Promotion to Super League

[Tommygilf]

That 12th spot has just become incredibly attractive, even with the caveats, now that Watson has left Salford. 

Alongside KR and maybe even Wakefield that gives 3 sides for the new side to serious challenge to stay up

[fighting irish]

My gut feeling tells me to go for Toulouse.

Who knows, it might just inspire another French club to join our league structure (as well as strengthen their National team).

Ultimately, Super League (and the championship) could become an Anglo/French league.

Then perhaps, the other European Nations may aspire to join a truly trans-European league.

[Niels]

1 hour ago, NICK ROBINSON said:

Who is going to be the 12th club in Super League?
   The key word for me, and it was mentioned in Robert Elstone's independent report, is strategy. What move is going to strategically develop the international game?
    If we look down under, we saw the Auckland Warriors enter the NRL in 1995. Since then there has been a steady increase in the number of New Zealand born players scattered around the NRL. Now around 20% of all players are New Zealanders and the New Zealend national side is more competitive as a result. For me, if ever the NRL ever gets the expansion bug again as it did in the 1990s, then the next new team should be in either Wellington or on the South Island.
   Similarly in the Northern Hemisphere, Catalan Dragons entered in 2007 and subsequently there has been a steady rise in French players dotted around the Super League. A second French side can only add to those French players.
   Based on that the 12th Super League club should be Toulouse Olympique for the sake of developing the international game. We are to have a World Cup in 2021 with only 3 possible winners out of 16 nations. Let us have 4 possible winners in later World Cups. We struggle to find opposition for a mid-season international for England and have in the past had to contrive opposition in the shape of an 'exiles' outfit. I believe England should play France in  mid-season internationals- a real nation against a real nation.
  That is my interpretation of strategy.
  What of the other candidates?
 They maybe need a little more time to grow organically. Make no mistake about it the Championship is a good division. I would envisage a tight promotion battle in the next few seasons between the likes of Featherstone, Leigh and the London Broncos who continue to grow stronger roots in the capital (stronger roots than  previous Australian dominated regimes).

I enjoyed reading your interesting post. I thought it was very well written and prompted some thoughts I had. Can I ask your opinion on a couple of points please?

Do you think France will ever be good enough to compete?  I recently learnt that the best player, Farges, developed in England. If there were 12 others the same standard as him then they would have a great team. However despite Catalans they have fallen behind the Pacific nations.

I think New Zealand were strong in the 1980s and 90s before the Warriors? Certainly equal to Great Britain?  

I was going to say I didn't think Great Britain had much chance in the world cup, but I have seen some players in Super League, Ratchford, Grace, Coote, Walmsley, who look as good as their Australian counterparts.

Again interested in your thoughts on this.

[Spidey]

7 clubs confirmed as eligible to apply. Plus maybe Widnes

[DI Keith Fowler]

4 minutes ago, Spidey said:

7 clubs confirmed as eligible to apply. Plus maybe Widnes

I highly doubt Widnes will apply.

[Spidey]

Just now, DI Keith Fowler said:

I highly doubt Widnes will apply.

As a Widnes fan I’d be disappointed if that’s the case. We’re no where near ready, but we must show ambition. It’s highly unlikely we’d get accepted, we must recognise it and go through the process. You never know when this opportunity will be available again. 

[Robin Evans]

Step forrad Leigh... ...

[Smudger06]

Expansion, bang all 7 in.

[Robin Evans]

6 minutes ago, Smudger06 said:

Expansion, bang all 7 in.

Can you imagine..... it would be armageddon on here!!

[Tex Evans Thigh]

It'll be interesting to see if criteria is weighted, e.g. the minimum on-field criteria is top 6 Championship finish but London get high marks for winning Super 8s and being in SL. Same with other criteria.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

If there are seven clubs able to apply plus Widnes and Super League has 11 Clubs then it does make the case for 2 Leagues of 10 professional clubs from 2022 onwards provided that the game can find one more expansion club to make up the numbers.

[lucky 7]

21 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

I am starting to feel that London Broncos are becoming favourites.

 

P 

No Toulouse are, but favourites don't always win the races otherwse there wouldn't be any bookies

[Davo5]

Does anyone really think the 12th club hasn’t already been decided ?

Elstone’s 2 cronies will have compiled detailed evaluations of each candidate from the safety of their office desk and concluded that the successful club is the one Elstone told them.

