What we need to do to come back up.

We will go into a league which will be something like:

Bradford
London
Leigh
Featherstone
Halifax
Doncaster
Dewsbury
Sheffield
Batley
Workington
Whitehaven
York

At the end of the season I'd expect to see Leigh Centurions and Bradford in the top two with the other two from London, Featherstone, Halifax and Sheffield

This will make up the top 4 in the new 8 system

Now if you look at the bottom 4 in the new 8 system I'd expect to see Wakefield and Catalans plus two from Hull KR, Hull FC, Salford and Castleford in there.

So assuming we make it the league would probably be then:

Leigh Centurions
Bradford
London
One of Halifax, Sheffield or Featherstone
Wakefield
Catalans
Hull FC
Hull KR

Now the top 4 would probably be the Super League clubs and assuming the games go to level of quality and we can beat the other Championship clubs the table would be:

Catalans - return to Super League
Hull FC - return to Super League
Hull KR - return to Super League
------------
Wakefield - play off for a place in Super League
London - play off for a place in Super League
------------
Bradford
Leigh
Halifax

This would give us a one-off game v Wakefield to come back up.

If we can beat Wakefield in the 8 league we'd probably still get them in the one-off game.

The only way I would see a Championship club coming up is to win probably twice from four games against SL clubs, unless of course there are other underdog winners and it isn't just the SL clubs beating the Championship clubs pretty much every time

I'm not suggesting we will do that in season one with yet another new squad, but I believe it is improbable for any Championship club to beat two SL clubs in four games, but maybe win the one off game

Cheers
Mark

Do we know if the old Superleague contracts are ripped up on relegation rule will apply? If so the SL team, especially imports, have a huge incentive.

Must admit I loath the idea of promotion coming down to a one off game post season in any sport. Doubly so in such a physical sport where a few injuries the week before could destroy a club.

It's not impossible London could bounce back, though I don't see it next season. This system does however seem to have an inbuilt bias towards the SL teams and to lessen the chance.

This is the system the teams voted for so we are where we are...... Hopefully it'll either work or be abandoned quickly.

It's actually quite a good system, as it will require a backer who is "serious" about committing to a club and investing appropriately. Not sure on rammo's prediction as Fev' have an investor who appears to be hungry.

Top 4 likely to be.

Northern,
Leigh,
Fev'
and one from Donnie', Fax' or London.

To be honest looking at our squad, us competing for fourth with Fax' n Donnie' might be a little overly optomistic in truth, BUT, the oportunity IS there.

A smaller, more westerly base may or may not be better, I still believe it's more a matter of MARKETING & Promotion and PERMANANCEY rather than what end of London we are based. We need a long leasehold somewhere, preferably near a tube or decently connected station BUT a permanent base beyond all else.

The answer to the original question of 'does anyone believe we can come back? is "only the clinically insane and David Hughes's fan boys.

...regardless of if we spend to the Cap and have the full allocation of overseas players (when the RFL deem us worthy, these allowances will be released) we will struggle against even the worst SL has to offer.

Our squad will be WEAKER than this years.......we've had 21 opportunities and since May these have all been "must win" as the players (I assume dread going the year winless)......we've not really trouble anyone in regards of the last 20 minutes of a game other than maybe Catalans at Magic whilst shipping 486 points in the 11 games since May and scoring 174.....or losing 44-16 on average. This is opposed to the 49-15 average beating we took in the first 10 games.

For us to even reach the 4v5 game, we first have to finish in the top 4 of the Championship, then defeat or fellow championship teams again whilst preventing any "hammerings" v the team that so far this year (If you take 8-12 as is) have stuck 44 points a game on us as an average over 6 games with Salford and HKR to come.
If you want an idea of how we would compete against these teams in a play-off.....they are both in the hunt for 8th.....I suspect we will ship the 88 between them.

The club is destined for life in the 2nd tier (or worse) until the idiot chairmen of the clubs in the championship realise what Knock down Nigel has sold them and whine some more to get straight forward 1 up 1 down back (or licencing but with a 20 year time frame)

Rammo in cloud cuckoo land shock!

Whilst Fev don't seem to be in any danger the main 'money man' has walked and the club may have to revise some of their more fighting talk. The much publicised bids for internationals certainly seem to have ceased.

Personally I think it will turn out to be a dogs dinner with too many mismatches and some poor gates in the middle eight. Quite how teams sell season tickets when they don't know who some of the games are against is beyond me. It looks designed to protect the elite against relegation and potential financial implosion if they have a bad season. I fear it will be worse than franchising for level two. I sincerely hope to be proven spectacularly wrong.

