Andy Wilson's latest offering

[Father Ted]

Andy Wilson knows the score with SL as do most of us.

His main point is that Widnes are going in SL come 2012, which they are.

The other matter re Wakefield is also correct that at the moment they are the most vulnerable.

Salford won't go as the new stadium would go to Sale RU thereby handing the whole Manc conurbation over to Union. The RFL will never let Salford or Rugby League down like that.

Castleford's position is vulnerable too but they have a better Rugby League base in their town rather than Wakefield do.

Wakey might be the most vulnerable but it is not a cert yet that it will be them to go down.

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

I am surprised at the constant trashing of Andy Wilson on here, He has written a well-balanced article from a well sourced journalist. That is sourced as opposed to sauced which seems to be the state of some posters on this forum...

Trashing Wilson is par for the course on here.

[Pottsy]

I lost all hope of an informed and impartial piece after his opening line, a sly dig at league's encampment around the M62...

"Widnes supporters might as well start checking out the route maps to Hull now (not that it's a very complicated journey

[Northern Exposure]

It doesn't matter who wrote it, the fact that a side that finished 4th and lost in the semis last year, are currently languishing in 8th and lost the National Rail Cup Final makes an absolute mockery of the setup.

Period.

If Widnes go up, its a travesty for Rugby League.

You can produce 50 youth players per season, but if they're all rubbish it makes no difference.

To get a license in SL by what seems like by default is a disgraceful by the RFL.

Promote Widnes and they finish in the bottom 2 of SL for the next 3 years.

Genius idea - watch the crowds plummet.

[3owls]

It doesn't matter who wrote it, the fact that a side that finished 4th and lost in the semis last year, are currently languishing in 8th and lost the National Rail Cup Final makes an absolute mockery of the setup.

Period.

If Widnes go up, its a travesty for Rugby League.

You can produce 50 youth players per season, but if they're all rubbish it makes no difference.

To get a license in SL by what seems like by default is a disgraceful by the RFL.

Promote Widnes and they finish in the bottom 2 of SL for the next 3 years.

Genius idea - watch the crowds plummet.

Well said that man, the most sense spoken on this topic for a long time.

[Maximus Decimus]

It doesn't matter who wrote it, the fact that a side that finished 4th and lost in the semis last year, are currently languishing in 8th and lost the National Rail Cup Final makes an absolute mockery of the setup.

Period.

If Widnes go up, its a travesty for Rugby League.

You can produce 50 youth players per season, but if they're all rubbish it makes no difference.

To get a license in SL by what seems like by default is a disgraceful by the RFL.

Promote Widnes and they finish in the bottom 2 of SL for the next 3 years.

Genius idea - watch the crowds plummet.

Do you have any idea what the actual setup is and how it works?

If you did you'd see that it is more about off the field than on the field. That's why promoting teams like Barrow and Fev despite not meeting criteria to be a successful SL club would be the real farce. Featherstone's own chairman has even said that they aren't ready. You'd also see that the RFL set up a minimum on the field criteria that Widnes met, so that there was no point doing any more. If you had half a brain you'd also see that if we didn't have licensing then the make up and priorities of the league would be very different. The clubs very probably wouldn't have voted to reduce the salary cap as it naturally evens out the league.

How exactly does our squad with a salary cap of 300k indicate how we will do in a league where the salary cap is

Edited August 7, 2010 by Maximus Decimus

[ckn]

I am surprised at the constant trashing of Andy Wilson on here, He has written a well-balanced article from a well sourced journalist. That is sourced as opposed to sauced which seems to be the state of some posters on this forum...

I do tend to agree. Andy has come out with some genuinely good scoops over the years and plenty across the RL community (not just on here) are willing to shoot the messenger. That said, he is a bit of a miserable sod with some of his articles, it's not all that doom and gloom in the sport!

[Northern Exposure]

Do you have any idea what the actual setup is and how it works?

