North Wales Crusaders

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

Suspect this might not be the last

[Fevrover]

6 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

Suspect this might not be the last

It certainly won't , any team under SL is going to struggle.  3 figure crowds at Rochdale, Whitehaven, Hunslet for a start.

[lingaro]

RfL have Killed the championship.

[Max_Power]

11 hours ago, lingaro said:

RfL have Killed the championship.

This has been coming for years, the changing in structures every 5 minutes has a real knock impact. 

[J Phil Loxton]

The RFL can't keep the same system for two years running. Simples stick with 2 up 2 down. Back to 3 divisions and stick to it. Supporters become interested and attendances will improve below Super League. Do not chase the dream with these overpaid reps that tout players. The RFL are not responsible for financial mis- management. But they are responsible for setting up the sport league wise and responsible for making the championship more attractive to the paying fans .Not a convoluted league table that makes every match more like a pre season friendly. The RFL must realise that as a governing body they are responsible for the entire game. Not just the flagship commonly known as Super League.

[Blind side johnny]

42 minutes ago, J Phil Loxton said:

The RFL can't keep the same system for two years running. Simples stick with 2 up 2 down. Back to 3 divisions and stick to it. Supporters become interested and attendances will improve below Super League. Do not chase the dream with these overpaid reps that tout players. The RFL are not responsible for financial mis- management. But they are responsible for setting up the sport league wise and responsible for making the championship more attractive to the paying fans .Not a convoluted league table that makes every match more like a pre season friendly. The RFL must realise that as a governing body they are responsible for the entire game. Not just the flagship commonly known as Super League.

The RFL are easy to blame whilst not looking too closely ay what the RFL is nowadays. It is simply a gathering of SL chairmen wielding all of the power, making decisions focussed upon the short-term needs of their clubs and lacking any form of vision. Yet they consistently avoid any blame which is simply heaped upon a struggling executive trying to implement every change that comes along.

The crowds (!) wave their pitchforks at the stool pigeons whilst the guilty slink away.

You will have noticed that the number one requirement of the NRL having any involvement is the creation of an independent executive. In the meantime don't simply rail against a faceless party which actually has very little power.

[Blind side johnny]

In contrast with the NWC situation how would you interpret the situation at Widnes?

Andrew Horabin steps down from Widnes Vikings board - Widnes Vikings

[J Phil Loxton]

53 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

The RFL are easy to blame whilst not looking too closely ay what the RFL is nowadays. It is simply a gathering of SL chairmen wielding all of the power, making decisions focussed upon the short-term needs of their clubs and lacking any form of vision. Yet they consistently avoid any blame which is simply heaped upon a struggling executive trying to implement every change that comes along.

The crowds (!) wave their pitchforks at the stool pigeons whilst the guilty slink away.

You will have noticed that the number one requirement of the NRL having any involvement is the creation of an independent executive. In the meantime don't simply rail against a faceless party which actually has very little power.

As you allude to the RFL are a bunch of men with a self purpose to look after their own. Fevs problem was over spending to reach that final goal before the shutters came down. The blame indirectly was with a governing body that couldn't keep the same format for one season. You need growth financially as well as on the field to attain that final goal in the long term but Fev took the short cut on numerous occasions simply because no one knows the rules from one week to the next. It back fired big time. Now we have a championship table were some supporters are wondering when their next home match will be. In a league we're teams don't play everyone in that division. In a league where everyone knows that London are already promoted. Result friendly games with little interest of the supporters.

[Blind side johnny]

17 hours ago, J Phil Loxton said:

As you allude to the RFL are a bunch of men with a self purpose to look after their own. Fevs problem was over spending to reach that final goal before the shutters came down. The blame indirectly was with a governing body that couldn't keep the same format for one season. You need growth financially as well as on the field to attain that final goal in the long term but Fev took the short cut on numerous occasions simply because no one knows the rules from one week to the next. It back fired big time. Now we have a championship table were some supporters are wondering when their next home match will be. In a league we're teams don't play everyone in that division. In a league where everyone knows that London are already promoted. Result friendly games with little interest of the supporters.

Agreed but you seem to imply that constant reorganisation is a recent phenomenon; it is only one factor. Without a clear strategic vision the game will continue to degrade and without an independent executive there will be no such vision.

Some issues may have come to a head, exacerbated by a very difficult economy which has also been developing for years. Some people (not you I believe) seem to think that recent changes have caused the problem rather than seeing that decline outside of SL has been there for decades. What the solution is for the lower league clubs like ours I don't know but they are clearly tied in with a whole game vision which is a long way from being developed.

[Fevrover]

1 hour ago, Blind side johnny said:

Agreed but you seem to imply that constant reorganisation is a recent phenomenon; it is only one factor. Without a clear strategic vision the game will continue to degrade and without an independent executive there will be no such vision.

Some issues may have come to a head, exacerbated by a very difficult economy which has also been developing for years. Some people (not you I believe) seem to think that recent changes have caused the problem rather than seeing that decline outside of SL has been there for decades. What the solution is for the lower league clubs like ours I don't know but they are clearly tied in with a whole game vision which is a long way from being developed.

True

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

On 10/04/2026 at 16:34, Blind side johnny said:

In contrast with the NWC situation how would you interpret the situation at Widnes?

Andrew Horabin steps down from Widnes Vikings board - Widnes Vikings

Not sure at all. Does "the current restrictions placed on the club, along with the sustainable budgeting policies" mean they're in special measures or is he against running the club within its means?

[Blind side johnny]

13 hours ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

Not sure at all. Does "the current restrictions placed on the club, along with the sustainable budgeting policies" mean they're in special measures or is he against running the club within its means?

I interpret it as the latter. Probably signed players to contracts that cannot be afforded without his input but I am simply guessing.

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

3 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

I interpret it as the latter. Probably signed players to contracts that cannot be afforded without his input but I am simply guessing.

Surely if he's providing the (additional over other income) funding, contracts would be affordable and within budget?

[Blind side johnny]

5 hours ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

Surely if he's providing the (additional over other income) funding, contracts would be affordable and within budget?

I don't know. It is all speculation. The players are all getting paid.

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

12 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

I don't know. It is all speculation. The players are all getting paid.

And hopefully will continue to be.

His reasons to pull out don't really make a lot of sense though unless he's simply saying it's because you can no longer fund promotion to SL through results on the pitch?