[Robin Evans]

1 minute ago, Davo5 said:

Does anyone really think the 12th club hasn’t already been decided ?

Elstone’s 2 cronies will have compiled detailed evaluations of each candidate from the safety of their office desk and concluded that the successful club is the one Elstone told them.

Detailed evaluations..... like it!!

[Smudger06]

2 minutes ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

If there are seven clubs able to apply plus Widnes and Super League has 11 Clubs then it does make the case for 2 Leagues of 10 professional clubs from 2022 onwards provided that the game can find one more expansion club to make up the numbers.

20th = Newcastle Thunder.......Looking at that poll at the top of the this thread. 

[Snowys Backside]

58 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

Step forrad Leigh... ...

It would be the logical choice Robin. Featherstone the season after would absolutely bog the Championship.

I think Leigh would stay up comfortably to be fair. Some of the lower SL clubs are on their knees.

Like him or loathe him, he is signing decent players, more to come and openly stated what his intentions are.

By 2024, you could have 4 different sides in SL !

[Barley Mow]

On 05/11/2020 at 08:54, winnyason said:

For me I want a m62 league - bring in fax, leigh, widnes, bradford. 

Catalans, toulouse, north and south wales and London kick them out of structure. For me it's perfect let's make the sport smaller but just for us. I mean it could really work 

I'm quite happy to have a French team (or teams) in SL, but think that below that we should have a British Isles stream and French/European (plus Canada/USA?) stream.

The top two in the British and top two in the European leagues to go into playoffs with the bottom SL side for the SL place the following year.

As for non-heartland teams: How about we let any team that is good enough to survive in a comp join/play in it, no matter where in the country they are based. I'm not one for pushing expansion just to spread the game for the sake of it, but if a team is good enough to survive or progress - all the best to them.

As far as next year is concerned, as much as I think it would benefit SL to have Bradford back, that is too much like licencing for my liking - It has to be Fev based on reaching the playoff final in the most recently completed .

[Robin Evans]

3 minutes ago, Snowys Backside said:

It would be the logical choice Robin. Featherstone the season after would absolutely bog the Championship.

I think Leigh would stay up comfortably to be fair. Some of the lower SL clubs are on their knees.

Like him or loathe him, he is signing decent players, more to come and openly stated what his intentions are.

By 2024, you could have 4 different sides in SL !

I've just more or less exactly this. Leigh now have a great squad. Get off to a good start in SL and wakey/hkr might tow if this season is owt to go by.

The championship would be fev v toulouse if I've called it right. 

Let's all get vac'd up, get some rugby and that toulouse trip booked.

[Cardypaul]

On 08/11/2020 at 20:22, lucky 7 said:

Elstone wants a club to bring NEW FANS to the game and NEW SPONSORS

That's the prescript that Elstone has laid down

Problem is no club that does that exists

[Oxford]

The criteria are straight forward enough and sensible.

It does look like an independent group on the face of it, though I don't know what constituences would be involved.

On Love RL Leigh's squad assessment is featured near the story about the process so it's just as well they're not on the panel I think.

I find it a bit odd that this invitation is referred to as promotion which is quite a different idea.

On Love RL there was no mention of new fans etc being one of the criteria to set the record stright there.

 

[Hela Wigmen]

2 hours ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

If there are seven clubs able to apply plus Widnes and Super League has 11 Clubs then it does make the case for 2 Leagues of 10 professional clubs from 2022 onwards provided that the game can find one more expansion club to make up the numbers.

I think that’s the way we’re heading and the rest will do the East/West split, as proposed this week. 

[Gav Wilson]

5 minutes ago, Cardypaul said:

Problem is no club that does that exists

It did, it was called Toronto Wolfpack. 

[DemonUK]

Anyone notice how quick Toulouse managed to create edit and produce their video application after TWP were rejected

[paul hicks]

20 hours ago, Steve Slater said:

Rochdale? 110K population, which makes it bigger than Wigan, with a less successful soccer team, so why have they never won anything? Goes to show that population doesn't necessarily bring success.

they don't meet the requirement that's been announced of finishing in the top 6 of the championship in either 2019 or 2018

[Hela Wigmen]

1 minute ago, DemonUK said:

Anyone notice how quick Toulouse managed to create edit and produce their video application after TWP were rejected

5G masts made it quicker.