bowes

If you're going to tell lies at least make them believable, talking rubbish ruins your whole argument, soccer is actually less national at premiership level than RU if anything, the South West, Yorkshire and East Midlands are hardly premiership soccer hotbeds (used to be for the latter 2), where's most clubs are London or North West. RU has Premiership teams in 8 out of 9 English regions and a team from the 9th region (West Midlands) just got relegated.

Are you for real? The RU Premiership has 1/4 of its teams in the north where 1/4 of the population is. Sounds pretty fair representation of the north. The only major skew from the country's demographics is the South West is overrepresented, London and the South East is believe it or not slightly underrepresented per capita

South East has too little RL for now and South West is just RU off season players with the partial exception of Bristol. Midlands I'd like to see eventually one each east and west midlands once juniors have come through for a while, but it's perhaps wrong to talk about the semi-pro/amateur split still being in the same place then.

Rubbish, while the best teams outside the pro league are in the NCL Premier, Bramley wouldn't be out of place on the field in the NCL (off it they'd fail almost every criteria but that's a different issue, they're set up on a different basis), their league is a lot higher standard than it was (partly due to clubs shipping in winter players admittedly) but struggles for numbers and has no minimum criteria so you do get rubbish in, but the 8 remaining sides are decent enough on the field and some are good off it too especially Hemel, Nottingham and Featherstone Lions. Of course Bramley wouldn't be as strong without their players that double up at winter clubs but they'd still have a decent enough side. Look at Bradford Dudley Hill and remember they were about the same standard as Bramley when they played together. Clearly the small size of the league and the reliance on winter players is going to be harmful but the likes of Bramley, Warrington Wizards, Hemel and Nottingham would be alright; as for the other 4 would depend whether they prioritise their summer or winter sides and how many players they lose. It will be fine to run next year with 8 or 9 teams that will be it.

The exact structure has far too much consultation and ifs, buts and maybes to say exactly but the following are expected: single division Championship (format and size TBC but expected to be licensed) 2-3 further national divisions (mostly NCL sides and the remaining semi-pro sides plus some better RLC sides) Then some form of structure below depending on how many sides switch, at one stage they were considering north west, north east and south but this is very much subject to change especially south of Sheffield depending on who switches etc. Some form of pyramid is planned below this, how much is linked by P & R, how much is standalone etc. is to be determined though the RLC may well split into separate regions within this pyramid as different regions have different development needs. What these regions would be I don't know for example not sure if we'll be midlands or west and east etc. That's the most I know at the moment though I've been told to expect good things

Ground quality and I believe they still need to put a big bond with the RFL. Expect a big change in the league structure in 2012 that leaves this discussion irrelevent if the RFL can pull it off

All in the South apart from Crusaders and a 9s tournament up north I believe

It's expected there will be Championship licensing from 2012 so not necessarily anyone

A bit difficult given they have to decide by March but then again doing it on the 3 year playing average between teams meeting criteria to go up and the worst 3 year average of those missing out on a B license (or equivalent under the new system) to go down. Might spice things up but they wouldn't be happy if Quins went down

Any teams that make the final or win the NRC next year can apply for SL from 2015

Barrow fall short on ground and attendance unsure about turnover. Halifax maybe meet the criteria don't know their turnover but they meet everything else

Interestingly only til 2014 so presumably they have one more franchise period to get it right before they're given up on if they haven't?

Coundon is gone and Butts is far too small for SL (about 4000 capacity since they smashed up the temporary stand I believe)

Not likely for SL but may be the only chance of there being a West Cumbrian team back in the Championship

We should be honest and admit there's no proof a club with few fans in London makes an iota of difference to the SL contract. Also it's a myth that a lot of fans want no expansion of the sport. Fans would love a thriving London SL club, what noone but the truly crazy want is the RFL bankrupting themselves by bailing out an unviable club with few fans to the tune of

Yes, but it won't be the much maligned Castleford or Wakefield. Harlequins may well move to Milton Keynes, but SL in London is finished (at least until another club builds up which Skolars don't look like doing but the increased London talent may well). Crusaders are looking shaky after a good start, but probably will be around at least a few more years, hopefully the sport takes off in Wrexham. Hull KR are in big debt, so may eventually hit problems.

Since they scrapped 50% of turnover the cap's not been about that.

Yeah Harlequins are finished barring a move outside of London and some other clubs are looking shaky. We missed a trick not reducing to 12 teams IMO Though not just the pro game this year, lots of problems in the RLC this year obviously we're affectively left with 4 clubs in our division from the 10 that were supposed to start last season. 4 good sides yes but only 4. Not just us, most divisions are like that.

Expect Championship licensing to be pushed through from 2012 as a result of this, plus Keighley and all the other teams (Gateshead, Doncaster etc.). About time too.

Okay sorry to him then. Both relegated clubs these years are in a bad financial state so maybe needed to go down, but can't imagine the promoted sides will be in good finances, though the Oldham situation appears to be under control (assuming they go up)

Don't be pathetic, how would a bankrupt club having the ability to go up to SL help them? Lunatic

Saracens Rugby League?

Unless grounds are going to be ready for the start of the 2012 season they won't count in the application. Also no mention of invited foreign clubs

Hope it's a grass hockey pitch and not astroturf, sounds painful playing rugby league on astroturf

Think they'll have Championship licensing so the clubs will have a season to recover without the fear of relegation, but they'd then need to go all out for 2013 to have the chance to apply for 2015