If as most people think you do loose the franchise bid, the best thing is to do a Widnes. Find out the reasons why & set about doing something about it to get a licence in 3 years.

Thats what will happen after a bit a teddy throwing, i guess fans don't feel that its done fairly and who can blame them.

Ok. If there is to be any 'protest' we need to clear who and what we are protesting, and what we would hope to achieve with such action, otherwise we would make ourselves look rather silly and petulant.
We would not be protesting against Crusaders (or Cas/Salford/Quins), the only organisation we have any beef with is the RFL, and then only if they haven't followed their own published guidlines:

[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/licensing/licensing_faqs[/url

Clubs are assessed on criteria in 5 key areas:
a. Commercial, Marketing, Media and Community.
b. Facilities.
c. Finance.
d. Governance and Business Management.
e. Playing Strength and Player Performance Strategy.
Clubs that meet all of the A Grade criteria across the 5 areas will be awarded an A Grade licence. Clubs that materially meet all the A Grade criteria and/or satisfy the RFL that they will meet the criteria in the next round of licensing will be awarded a B Grade licence.

The RFL will then allocate the remaining Super League licences to those existing Super League clubs and/or Championship clubs which applied for a licence and met the Championship Club Minimum Criteria. The licenses will be allocated to those clubs that the RFL board believes are the most suitable, taking into account the:
a. Extent to which each club helps meet the SLE Strategy and the strategic aims and objectives of the Licensing process;
b. Historical activity of the clubs under consideration; and
c. RFL’s reasonable opinion as to future performance of the clubs under consideration.

I would support some kind of action should we not be awarded a licence and the reasons for that decision are not made absolutely clear. This would mean a detailed explanation of why we weren't awarded a B grade and how our application was weaker as compared to each of the under-threat teams: Cas, Crusaders, Quins and Salford.

I would be interested to know how each of the criteria are weighted. The lack of any points system makes this round much less objective and open to interpretation, but we should still expect clarity on how the decision was reached.

Of course we could be awarded a franchise or the explanation given could be acceptable, in which case we would have to take it on the chin and plan for the future.

I imagine that this is where we will have to bite the bullet when/if the decision goes against us. The only thing that might save us is if AG can convince them that he is serious about the stadium development and Newmarket is going to happen. Sadly with our previous it may be a case of the boy who cried wolf.

YES

wont have a bloody hope in hell because they will want to bring another frog club in or a 2nd London club its bloody madness

Protest about the transparency of the system but not against being kicked out.

If there was any hope of us ever getting back, I would say take it on the chin. But the way this franchise thing is going, I feel clubs like Wakefield, Fax, Featherstone, Leigh, maybe Cas..plus other well established heartland clubs are just not part of the SL plan. I feel protesting should be about the game as well as us. At the very least, one up one down should be re-instigated, provided your facilities are up to SL standards...and no exceptions on the relegation; London Broncos/Harlequins et al, go down same as the rest if they finish bottom. If there is no hope for all these teams of top flight status, they will slowly wither and die. This just HAS to be wrong

There is enough in there for the RFL to justify any decision they want. As you say its not a scoring system, but a subjective one.

I never thought I would think this, but the thought of our household income being £2K per season better off, plus no sky money is now starting to sound the best option. Bollox to RL could be my response

thats my thoughts too

The time for action was when the present system was up for vote, sadly Wakefield voted to accept the system, only now Wakefield are under threat do people talk of protest. Most of the championship clubs were up in arms at the time, we got no support from any super league clubs, many have now accepted the decision and voted with there feet, im afraid if you do protest you will be on your own

Yes the club did, i don't remember the Fans actually being part of that but i take the point.

We are on our own and we stand and fall on our own, not one person on here has asked for support from other fans/clubs and won't do so.

The wonders of cut and paste.

I agree that is the catch-all which could be our undoing but the way I read it the last 3 criteria come after the A and B grading, so a B grade would mean you're in. The focus may in seeking clarification of why we weren't awarded a B grade.

