going by last time's criteria, you'd get...

Ground capacity over 12k - Cru (15.5k), Quins (14.8k), Cas (11.8k) Wakey (11k)
Premier Standard stadium - Quins (Yes), Cru (Yes), Cas (No), Wakey (No)
Average crowds over 10k - Cas (6.6k), Wakey (6k), Cru (5.1k), Quins (3.3k)
Crowds above 40% of capacity - Cas (56%), Wakey (55%), Cru (33%), Quins (22%)
Turnover above £4million - No idea, assume none of them.
Solvent - No idea, I assume all of them otherwise they wouldn't be in in the first place (daft criteria IMO. Would they pick an insolvent club for a franchise?!)
Contribution to competition (so far 09-10) - Wakey (7th), Cas (7th/8th), Quins (12th), Cru (12th)
Academy products in top 25 squad - Quins (9), Cas (9), Wakey (icon_cool.gif, Cru (8* - just included Welsh federation players in their 25 as they've not had an academy long enough)
Salary Cap breaches in last 3 years - All (0)
Number of clubs within 20 miles - Quins (0), Cru (0), Cas (4), Wakey (4)

Total points - Quins (6pts), Cru (6pts), Cas (5pts), Wakey (5pts)

Not that they'll use the same points scoring, but they'll be judged on roughly the same sort of things most likely. You forget that where Cru and Quins fail on crowds, they make up for it in better quality stadia and being in a less saturated area for RL - two things the RFL seem to stress that they're looking for.

The least of Halifax's worries are their neighbours. Three steps back with the latest stadium news. Hot on the pitch (b[iitc[/ih slapped Super League darlings Widnes again last night) but not so hot off it. Fantastic people runnning the club on a voluntary babsis and therein lies the problem. Not enough resources to convert this club into a professional outfit worthy of Supwer League status.

That is the line

How can you judge a 'stadium' issue a year in advance? For all you know we could be building it in January.

Both the stadium capacity's are incorrect

Thats not what he said is it, he said based on the criteria set down by the RFL, not the "for me" criteria.

Yes, Cas's is 12k.

It is now they moved a porta , exective box off the terracing

Well someone had to give English talent a chance so that you could import highly paid aussies.

Touche.

they'll just merge with the scorpions and the scorpions will be given the francise.

I bet quite a few on here would be happy if a struggling Bradford finacialy and on the field, loseing fans hand over fist would be replaced by a vibrant club with no real money worries and has a half decent team with a decent stadia. I think Bradfords time could well be up in the next frenchise round with Fax being amore than viable replacemeant!

I must apologise for having suggested Wakey deserved a renewed franchise. After yet another mullering today and the coach thinking our scrambling defence was excellent, I have sadly come to the conclusion that without major changes at the club, whether the stadium gets built at Newmarket is irrelevant, we will not deserve to get a renewed licence, as the club is not run in the way that an elite competition team should be.

My thoughts exactly, but unfortunately not about Wakefield

So do Widnes deserve a licence as they may finish outside the play offs in the Championship. ie console yourself with the fact that its not how good you are on the pitch anymore, its how much your backer is worth..simples

Oh dear


They closed the pits coz they were losing money.....not popular but as a business, a good call. Sport is no longer about morals and fairness, sport is a business and widnes, of all the teams outside SL bring the best deal to the table, they ticked the boxes and will deserve to replace whom ever...even my quins if that;s what happens

Well lets all be told that is the case then , why bother having a playing box to tick at all then

Sad but true.

I'll be sat outside Trafford Park at the weekend, applauding the delivery wagons coming in, and going out.

Come on DAF, kick Scania's butt!!!

Scania are definately flouting the tachograph cap this year. It's a joke. I may just go and watch the Banking Sector next weekend.

As daft as it is, we have drunken games of 'lorry spotting' on the way to away games, maybe you could be on to summat.

Nobody ever wants to be Stobart's by the way, Smoggie b@stards.

Congrats on the acadamy comp. In reality it means they are not playing in the first team. How many of wakefield's youngsters would get close to an England team or even interest one of the bigger clubs. Cas have/had Westerman, Shenton and Owen. I've nothing against Wakey and am certainly not a Cas fan but that was the criteria i was using.

Crusaders will not go for the same reason as Les Cats will not go. Our international game desperatly needs improving and the only way, long term to do that is to have top flight clubs in countrys other than england. I'd be fairly confident that over the course of the next few franchise periods that the RFL will introduce an Irish ans a Scottish team too.

Had to come out of VT retirement to congratulate you on this brilliant post Rich. And confirm there is a tachograph cap of sorts and people do flout it on occasion.

"Hello Irish team, this is Scotland. Hello Scottish team, this is Ireland".

That's about as far as any introductions will go.