I'm sure I read it one of the rugby papers this morning. I was hoping someone else would come on and confirm as I don't have access to them at the moment, sorry

Let's not kid ourselves about our game, Widnes, Whitehaven, Rochdale, Gateshead, Blackpool, York, Wakey, Crusaders (present club saddled with historic debt from the previous incarnation) Salford (had to have a big bailout this season gone from the Local Council to keep em afloat) Quins, all having or have had MAJOR financial problems in the last few years.
I'd wager only Sheffield Eagles and London Skolars live within their means. A lot of rumours bout another 3 or 4 clubs teetering on the edge!

According to a post on the RedPassion forum (oooerr missus!) most of the backroom staff left after the last game after being told of all the cuts which were to be made.

They need a club to merge with , Widnes for SL 2011 anyone



I said they were Gateshead mk 2

This is really bad news for the game. How many people are going to want to invest in new or existing ventures when this is the possible result?

The whole lack of movement in the market place by the Crusaders is reminiscent of last year - and we all know now why that was - but can they play another 'get-out-of-jail' card this time.

My suspicion is that the coaches who may be leaving will be wanting to settle their leaving accounts, and this may be impacting on what the club want to do to move forward.

Very difficult times indeed!

nowt like death riding a club on the basis of a rumour is there.

you did matey, i've just read it in the dave "nosey" parker bit

I have no idea whats going on with the crusaders, but i wouldn't listen to a single word posted on RedPassion. The site is 90% trolls, that hate rugby league.

Take the TV money out and all the clubs are up the creek, even with the TV money only a very small few, if any, would be technically solvent ( creative accounting is a wonderful thing).

In Mo& Ron Ball's game it is even worse, when what , allegedly, was the richest club on the planet is riddled with debt now.

I have been critical of the welsh experiment however any club faced with going under is sad to hear about. Everyone on here I am sure wants the game to grow and develop. This may be the last chance saloon now for Crusaders. Can they survive? I am not so sure.

The crusaders will compete in the 2011 Super League as the RFL will bail them out again a bit like london 5 years ago

[urlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/nov/01/crusaders-winding-up-order-super-league[/url

I like this comment from the RFL.

"A spokesman for the Rugby Football League confirmed that =#FF0000"we've opened dialogue with them to try and get things sorted out", with further information expected this week".

Yes the RFL will be helping them again

Is there ANY pro RL club that over the years the RFL have not "helped" in one way or another?

Somehow I doubt it!!!

Quite right - that's what they should be doing.

They have been very helpful with Wakey over recent months - I don't think it goes quite as far as it has with the expansion clubs, but then each club's problems are unique and should be addressed as such.

The RFL NEVER helped out Widnes.

Careful TRB or that'll confuse Disney, his idea of help is money or nothing so he'll start thinking the RFL have bailed Wakey out alongside Quins and Crusaders.

Mind you given he has no proof of either why not make it a hat trick of ill conceived and without proof assumptions.

FWIW I really hope this is some sort of clearing out clutter but having been there last year I don't want to go there again thank you!

I wonder if there is any truth in the allegation / rumour going around during the latter half of last season, that a certain high-profile name was having their wages met, not by the club, but by the RFL ?

So given you have none your hoping someone else does, or are you just perpetuating a rumour?

I said on here before the Bridgend club was let in that its pointless. Tiny little Welsh towns just don't have the populations to support a new professional sport. Would have been much better investing in Milton Keynes before the football club went there. There are loads of English towns / cities that would have a better chance on success than the likes of Brigend and Wrexham.#

It was an absolutely stupid project, other than maybe to attract grass roots funding in Wales.

I actually want Welsh team(s) in the competition .... But, like London, the RFL have messed up again.

The problem is placing ONE team in a particular area, when actually you should be placing TWO teams in Wales. The most logical conurbations would be Swansea and Cardiff.

Ever wondered why Bradford Vs Leeds or Wigan Vs Saints etc. get the biggest crowds ... That's right, they're local derbies. The sort of game that is talked over at the workplace on the Monday morning, the one where families are divided and where you can have bragging rights over the people around you. How can you have a 'local rival' that is in the case of London over 180 miles away ?

It also just happens that Swansea and Cardiff hate the sight of each other in sporting events too, assuring a good crowd ....

I'm pretty sure it's more to do with the rivalry built up over a long period of time. If you stuck a new club somewhere, it doesn't mean it's an automatic rivalry. It would take years and events etc to cause tension between two teams. Also I can't see how stretching a limited League support in Wales at the moment to 3 teams would do any good.

It does sound like Crusaders problems run a lot deeper than Wakey's did, who were used as a test case to resolve the image rights issue. They will be coming after a lot more clubs now, but the Crusaders sound like the taxman might be the least of their worries.

Another reason to show that they should have never been promoted and then reinstated as "someone else" in the first place, very limited efforts to develop the welsh players that welsh rugby league needs - very limited sympathy if they are wound up

Missed that bit out as it's only Wakefield fans who seem to believe this is the case and other sides (Hudds - Fien) took action on tax changes yonks back so if Wakey didn't that was their fault and not a wider issue.