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Widnes may need help, why not give them it.

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:35 pm
by Panchitta Marra
If it is as bad as we all think about the pending situation with Widnes, is it not about time the RFL pulled out the stops to help prevent the demise of one of our established teams. The RFL are quick to assist the way forward for the Capital, French and Welsh teams. Whats your thoughts.

Re: Widnes may need help, why ...

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:38 pm
by fitzy
I think the rfl should help widnes out even if its only to put together a half decent squad and go part time if widnes fold it would be very sad as they used to be a giant of the game the rfl helped out quins so I'd like to see there excuse for not helping out widnes.

Re: Widnes may need help, ...

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:29 pm
by highland convert
Maybe they do not want to. If the net is to be cast wide in the franchise maybe a defunct Widnes solves a lot of problems. We put players out on loan. Could the superleague clubs pick up the tab for these players without it counting on salery cap. It would mean the lower clubs get the benifit without the penalty. The superleague gets experienced players back in return. It is tragic when widnes should not have been relegated in the first place. Hope Setanta gets the franchise next year. Sky is destroying SL. HC

Re: Widnes may need help, why ...

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:22 pm
by doc
It would indeed be sad to see the Chemics go to the wall. When we were at our best they were the only team that could get anywhere near us. I always feared for us every time Koloto or Offiah (before he came to us)got the ball. I remember Kurt Sorensen made the likes of Fozzard look like angels; he was dirty, but hard with it.

Re: Widnes may need help, ...

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:12 pm
by ancientnloyal
Agree, at least Widnes have made an early attempt to UP their stadia and move to the Halton, with it bringing in facilities and a decent enough acadamy. They should be rewarded whereas the likes of Quins and Wakefield are let off each year. Widnes afterall did fall to Catalan syndrome being 1 of 2 club relegated in 2005

Re: Widnes may need help, ...

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:56 pm
by roo67
unfortunately its not the first time widnes have been in financial trouble. the £100,000 we gave them for lydon stopped them from going uner as did the £440,000 for offiah. they also changed from a members club to a limited company in the nineties to stave off another near collapse.

Re: Widnes may need help, ...

Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:09 am
by the grinch
maurice may be intrested! it will give him something to do now hes sold us. :wink:

Re: Widnes may need help, why ...

Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:32 am
by Fraggle
Panchitta Marra posted:
The RFL are quick to assist the way forward for the Capital, French and Welsh teams.
Paris St Germain?

I don't recall similar campaigns to help the likes of Oldham, Doncaster, York, Gateshead and other such clubs who have suffered financial difficulties in recent years. Saying that, I do agree that the RFL is also inconsistent and should not have helped out London but not other teams in the same situation.

Re: Widnes may need help, ...

Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:41 pm
by ultimate warrior
It looks like the RFL will again fail to help one of the older established teams as they are not fashionable enought for them

Giving a club like Widness or Oldham a fraction of the money the game has wasted on the expansion clubs would have made a massive difference to them.

The RFL are quick enough to pump massive amounts of money in to the likes of Harlequinns/London, Paris etc, but the hearland clubs of our game are just left to die.

HC think you make a great point about SL clubs sending out acadamy players on loan to the lowwer leagues without it counting on the cap. The would benefit the game as a whole. The NL clubs would benefit from more playing talent, the SL clubs would benefit from the yougnsters getting experience of playing at a higher level than acadamy level, also, in the long run the GB side would probably also benefit from a plan like this.

Its such a good idea that I cant see the RFL will never go for it.

Re: Widnes may need help, ...

Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:45 pm
by GeoffN
Trying to get the council to help now:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 036105.stm