No you can't and its that "backbone" that takes 100 years, will the "expansion clubs" ever reach that stage.

I hope Celtic survive and grow into a stand alone club but they must play on a level playing field, unlike the one i see developing at the moment.

I'm not sure they have been so much a joke this season tbf... they did well performance wise and posted some very decent attendance figures. Financially, not much of what they are facing appears to have been brought about in the last twelve months but from before that. Playing devil's advocate here there is an argument that it would be interesting to see how they would develop if they were given a clear slate over the next 12 months.

The funniest thing I heard over all this franchising stuff was an argument from many people that have now quietened that I should willingly accept the demise of my own team for the greater good of RL!

I do & don't agree with this. On field they were great but on avearge had what 2 UK born players in the 17 a week? Attendances were good but there would of been a lot of free tickets (natural). So the next 12 months would be massive for them... however they are not completely blameless for finances.

Yes it was Samuel's debt... but a debt they aquired in takeover? A debt they ignored whilst luring Thomas from Union? By sending Elliot Kear & Lloyd White (Welsh star internationals) to CHAMP ONE rugby to sign Sammut / Hanbury and Clinton Schivcovske mid season. That squad will not have been cheap due to it's late nature forcing players to up sticks asap.

They were building something their over the last 12 months but is it wise to do that whilst risking the future of Welsh RL completely from a financial view point? Where do you draw the line... considering SL is now all about business plans etc.

Its more likely a case of there are dishes already in these areas with subscriptions to Sky sports, but with a team in their area the games are potentially broadcasting to a much wider demographic rather than just us Ooop North thus being a much more attractive proposition to comapnies (selling stuff other than bitter and mucky fat) wanting to advertise their product.

nowt rong with a pint and mucky fat sarnie

Dont worry mate, they will, if not this time then in 3 years, dont you understand? , clubs like ours and possibly a few more, dont fit in the grand Superleague plan for world domination.
So whichever team out of us 2 stays in this bent club, they will be the target next franchise round to make way for this parisienne club you talk about, I wonder if its worth all the hassle, just to be a filler club in Superleague

On some level I agree. However if we're looking for the big city mentality how do you explain Wire, Saints and Salford?
I know it can be said that each has a big city connection Wire/Cheshire, Saints/Liverpool and Salford/Manchester but can you imagine how any of the clubs would react to a name change let alone undergo the pressures we have had on us.

It's about making your application too good to turn down IMO.

Unfortunately no matter how good your application, if they want shut, it'll happen.
Where is the sense in a profit making business with the potential of a new ground and therefore better profitability (that's all three threatened clubs) to spare a business losing money hand over fist playing at a delapodated empty stadium, just for the sake of it's geography.
Absolute madness, if any of the clubs are to be relegated after achieving a satisfactory score under the RFLs franchise system, they should appeal the decision and take the matter to the high court. Only the RFL could see the sense in such a decision, no court in the land would agree.

What do we do then? And I mean we as a sport. If the rumours of 11 clubs reacting negatively toward this whole mess are true we must make a stand. Let's take the forums as a sample case. Yes they are hardly a source of wisdom but are on the whole a very good barometer for fans general feelings on RL subjects. The forums have been hardly sympathetic towards the Crusaders.

You could well expect fans of Wakefield, Castleford and Salford to be less than sympathetic (when you consider the threat of being evicted hanging like the sword of Damocles over your very existance). However the Crusaders have found IMO no support from fans of larger clubs & on the whole understand the glaring inconsistencies within the regime that face smaller clubs. So on the whole IMO very little support in SL.

So let's look to the Championship, well Widnes have been off their Christmas card list for a few years now and I doubt many other fans would go so far as to publicly speak out in support for their preferential treatment, as they suffered at the hands of Celtic being fast-tracked in the first place.
And the less said about their relationship with the t'other Welsh team the better!

RL was formed on the back of mass social change, IMO we need to go back to our roots. We control this game not some fat cat in Redhall! That's half the reason we get whooped on the international stage at every opportunity!
We need to make a stand, before it's too late for the game.

(For anyone that clicks) =#FF4040Just like Zac said "We gotta take the power back!"

Ideally, you have to imagine in the end that the RFL want SL to consist of something akin to the PL with the clubs being based in large cities.

Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham, London, Paris, Cardiff etc etc...
I wouldn't be surprised if some fans of some teams sat rather smug at the moment might find themselves a little more uncomfortable in years to come if the plan comes to fruition.

I was being sarcastic. On a serious note though, we put limits on the number of foreign players to help strengthen the England team, then invite French and Welsh teams in? That's not helping the England team!

I agree and I've never understood this grass is greener thing that Red Hall has pushed since expansion has begun. Expansion is a good thing,when done correctly, but it shouldn't be at the cost of the heartland teams, like what happened to Widnes and who knows what's going to happen next.I also think, that expansion shouldn't happen just for the sake of it, at the end of the day Red Hall should by now know, the limitations of RL in Britain and should stop trying to make it into something it doesn't want to be.

very noble stance and from the way it comes over as a typical working mans comment and I would stand at the side of you in the march for our rights (god been years since I took part in a strike

)
but we aren't just taking on Redhall its also Sky Sports that have got the sport by the balls and they are pulling the strings, if they pulled out the sport would fail at a profession level

I haven't a problem with the RFL supporting the Crusaders like they do the Quins but not at the expense of other clubs

I hope Blackpool get the same level of support.

so do I, I have total respect to even the amateur clubs that strive to survive as well

That brings up another point. By promoting the likes of Catalan, Crusaders and Quins, if clubs like Castleford and ourselves get demoted, where will that leave amateur rugby in the area? Without a Super League club, young kids are even less likely to take up the game around here. In the long run it could be a disaster for local clubs.

yes it will reduced the incoming talent,
the deduction in the age for the reserve or as it is now under 20s is a way of bringing the lower leagues standard up a level but its going to have no effect while we keep all imports taking their places,

at the end of the day money is the big factor and to put your body on the line like they do it's just not enough to justify playing, a vicious circle

But I don't get why we need a French team in our league? We need to reduce the imports to improve our own game, but we let in a French club (and even a Welsh) which then just cancels it out by relegating two English teams. The RL seem unsure as to do what's best for the game in our country or the rest of Europe so just do a bit of both!

if you consider the distance that the Aussies travel, Sky sports seem to think that they can simulate a similar a scenario by bring in a french team, this did which work for a few seasons, last season proved to be a problem and doesn't give the feeling of a french side same as the crusaders a welsh side, super league isn't big enough it should be extend to more teams so more income can be gained

My opinion is that the only way to expand is through a snowball effect. Let's build the game in South Yorkshire, then the Midlands, do the same going North, and to be honest, in Cumbria it's set up already and just needs re-igniting. You can't just pick random teams who are miles from anywhere and call it development. Crusaders realised that by moving within 30 miles of the heartland.

cumbria donny and sheffield, gateshead

if they are left to develope with merging are the ideal places to expand, the RFL seem to think that if they extend the distance that it will be bridged by other clubs, it expanding but not at a pace that will happen within a few years

The game has been around for over 100 years and is only popular on the 'M62 corridor', yet those running the game think they can expand it to the South of France within a 3 year franchise! I'm sorry but the passion and enthusiasm doesn't come in three years, it comes over a lifetime. If Sky ever pull out, Catalan will be gone within weeks, but the clubs up here will still be around. For the life in me I don't get why these clubs are not been supported in the same way. In any other industry, loyal customers are the ones you look after!

Catalans are at home being following better than us its their away support that lets them down, they bring no atmosphere