. Drone

Dogs dinner, mmmm, maybe, but franchising was just sending RL's smaller clubs to the wall, here we have promotion/relegation albeit weighted towards SL's consistancy, lets face it, only clubs that implode are likely to be replaced by a championship outfit, but actually having the opportunity to go for it IS important.

London will find it hard, we did before and we will again, but we got so tantalisingly close that I'm looking forward to it. It could be worse, we could just be kicked out full stop.

C'mon tell me honestly, won't you wear the shirt with a little MORE pride when we finally EARN the right to play against the big guns rather than being HANDED the ersatz SL franchise??? It may take 10 years, we may need to disolve and reform a few times, we may have several different owners etc etc et-al (and not to mention how many more bloody venues).

But I say this "C'MON LURNDUN!"

Franchising wasn't good but I fear this is worse. Four, or so, full time teams with eight or so semi pro teams and for all bar Bradford / someone with a very wealthy backer, no real chance of promotion.Sounds suspiciously like the very unloved two tier, too many predictable results Championship One this season.

TBH whilst the new system isn't great at level two the biggest losers are the five relegated from the Championship this season. From a potential 800k or so central funding down to 80k or so. Ouch.

Re your sentiment if London do thrive, spot on. That would be a real achievement

We have always found a way in the past and we will in the future, count on it!

Simply put.......London broncos will run on the good will of Hughes and the RFL next year......after that the club is dead in the water, no amount of romantic remaniscing will change that

I get the impression you'll only be happy when your doomsday scenario occurs. I think you said you were over for the Bulls game (dont forget to pack your anorak calculator and happy pills) will you be tackling the abysmal failure of David Hughes directly with the man or are you just another spineless keyboard warrior?

Assuming no other discussions taking place, Assuming no deals being struck, assuming no one else steps into the breach after this year, assuming DH is stepping aside and that actually assumes the club isn't in a better position both playing and off field wise. Yes one scenario of the future direction but it doesn't have to be the outcome. Nor does it have to be everyone's expectations or hopes for the future.

If given the opportunity I will ask him what he intends to so with the club he has saved then destroyed. I have no qualms about asking him but I doubt I'll get a straight answer. I wouldn't expect a civil reception either, but I've never been about making friends.....I've always been about making the club a successful business.

Drone

Drone

Happy to oblige!

Will you be at Warriors game on Sunday GF?

Not this week

Re: Anyone believe we can come back?

Of course.

Maybe you were'nt around when Fulham withdrew, (no shame, I wasn't either) but when the 2nd Fulham entity went belly-up, is when I did get involved, been there ever since and for over twenty years I've heard the doom-mongers tell me I won't have a club to support VERY soon, and the punt-monkies, toasting and cheering the news that London RL is about to dissapear....well guess what? Still here!

No Stadia to play at?? Been there!
No Money for away trips?? Been there!
Not enough players to field a team?? Been there!
No money for kit?? Been there!
Owners pulling the plug?? Been there!

Been there, BUT still here! GF' you really must get over this delusion you have that London RL is all about Mr Hughes, it REALLY isn't y'know! It's about the few hundred of us RL fanatics in the capital, some have been around from the early 80's, some like me, from the early 90's, some joined in '96 with SL and all the hooplah and we've even a few more recent noobs, who have decided to persevere.

You may not like this, but I am not about to Foxtrot Oscar at Mr Hughes' say-so, nor yours for that matter! I don't disagree with your views on how it's been run, or on the dreadful lack of marketing, PR and promotional activity, I agree that Hughes has wasted shedloads of cash and employed imbeciles, but WE can't change that. Just don't get carried away with the idea that we are gonna dissapear, it really ain't gonna happen, Hughes might, London RL won't, count on it!

Dead in the waterI DON'T THINK SO. RL in the south will be supported by the RFL and quite rightly. It's great to see the structure that's developed in the south and your club must now link in to the increased activity. I'm a RL supporter from the North but spend most of my working life in the south. I have always thought that any London based team will be up against it mainly because its never acheived any kind of stability . Getting people interested ain't easy, keeping them interested needs a dedicated team with a genuine interest. The London club must now formulate a plan over a set period of time, make it achievable and keep the supporters up to date, it ain't going to happen over night. One things for sure the souths got some realy good talent , it's now up to London to develop as a club and make itself attractive. Good luck

well said pete

A few hundred die hard supporters? If your happy we've become a poor version of he skolars then fair enough, but don't be stunned when London broncos fold.
As for Pete......he said we'd stay up.....he was sure of it.

Gutters, I've said this before but I reckon it bears repeating - it's bad enough the club flushing itself down the khazi these past few seasons without you appearing to delight in it happening!