I agree any protest would be about transparency, this is too important to allow the RFL to whitewash their decision making process.

I have a dream that on the 26th they'll announce that it's between Crusaders and ourselves based on finishing position, thus setting up "million pound game, part II", a JK special.

Unfortunately, I also have nightmares:
We get excluded and Cas get a franchise. NM gets the go-ahead, but GH runs into planning difficulties. The RFL put pressure on Cas, so they decide to be co-tennants at NM. Their crowds increase when they realise what a good facility it is. After 2 years playing there they experience further delays with their plans but their crowds are 5 times ours in the Championship, being the only SL club in the district. Tricky Dicky sees and opportunity to sell WR for housing, as the market has picked up a little, and turns Cas into a successful cash-rich SL club. Our chances of a return to SL are blocked..... forever.

The people that did vote for your club are representatives of your club including the fans

A protest would be frowned upon by the RFL and damage any future chances of a successful application. The club need to work with the governing body if they are to get a return in 2015, not against them.

First of all I come in peace...............but

i have been reading some of the posts on here over the last couple of weeks and you seem to be believing anything that anyone posts, just over the last week you have had posters insinuating that salford can't pay players crusaders aren't paying players and now that a council official is trying to put a spanner in the works. Take a step back and don't believe everything every tom dick and harry puts on here, as they are winding you up with gossip and rumors which probably hold about 1% of truth in the statements made.

Concentrate on what you can influence support your team get behind them turn up to games (even if you think the result won't go your way) I hope that come decision day the rfl get rid of the team that deserves to go and for all the right reasons and not just kept in superleague in the hope that one day they can stand on their own two feet.

You are obviously scared about what the future holds for you but keep fighting to the end, but base your fight on facts not rumors (as if you start protesting about things which turn out to be false you are going to look very silly). The best post on this thread is the one that states any protest should be about the transparency of the process.

Good luck come decision day let hope the right decison is made

Yep! Use P*P instead!

Ok so i'm part German and must a a Jew slayer.

Al doesn't look anything like a Neo-Nazi trust me!

2 points, 1 Box did show up at the meeting with Savilles, 2 Crusaders owe wages to players and the union and the RFL are involved.

Those are facts.

Other than that you are right mate.

Not a good analogy Al. You know as well as I do what Gingdong is saying.
Your club and fans are represented by your BoD. They (the BoD) made a decision without a whiff of protest from Wakey fans - well not one i can remember! Now, there is talk of protest and rightly so in my opinion. - The licencing thing is NOT transparent and there is now disquiet amongst the wakey bretheren as that decision by the wakey BoD comes back to haunt them!

Perhaps the time for disquiet was back then?? Perhaps it's now?? I don't know! What I do know is, despite protestations, wholesale comment both offical and unoffical, the RFL have their heels dug in on this issue and I cannot for the life of me see where Trinity will ever get back.
Other northern clubs are higher in the pecking order and even another French, Welsh, Scottish or Irish franchise would fit the RFL's portfolio better than Trinity's would!

Not doing the analogy Al. I have some Jewish family!

You know full well Ted Richardson represented himself and no one else, nothing any fan said or did altered any outcome and never would.

Yes i understand exactly what he's saying but come on you can't point the finger at every fan.

I wasn't! What I was saying is - the time for protest has passed! It should have been back then!
The "I'm alright Jack" attitude of SL is something you [imay[/i get used to! Trinity's optimism, the sell of hope and a new stadium etc by your previous BoD perhaps gave you the impression that if there was to be a team facing the drop, it wouldn't be Trinity. And of course, Ted's input into Tinity's fate is well documented and every Trin fan has an opinion on him!

But, as a fan of a championship club, who has felt the full scale of the RFL's marginalising of the game outside SL, I can't help feeling - that those wishing to protest should have done it a long time ago!
The whole system stinks, and I'm trying my level best here to emphasise the depth my feeling towards the RFL/SL, and the direction our game is going without bypassing the swear filter - it's NOT easy!!!