Franchise System already breaking down

[cpwigan]

http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... field.html

[butt monkey]

Where exactly, does that leave Wakefield?

I would seriously doubt they have any chance in three years time for a renewed franchise licence. Can the current licence offer now be withdrawn after this major setback?

[ancientnloyal]

Get Leigh in for 2010!

[FROM A TO B]

kick them out now and bring in widnes or Leigh.
If they cannot fullfill the criteria, then they should not be allowed in to SL. They have no right to a license, as they have not and will not meet the standards, let a team in that is already set up (such as widnes)

[Fujiman]

Their stadium might be shite and falling down but they can play there any time they like

[GeoffN]

Where exactly, does that leave Wakefield?

I would seriously doubt they have any chance in three years time for a renewed franchise licence. Can the current licence offer now be withdrawn after this major setback?

As I understand it, both they and Cas were admitted on the understanding that their new stadia would have to be ready by 2011, which means they'll stay in for now, but won't be renewed.
Good news for Widnes and maybe Leigh, though.

Personally, I was surprised they were allowed to stay in this time round.

[butt monkey]

Where exactly, does that leave Wakefield?

I would seriously doubt they have any chance in three years time for a renewed franchise licence. Can the current licence offer now be withdrawn after this major setback?

As I understand it, both they and Cas were admitted on the understanding that their new stadia would have to be ready by 2011, which means they'll stay in for now, but won't be renewed.

Is this "concrete" though?

Say for example Celtic had falsified and manipulated figures just to gain entry into the franchise system (In no way do I suggest that they have btw) - then were later to have found to have defaulted and be unable to provide the financial stability and minimum ground standards required to play SL in - would they still be allowed entry despite the obvious "lies" and failings? If not, then surely the same applies to Wakefield who will have nothing to offer for SL's betterment now or in the future.

[MrDave]

The franchise system is a joke anyway, they produced some criteria to get into the Super League and then just ignored it and put who ever they wanted in.

Widnes might have gone into administration but they do have the Stadium and the fans. Salford, Wakefield and Celtic Crusaders don't have stadium as good as The Halton Stadium and none of them have loads of fans.

[DaveO]

I think this makes the comments made by the RFL about Leigh farcical.

They said something along the lines of that while the new ground was an excellent facility as Leigh had not actually taken to using the ground during the period over which the franchise bids were judged, it could not be considered this time around.

So basically with a brand new ground ready for next season when Leigh would have taken up their slot in SL had they been given it, the RFL would not let it be used to improve Leigh's franchise application score.

Meanwhile they let two team in on a promise of new grounds and already one has failed to honour the promise.

It isn't the first time for Wakey though. They have survived relegation in the past because NL1 teams who won it didn't have a good enough ground. They have been promising a new ground for about a decade.

In the face of applications like Leigh's and Widnes really Wakey's time should have been up this time before this happened as IMO they have had more then enough time to do something and have failed.

Dave

[Kittwazzer]

Totally agree. Wakefield got a franchise on the back of a lie.

Still, who are we to talk? We bombed a country on the back of a lie. Wakefield's sin pales into insignificance in the overall scheme of things!!