I reckon that Toulose and Widnes are the obvious choices and will probably get in next time around with a Scottish team being shoed in, in 2015.

However, I think the RFL should be looking at the Midlands for a SL team also. There are no succesful soccer teams down there to compete with (unlike the NW) and I reckon that they are crying out for top flight sport. Also, it would be close enough for most teams to travel from and to (2 hours or so), thus negating an overnight stay and disruption to the team. IMO, it would also make it impossible for the National Press to regionalise and marginalise our game thus giving the sport the coverage it deserves.

Thoughts?

13 of 14 teams in 2 counties?? Do you want the TV rights to bring in less money???

Would think surrent 14 + Widnes and Toulouse, possibly Sheffield on the 3rd coming. Making a league with 17 teams and if another French team is strong enough 18. Think RL should be pushed in France more than anywhere is the UK.

So your saying TV rights is more important than the competitive nature of the game?

Of the realistic potential options for the next franchise round, I think this is the one most likely to maximize the value of the TV contract:

Leeds
Bradford
Wigan
St Helens
Harlequins
Hull
Warrington
Huddersfield
Catalans
Celtic
Widnes
Sheffield
Newcastle
Toulouse

I also agree, but in a French league

A french league isn't viable just yet, hopefully one day it will be.

But why should a traditional team like Cas or Wakie suffer so that day can come?

The TV rights are crucial to the game's commercial foundation. Other pro sports get a bigger share of their revenue from TV rights than RL does, they get more money from from those rights and consequently their clubs have more £ to spend than RL clubs do.

Bringing in the £ to fend off competition for players from RU depends on the TV rights, the TV rights and...... the TV rights. With a more even distribution of revenue and a strict salary cap, the competive nature of the game won't be at issue since the clubs will be on a more even financial footing.

Do Championship soccer clubs suffer by not being in the Premership, when their sport is the most popular in the country and gets big crowds watching both live and on TV? If RL were much bigger and more popular, Castleford and Wakefield would no more suffer than those soccer clubs.

Still undecided on Sheffield, the city is just football mad, and I think ventures such as Newcaslte wouldn't work, London won't work with all those Football clubs around, Scotland is much more promising, but as there isn't any decent foundations there currently I don't see where a club can spring from.

TBH Clubs in Lancashire and Yorkshire should be pushed as much as ever, I don't think spreading RL to places where it will fail, or has already failed, is the answer, the RFL shouldn't impose RL on places where there is no interest or demand, unlike Catalans where there was proven demand, and the results followed.

I'm undecided on Celtic, they need more time before we can judge them, Quins I don't think have progressed much at all, and I don't know what the RFL can do to push RL in the capital, because it has been far from success, and at times on the brink of failure. Other than Cumbria, I don't see where else the game can be expanded to in England right now.

So lets say Wigan come bottom of SL for the next 3 years (i know its not going to happen, just a e.g) and Castleford come in top 4 for the next 3 years.
Would it be fair to swap Castleford for toulouse, because them and wigan would bring a bigger TV deal?????

RL seems to be more akin to a super market 'Pick And Mix' than a genuine sporting contest.

The constant willy waving that goes on on these threads is creating a lot of bad feeling and discontent amongst fans, particularly for those fans which feel their club is most at risk and are having to defend their club against the constant snipes of the smug s who know they are safe.


I used to be proud of this sport.

Are you haveing a laugh, So Leeds UTD are not suffuring.

So Wigan or Leeds wouldnt suffer either? erm yes i think they would

If our clubs do what they say they're going to do, meaning get stadiums sorted they'll be fine, if either club fail to do so come next round of licenses then it's their own failure, they know the rules, and the RFL told them what needs to be done.

I tell you what, there are so right dark-age thinkers on this forum!

A Super League consisting of 13 Yorkshire/NW clubs! Deary me!

As for the next round of franchises:

Toulouse in, depending on how competitive they prove to be in the Championship. If they fail to attract players of a fairly decent standard or produce any and cannot compete (as well as drawing in the crowds and the finances through sponsors, etc.) then there is no point in adding them just yet.

Widnes or Halifax in. Widnes should not be a given. Halifax are pushing them for their money and putting pressure on them. They will also have a decent stadium. Just depends on whether they can get the fans in. If they both come out with a similar on-field record then I reckon Widnes will get the nod. But all depends on whether Widnes can win some trophies for me. They need to start making noise on the field again.

Well said m8,

Football is a much bigger sport and the Champo is professional, the Champo is RL is much different, and there is a shot of promotion in football, which is what makes it what it is, again RL does not offer this, all the Champo seems to be is a business proving grounds for Super League.

I agree with everything you say.

But I would add that the increased TV rights will include a trickle down to the Championship -- which will likely retain a TV contract of its own with Sky. If the quality of the Championship TV games continues, at its current entertaining level, I think that the RFL can negotiate even more money for the Championship clubs. It willl be even more valuable financially if you start getting more of these SL candidate expansion clubs into Championship chosen, from either continental Europe, or the Celtic nations, or the Midlands, London etc.

Of course the likes of Cas and Wakey in the Championship will lose most of their foreign players, but they will be forced to promote their home grown English players more, which is exactly what English rugby league, and the national team, needs. Personally I would like to see a Calder United club in Super League, with Cas, Wakey, Fev, Halifax etc in the Championship, as groomers and feeders of their junior talent to the Calder Super league club.

Are they?

You would like to see. Yeah well ask fans from cas, wakie, fev halifax etc to see what they think.

What about Lancashire UTD windes, Warrington as feeder clubs.. wold you agree...I dont think so

oh and Cas and Wakey in the Championship will lose most of their foreign players, but they will be forced to promote their home grown English players more...What about Westerman, Shenton, Huby, Owen etc. I think we alread are promoting home grown talant......like you say exactly what English rugby league, and the national team, needs.

Im going for Toulouse for SL big French city will add a bit more weight to the competition and create a massive french derby for added fun.

Would love to see a team from Belfast in the championship(s) though that really is just dreaming.

Irish or Scottish sides in SL is probably a long way off, but they can realistically get something together and start in the championship 1.

Aren't they?

Does Leeds United get smaller or bigger crowds than the Rhinos do? Is their income lower or higher than the Rhinos' is? Is their profile lower or higher? In short, are they worse off being at a lower level but in a much bigger pond, or better off?? I strongly suspect the latter.

You tell me, you're the expert?