And beat Fev & Sheffield...

Who do you want in? Halifax (bottom of league) or Barrow (didn't make out of NRC group?). Funny as when people make this argument that never seems to crop up

The best side over the last 3 seasons (including this one when finalised in September). Just me though.

What sort of overseas dispensation will the team that comes up (Widnes) get next season? I'm assuming it'll be in line with what Salford/Cas got when both teams came up rather than Crusaders?

it definately wont be of the crusaders variety. but then do these things really mean anything? look at HKR.

On that basis Barrow are the front runners as they're the only ones to win a league game this season!

As funny as we would all find that actually happening , the competitive nature of the Championships could just as easily see Widnes win the competition as finish bottom , unfortunatley the RFL cannot even see that as a Good thing either and are going to bugger up that as well

Widnes - Sheffield?

Forgot about that. A rare Widnes win should really be a memorable occasion.

Even so, Barrow are still above you in the league (with a game in hand).

So we're basing three year licenses on three games then. Thats a great idea comrade.

Yours is based on one Chris

, it's like the good old days of P and R

Only kidding , I hope you lot don't keep sulking and not turn up next Thursday ? , it's the Lancashire cup final

I suspect our turn out will depend on the announcement!

WIdnes were told 2 years ago by the RFL what they needed to do on and off the pitch to get a licence this time around, they've done all of that to the criteria set.

If the RFL told them win everything on the pitch, then they'd have invested more in the playing squad, but they weren't! So you can't blame them for this, it's who set that criteria.

SL fans often show their lack of Championship knowledge in threads like this. Has anyone mentioned that Halifax are bottom of the league? That Barrow have had 5 coaches in 4 years and an ego mad chairman? Fax and Barrow lack supporters, this is what happens in the Championship! Given the chance it's a different ball game. People are asking what Widnes can offer more than Wakefield...you can't answer that question for at least 3 years IF we're given the chance. Wakefield have had there's and none done very well with it.

HAhaha Widnes lost against one of the best sides in the league and now we dont deserve a franchise? whether we had won 3/3 or 0/3 at the start of the season, the same players would still be getting replaced in SL. Its going to be a totally different squad and as we are the onlyteam to satisfy all of the criteria how are we not the best option?

AJ , don't blame the RFL for you having ' Cack ' players and teams

, you've invested as much as you could , don't pretend you haven't

As did you when you were relegated to [iChampionship 1.[/i

We can all play this game. It doesn't get us anywhere.

You'll be lucky to get anywhere near the HKR contingent. The rules have favoured us (well you'd like to think they had but seems to only be on paper at the moment!) with the signings we have been able to make. We have also not done anything other clubs have not done it is just so high profile because of who the most recent player is.

There wasn't such a big issue when Vella went on to a Maltese passport or when we tried to get Galea onto one too. Had it not been Dobson being deregistered I doubt many would have even mentioned how we had got Willie over here.

The fact we can have so many is because the RFL change the rules so often players we have kept hold of are still eligable under those old rules until they leave our club. We could have still had Gene and Aizue on our books and fielded a starting 13 of non-UK nationals!!!

Vella and Galea are likely to retire at the end of this year anyway while I'm not sure Fisher will stay with us if there is a top hooker come half back out there for us to sign (Fishers salary is pretty high from what I have heard). The year after I think Joel Clinton, Clint Newton and Jake Websters' contracts are all up for renewal and I can only see Newton getting an extention. That leaves us with Dobson and Green who I think are here for the long haul and Mason who will have a year left if he takes up that option.

Like it or not Lovegrove is as English as he is Australian and qualifies for our national team just as much as say Kevin Sinfield. He may have been born, raised and trained in Australia but he classes as home grown due to technicalities in the rules and/or dispensation given by the RFL.

As I said earlier Widnes would be very lucky to get anywhere near this amount of players (if they even wanted that amount) from Australia but without them are they just going to end up being Wakefield in a Widnes shirt??

To be fair the RFL are going to base their licence decision on Widnes winning one competition in three years.

And one which our own Benny Black handed to them on a plate

Yeah but he's crap though. It's all very well and good qualifying to play for England if you're rubbish. I do that.

You OD'ing on those bitter pills Jonny? Sense has gone out the window with you lately.

Leigh's recent ignorance of what Widnes have achieved off the field in the past 3 years may explain how your set up is! FFS you turned us over Sunday and you were moaning about the biggest by a distance away turn out you'll see in Champ all season. If your crowd for Widnes can only really match ours for Hunslet you may have more issues then you think!

And your ignorance of what Leigh have done to Widnes ON the field is equally staggering.

Thats nonsense Jonny and you know it.

Trust me it's not... Fritzl esq treatment they give us!

I dont think he is ignorant towards it at all. We were thumped well and truly but as you know that has no bearing on the bigger picture (I wouldnt have thought)

Franchises were brought in to reward the best clubs not the best teams. It has been said many times thats not Widnes's fault we are just playing to the rules that have been set out. We havent even been given the nod, we may well not do, but we are the only team who have "ticked all the boxes".

Quite correct Chris , but for beating you lot twice when we were ' Cack ' we'd have been relegated a couple of weeks earlier



It all just shows what a great on field competition you are leaving , pity nobody is that bothered about it in the towns it is played in

Chill out , only 2 days to go