bowes

Bramley can't get the ground for Championship 1, I'd hope that when they license (and hopefully expand) the Championship they'll relax Championship 1 standards, or ideally have a unified pyramid if the amateur game goes summer. Hemel it's a tough one, once the NCL switches to summer I'd like to see them rejoin that as it would give them more games and they do meet the off field standards. Nottingham could go either way, north or south but I think north would be less travel. Since none of the southern sides have any intention of ever stepping up it would be better to build up a southern competition (include some or all of the midlands), whether this is something for next year or something to work towards I don't know, rather than having a RLC National with no side south of Coventry (we're about as far south as you can be and still manage it and even then only if the RFL still pay for all the travel costs). The NCL would be there for southern sides wanting to step up anyway, so no need for another northern based national competition. Hemel don't actually pay for the bills as the RFL cover all travel costs for the RLC National, but can't see that continuing if they have another national summer comp with better on and off field standards and if Hemel (and perhaps Nottingham) joined better geographical spread

Perhaps when there's a RLCN South that would be a good place to start? The RLCN won't survive the NCL switch to summer under the current format IMO. Also the southern teams (Hemel aside- they could go NCL or something) can't sustain trips up north every other weekend so there needs to be something above the local leagues for these teams that's not fully national

You do realise that first seasons in a new location are almost certainly better crowd wise than a second season? Plus lack of history won't pay the bills. I hope Crusaders survive in Wrexham, but I'm not as sure they will as I was a couple of months ago

The Carmarthenshire proposal is a suggestion for CPC Bears who are one of the weaker Premier Division sides, and the theory was based on them having 4 feeder sides this year. All 4 turned out to be fictitious, but they managed to get something by effectively a forced merger of all 4 sides. Don't think they'll get anywhere, maybe we could get 2 good proper amateur clubs in Wales feeding into the Scorpions (one to be Bridgend or Pontypridd based, the other could be somewhere Monmouthshire/Gwent I guess) playing in a better competition, with the Welsh Conference below that as a way of introducing RU players into the game

You mean Rugby League Conference? No, most of the games are now getting called off presumably because some players would rather go to RU pre-season 6-8 weeks before the season starts than play rugby league. Maybe between all the clubs you could get something but I'd rather start off with a Scorpions reserve team before we look at another pro side

There were 2 proposals yes, but I don't think there was ever the player base for 2 sides, so more a case of either or. The other proposal were to be Bridgend based. Blackwood Bulldogs considered it at one point but they can't even fulfil their fixtures as it is

Unless Toulouse make this year's grand final it would be impossible for them to get in without the RFL being pathological liars. Having said that if Catalans were still finishing 3rd there'd be a better base for Toulouse if they could pick some players up there, but Toulouse would still have to be okay first. Bringing in a 2nd SL French club when the one club is down the bottom would be ludicrous, but that doesn't mean they should automatically bring Toulouse in when Catalans have a good season unless Toulouse can also justify it. And aren't Catalans having a player exodus?

The Super League record low crowd is 500 (Paris got it- forget who against) and I think there's a real chance this will be broken

SL wasn't full of French players before the Federation trained rule was brought in (there were a couple), so not sure how much of a difference it will make, though I guess 5 years of Catalans will see a few more players floating around. Toulouse in SL would be reckless at a time when Catalans are struggling

Depends which wasp, some wasps eat nectar but most eat other insects I think

Look who's top of AA North, Bolton Robots of Doom legendary name. But on topic not sure how this will effect us. Seems a logical merger I was worried when I first heard rumours of Sport England going. We may lose out as a non-Olympic sport but can't see funding restricted to Olympic events as not just us but also cricket would lose out. The Sport England money is doing us a lot of good in the midlands (along with the hard work of volunteers of course) and sure it is elsewhere too.

They have in the past, but can't see it being accepted again especially if they remain as Quins

Also salary cap points deductions got doubled a few years ago

London in name only too, though got the right idea leaving London to better markets elsewhere

Well you'd meet criteria if you make the final this year, but I can't see why they'd chuck 2 clubs out for you unless 2 clubs hit financial trouble (not impossible) or more likely 3 with Halifax getting in. Barrow, Featherstone and Batley have no chance and everyone else will be ineligible

Yeah other than you there's noone really suitable to move up. Maybe Halifax at a push.

Did they go bust or just administration? Gateshead definitely went bust

Even then they're ineligible. If a team goes bust most likely whoever would have gone down will get a reprieve. Nothing short of a big French TV deal allowing expansion of SL would see them in before 2015 and even then it's not looking likely unfortunately

Theoretically would probably be a better word. I meant it should be open to British and Irish clubs even if in practice there won't be any of the latter at least in the immediate future

Actually by Toulouse's biggest proponent

It was mentioned in another thread (next licensing period one) that Toulouse are planning on dropping out of the Championship due to financial problems. Anyone know if this is true or just rumour mongering?

If this game were played in Wrexham you'd have a point, but it wasn't. The game was the equivalent to MK Dons playing an on the road game in London, the Crusaders are hated in South Wales. Parksider has raised an interesting dilemma though as while economic sense would dictate scrapping on the road games, they do need to advertise themselves in South Wales to potential players that they're still a Welsh club. Longer term I could see the possibility of Welsh players playing for the Scorpions and Crusaders being northerners playing in a market that wants to watch RL. The only problem with this is I don't see South Wales ever getting the crowds to support a SL club, though it's not impossible. If Quins moved to say Oxford then that would be much closer than Wrexham for South Wales players (even Twickenham is closer)

Maybe once we have a unified structure it would be better having a setup where clubs can link in with local amateur clubs as already happens with the National Youth League? In the same way it's planned with Super League clubs linking in with Championship clubs? This would strengthen the amateur game rather than Championship clubs trying and often struggling to run reserve sides.