chrisl1

This is really good news. He's still only 22 years old and improving all the time.

From the report above it looks like Wakefield have already notified the RFL and presumably given them the relevant evidence. 'Agar said: “Salford have directly contacted three or four of our players. We notified the RFL about this quite a while ago.'

According to Dave Matthews Salford's new CEO who attended yesterday's meeting with Dr Koukash, there will no Championship club promoted for 2015. He was the studio guest on Radio Manchester's RL Extra tonight.

I didn't see what the two players in question did but unfortunately players (other than the captain) questioning referees' and touch judges' decisions has been creeping into the game for a number of years. It's time that something was done about it.

Looks like there might be. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jvz0y

To be fair to Steve McCormack he did well getting Whitehaven to two Grand Finals.

Widnes Vikings under 18's have finished top ot the Valvolene Phase Two Under 18's Academy Competition. Considering they were the only non Super League entrants this a significant achievement. Well done to all involved. http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.u...55368-27320933/

To be fair to the RFL as far as I am aware this is the first time they have set out minimum criteria for Championship clubs. I think that last time existing Super League clubs and NL1 clubs were measured against the same criteria. This could be because the RFL want licensing to appear as some kind of Promotion and Relegation which takes place every three years.

As a starting point do Featherstone meet the 5 minimum criteria st out on the RFL's website? If they don't they won't be able to apply for a Super League licence. As you say sentiment doesn't make a good bid. If Fev aren't able to make an application this time around the way they are going they should stand a good chance next time. http://www.therfl.co.uk/about/page.php?areaid=193

From today's Manchester Evening News "Meanwhile, Ian Millward is out of the frame for the role of assistant coach at Salford. Reds claim he did express an interest in the post, but Millward insits he is more than happy to continue at Leigh." But once again no direct quotes from either Ian Millward or Salford. http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnew..._of_mystery_man

Very sad news indeed. Condolences to his family and friends on their loss.

There are no quotes in the article from either Ian Millward or Salford. Perhaps they would not be expected but sometimes I think you have to take what the Manchester Evening News says with a pinch of salt. For example towards the end of the 2005 season they ran a story that there would be no relegation at the end of the season and that instead Super League would be increased to 14 clubs. I think it was by the same journo as this article. There have been a couple of threads on this but without the article. http://www.totalrl.com/index.php?showtopic=208461 http://www.totalrl.com/index.php?showtopic=208179

On Radio Manchester's Rugby League Extra programme yesterday there was an interview with Nigel Wood. He was asked whether it would be one up and one down in respect of licensing and whether this could be changed. His reply was that there were "no plans to change it. (mumble mumble) At the end of the day we all live in a world where things change but we have no plans to change it." Given that we are only months away form the start of the licensing process you would have thought that he would have been more definitive in his reply. It's about 45.30 into the programme. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p009s...tra_09_09_2010/

I'm sure that both clubs agreed to play tonight because whoever won would be playing Halifax next Thursday.

Fair point. Presumably if HMRC put a club into liquidation they might well get less money than if they continued to take the amount owed by instalments.

I think any Championship club applying for a Super league licence has to meet the 5 minmum criteria. http://www.therfl.co.uk/about/page.php?areaid=193

I think parachute payments for clubs relegated from Super League ended some years ago. Huddersfield may have been the last club to receive one.

There are some new details about licensing on the RFL's website. It doesn't explain everything by any means but it does update what was on there previously. http://www.therfl.co.uk/about/page.php?areaid=193

I found an audio interview with Richard Lewis on the BBC Sports website which was put out on 11th February this year presumably by BBC Radio London. It's a general interview about Harlequins but about 3.28 into it he is asked about Ian Lenegan's shares and says it is "not a probelm" and appears to be happy to let him sell his shares when he wants. Richard Lewis must have known how much David Hughes was putting into Quins as a minority shareholder so it seems a strange stance to take. I can't see why the RFL allowed Lenegan to buy Wigan before selling his shares in Quins. As far as I recall it wasn't a case of life or death that Wigan needed a new owner right then but perhaps Wigan fans know otherwise. Anyway from David Hughes' statement it looks as though it has all been sorted. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_leag...don/8509461.stm

I don't know what is in place for Super League clubs but the 5 minimum criteria for Championship clubs surprisingly does not include compliance with the Salary Cap Regulations. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8885900.stm

"Solvency" was defined in the criterion "as being in accordance with accounting definitions of solvency although this criterion can be satisfied if there is a written owners guarantee of the club's debts". There is no mention of the production of three years accounts. But as you say it should not be a problem this time. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Ten+crucial+...ws)-a0174709384

I'm not too sure that this was the case. One of the criteria in the last round of licensing was that a club applying for a Super League licence had to be "solvent". Widnes were clearly "solvent" when they submitted their application in March 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_leag...gue/7138760.stm

But Widnes only needed a turnover of