so widnes and taffs swap places, toulouse apparently leaving us to be replaced by winner of champ 1.

does this mean no relegation this season in our league?

or have i got it totally wrong?

Not announced whether taffs joining us. So at the moment it looks like we are down to 9 clubs at the moment. Champ and Champ1 joined with some convoluted fixture list anyone

Anyway, now I have had my "Alan Rowley told you so moment" its off to Turkey, hopefully no bombs, protests, crazed gunmen there

............or barmy RFL officials!!!!

Istanbul, next experiment sorted

it says " discussions will take place with the Crusaders for possible involvement with championship Rugby".
Do we want them???? Do we need them???? maybe we should tell um were to go

Well discussion should take place among championship clubs for possible involvement with crusaders.

So we will have 9 teams after Widnes leave and Toulouse, One team get auto promotion and another through GF,from Champ 1, so if they only relegate one team this would still leave chamiponship one short of teams and us with just ten, unless crusaders join us.

Are Toulouse definatly going ?
Must admit (and hope I'm wrong) but can't see Crusaders reforming in the Championship and worry what the future holds after some shocking decisions at club (and sorry to say) at RFL top level since day 1.

I also hope we don't go for a 2 league type merger or adding more in (as per SL) as it ruins the intensisty and the Championship is probably the only league where every team is capabe of beating anyone else, make the league bigger and your adding 2 dead rubber games (as whats happened in SL).
Obviously keep the P&R from Champpionship 1 (reward success and remove failure to go and regroup) but keep the league numbers as now.
If Toulouse go (and they don't finish in the bottom 2) add 1 extra club from Championship 1 (the league winner as now but add both grand finalists ) and see if we can get a team to move up from the Conference to Championship 1 to keep there numbers equal, if Toulouse do finish in a relegation spot just relegate 1 club and bring the usual 2 up.
I know it keeps the odd fixtures (with a week off for everyone) but I feel the number in the Championship is at the right level now without watering down the quality.

But it doesn't give enough revenue as it stands at the moment even 2 more games at 2000 speccies gives a boost to finances that is badly needed.

If toulouse go we should have no relegation, promote two and bring crusaders in to give a 12 team division.

And leave 8 in Championship 1 ?

New Clubs to be added to Champ 1? Wasnt there some talk of this a while back?

Wasn't there talk a while ago of uniting Ch/Ch1 (to make one pro/semi-pro league of 12-14 team) then adding half a dozen new teams to Ch1 (making a semi-pro/amateur third tier)?

Yes there was ' talk ' about it , then nothing , it would seem we all have to wait and see what happens in SL before they can sort us mere mortals out

I hope Dickie Mint and the Fat Controller have put some serious thought into the layout of the Championships next season.
Our clubs can not survive on so few Home games, it`s draining our clubs of much needed finance.
As a minimum a Championship side as the following ;
20 League games
4 NRC games
1 CCup tie

For me it would be a 8 team league in the Championship....
Play Home and away twice, intensisty week in week out.
A NRC cup (with the winner of each group guarentted at least home advantage next round)
A CC tie (with clubs coming in at later stages as what happens in football - not the farce we have now of us playing a amateur team or a Top 4 SL club within 2 rounds)