If you did you'd see that it is more about off the field than on the field. That's why promoting teams like Barrow and Fev despite not meeting criteria to be a successful SL club would be the real farce. Featherstone's own chairman has even said that they aren't ready. You'd also see that the RFL set up a minimum on the field criteria that Widnes met, so that there was no point doing any more. If you had half a brain you'd also see that if we didn't have licensing then the make up and priorities of the league would be very different. The clubs very probably wouldn't have voted to reduce the salary cap as it naturally evens out the league.

How exactly does our squad with a salary cap of 300k indicate how we will do in a league where the salary cap is

[Maximus Decimus]

You're a Widnes fan so ergo, biased.

I don't care if its Widens being touted or Dewsbury or Keighley.

Whats the point of RL players going out to win games if they know that there's no chance they'll get too play in SL?

Are you implying that the SL should only be full of financially viable clubs disregarding the results on the field?

Give over. Look at Blackpool in soccer. Its dreamland that they are in the Premiership. Sure they may go straight back down, but they've reaped the rewards for results on the field.

This isn't Monopoly.

Neither I, nor Widnes created the licensing system.

I would happily accept a return to promotion and relegation but it's not coming back any time soon.

What's the point in Widnes going all out to win the Championship but not meeting the off-field criteria for Super League?

You're continued attacks on Widnes are based on not understanding how licensing works or choosing to ignore it. There's no point continually going on about how Widnes should not be included based on something that the RFL aren't going to base it on.

If you had a tiny bit of intelligence you'd recognise that if we did still have promotion and relegation and on the field results did matter then the priorities of a club like Widnes would be very different.

Your a troll so ergo your opinion is pointless.

[R J Wagsmith]

Whats the point of RL players going out to win games if they know that there's no chance they'll get to play in SL?

Are you implying that the SL should only be full of financially viable clubs disregarding the results on the field?

Give over. Look at Blackpool in soccer. Its dreamland that they are in the Premiership. Sure they may go straight back down, but they've reaped the rewards for results on the field.

This isn't Monopoly.

Exactly!

[getdownmonkeyman]

I do tend to agree. Andy has come out with some genuinely good scoops over the years and plenty across the RL community (not just on here) are willing to shoot the messenger. That said, he is a bit of a miserable sod with some of his articles, it's not all that doom and gloom in the sport!

Ask yourself this; when did he last write a positive piece?

[Dirk Diggler]

One of the things that people don't seem to get with the licencing system is that it fundamentally changes the definition of success.

Widnes are currently in the position of only needing to avoid relegation each year. Winning games is nice but not important, it does not change their licence score which (rather than the game score) is the one that matters. If playing 13 rubbin' rags from Widnes gets them a licence point and a beating each week then that is what they will do. Widnes are probably a big supporter of dropping the cap level in NL1 because money on players is money wasted for them. They need to keep the gates up above the limit for licence qualification and if everyone pays less they can charge less which encourages walk ups. When they get their licence the money they might save now can be spent scoring licence points in SL.

[paley]

Ask yourself this; when did he last write a positive piece?

The guardian don't like positive opinions about rugby league - they also don't like people who stand up for rugby league

[The Parksider]

Andy Wilson

[Bomb Jack]

They need to keep the gates up above the limit for licence qualification

Wrong actually. They needed to get over 2,500 in either 2009 or 2010. Our average was 3,800 last year, so this years crowds are irrelevant.

They are already over 2,500 however...............

[chrisl1]

Maybe I dreamed going to Barton and chatting with the construction lads on site........

I was under the impression that the works currently being carried out on the site were remedial works to make the site ready rather than construction works. I don't think that detailed planning permission for the stadium has yet been obtained from Salford City Council. I think that is expected in September. As the Council is one of the Joint Venture partners I'm sure they would not condone construction works being carried out without the requisite plannning permissions.

[mick wilson]

Trashing Wilson is par for the course on here.

Irony

[Bulletproof]

Irony

What irony?

[mick wilson]

whoosh

[Millman]

Maybe I dreamed going to Barton and chatting with the construction lads on site........

Sounds like one of your more lucid moments, although it could have been a YMCA themed dream.

[Bulletproof]

whoosh

Not going to explain it because it's rubbish then.