You'd think they'd maybe have some guarantees in place from the chairman though before announcing their entry. What if he'd just changed his mind mid season?

Its not so much for the individual failure, its for the way they have gone about it, announcing 4 new clubs before they have any sorted is basically stupid

What guarantees can you have? I understand the Rebels paid their bond, and the RLF keep kit.

Spot on. The RFL announced four new clubs, without having viable options. Only Hemel have any structure and have any chance of not being added to the list of failed expansion clubs. From the outside it appears they were struggling to fill the fourth spot, now they have two clubs to 'find' I would be very concerned if I was connected to long time established clubs Rochdale Hornets and Oldham.

Not just Oldham and Rochdale but even Skolars and Crusaders.

It seems they are confident there will still be 2 as yet unamed clubs ready to step up but with the time constraints involved it seems unlikely they will be in a good position to start next season and are going to be on a hiding to nothing at least in the short term.

Coventry has seemed a logical choice for a long time but has not yet been announced which might be a sign they are not going to be the 4th (now 3rd choice) and I just wonder if Gloucestershire will not be the only University connected team being introduced as Loughborough have the ground and experience of running a team at a high level in RU's league system and bringing them in be it as a wholly student side or an open team under the umbrella of the University (perhaps with the help of Nottingham Outlaws) would suit the RFL's need for a side in the Midlands and get them out of a big hole.

Not a good state to be in at all and Skolars showed last night that Championship 1 has alot to offer and having seen games there and at Crusaders and Scorpions I know there is life outside Cumbria and South Yorkshire this season but if the progress that has been made in North London and Wrexham is going to go to waste with a f of a league next seaon the RFL will have no one but themselves to blame.

www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/26 ... -completed On the plus side Hemel have a new stand and a house hold name for a sponsor. Hemel have looked ready for a while to become a semi pro side.

www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/26 ... -completed On the plus side Hemel have a new stand and a house hold name for a sponsor. Hemel have looked ready for a while to become a semi pro side.

True and that should have been the way to go not creating new clubs out of nothing and stepping on the toes of existing clubs as happened in Northampton.

Lets hope these ' credible alternatives ' are announced soon, then everybody will know the structures for next year

I hooe the RFL don't panic and put a team that isn't capable. The clubs should be as strong as Hemel coming into CH1. Some good stuff happening at Hemel.

They've done that times 2, arguably times 3.

They have come up with 2 but one is a bid that previously collapsed and the other wasn't even considered til Rebels collapsed (arguably because of Rebels). All assuming both clubs accept.

Broncos very suddenly changed their mind about playing in Gillingham. Maybe Medway are back in the mix.

Anyone know what the All Golds are up to? Frighteningly quiet.

I think the RFL should be targeting the midlands for the new expansion clubs as for me it makes much more sense to expand by gradually spreading out from the traditional heartlands of the game rather than jumping from one end of the country to the other. Having said that it does seem that Hemel Stags are the most ready to make the step up so good luck to them

Yes but they have announced 4 new clubs, so where are the other 2 ?

The new season starts in 3 months time ( pre season ) and they dont know who these other 2 clubs are for gods sake

I think this idea has some merit. I've always thought there seem to be very few community clubs in the Potteries and the Black country compared to other areas. It would be good to see RL played more in populous areas like Stoke and Wolverhampton.

There used to be a 4 team league in the Stoke area in the 2nd half of the 1980s. But nothing now. Wolverhampton have a club but they could only raise a team half the time this year.

The only realistic areas are Nottingham, Loughborough/Leicester and Coventry in my book and RU is not particularly played much in Stoke nor Wolverhampton and certainly not when compared to neighbouring counties like Worcestershire and to a lesser degree Shropshire which whilst some might see as an opportunity is not ideal when looking for players or a fan base.

Leicester is a rugby mad city that also boosts a well supported football club and with Loughborough Uni as a source of players could be an area to develop eventually but with no decent non league ground or the like within the City finding a suitable home will be their problem.

Nottingham and Coventry have the coaching sturcture, the grounds but if the will is there (especially with the Outlaws) to take the step up so soon has to be the doubt. Then again that goes for any new club I fear and the fact that it seems the RFL nor the 2 new sides don't know who they are yet could mean they are onto a loser from the start and starting badly could affect future prospects terminally when they need to get publicity and support locally.

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Right Nigel , now that you have ' stabilised ' SL and the Championship by putting the Bulls on ' probation ' , although what that actually means , nobody knows , Can you now sort out this fiasco ?

4 Clubs you said , [size=1504[/size NEW clubs

Starbug - due to circumstances outside of their control the RFL can't answer your question. Anyway, it's only Championship Two. Doesn't really matter does it? Bradford are saved and SL is teriffic again. What more do you want?

Oxford so says the RL express, Tony Benson to coach, announcement tomorrow. I do take an interest in the new clubs formed, however shambolic it appears to be at times, fingers crossed they all have a successful first season in terms of interest. Now who will be number 4, Coventry?

From what I've heard, the Oxford bid actually sounds quite promising with some good people involved. Apparently Coventry are struggling due to some key recent departures?

Coventry is the only live bid left. I'm significantly more optimistic about the chances than I was but expect the decision one way or the other to be announced soon. I don't know of anyone leaving that would affect it. The Oxford bid collapsed but has been reformed. The bid was only recently looked into as the Bears were to be sacrifical lambs to appease the demons running Northampton Rebels but that wasn't enough.

Coventry Bears have been accepted into the NCL as a fall back plan.

I'm waiting ror one to be called, "Due Dilligance", that seems to have banded about a lot these past few months.

[url=http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_10266-oxford-to-join-championship-1.htmlThe RFL have announced that Oxford Rugby League club will enter Championship 1 in 2013.[/url