New Super league Licenses

[Yorks_Loyal]

They will so be cooming up for renewal and I just wondered what peoples thoughts were on them.

Wakefield and Cas look the most in danger of losing theirs. Alot of people seem to be mentioning a merger but that still doesnt the solve the stadium problem of the two clubs.

If I was in charge at either club I would seriuosly belooking at relocating to Doncaster. They have a 15,000 all seater stadium which is only a few miles away. Surely this would gurantee them their license. New stadium, only South Yorkshire team in SL.

With Tolouse and Widness being the faverouites coming up, who do you think will go down. If of course SL doesnt extend to 16 clubs.

[Yorks_Loyal]

Well just checked the criteria needed to apply for a championship club. As it stands Halifax, Barrow and Widness can apply. They will be joined by the two grand final teams this year and the winers of the norther rail cup.

I find it unlikely that Tolouse will meet these standards so dont think they will come up.

Halifax would just add another team to an already over populated West Yorkshire. Widness would be a good addition as would be Barrow.

But sticking with orginal point, Cas and Wakey really need to open there eyes to the potential of the stadium at Doncaster. 15000 all seater stadium sat there doing nothing during the summer. The Dons are not the team they once was. And it would give the sport as a whole a lift in south yorkshire.

[THE 18th Man]

i think Widnes are gonna be in. the RFL saw the huge backlash when they wern't in last time so denying them again they know would be a huge mistake. even they wouldn't be that stupid, would they? :doz:

[ancientnloyal]

Im surprised that Sheffield haven't been more vocal. IMO if they wanted to they'd have a great shout... I used to love going to the Don Valley (but not when mark aston played)... would be a great stadium with 10,000 on.

With regards to Toulouse... they have their own rules which the RFL will rubber stamp for approval

[Yorks_Loyal]

The Don Valley is a awful stadium. Dated, running track around it, absolutly awful. The keepmoat in Doncaster is far better but as I already said the dons are not what they use to be.

Quite right on Tolouse they will make it up for them. They go about expansion but what about Cumbria why hasnt that been tried yet. Or even Gateshead again.

[cpwigan]

I think Sheffield are moving to Bramhall Lane

[gpartin]

ANL what are you thinking? Don Valley is terrible however many are in, you feel miles away from the actio and its far too open so any atmosphere is totally lost.

[Panchitta Marra]

It is sad to see a team with the current good form of Wakefield Wildcats having such a poor fan base and a run down stadium.
To survive, they must make big changes.

Has there been any movement with regards to Salford's move from the Willows, Ive not seen much in the media of late ?

Personally, I would like to see Widnes back in SL, the stadium is reasonably good, and they have the potential fan base to survive, if managed properly.

[the pieman]

with regards to Widnes what people are forgetting is that they almost went bust / into administration or did do, until the new owners came in (who are now making a decent job of getting the club back on track). The RL made the correct decision by not granting them a franchise. Yes there was a lot of noise from them, but there were far more deserving clubs IMO in both Yorkshire and Cumbria.

I didn't agree with the Celtic Crusaders fast track over them though

IMO Cumbria needs a super league team, but I know that we have been there with Workington previously. The area produces many SL standard players, who move South to play for a super league club, recent examples - Mossop, Purdham

I dont agree with a comment re merging (Cas & Wakey).

Would we accept with merging with Leigh, Saints or Wire if we were going through a barren spell - I dont think so. Hell would freeze over before I accepted that

At present there are Saints, Salford, Cas and Wakey without a Super League standard stadium, Hull KR and Bradford would need to do more work on the stadium to get them up to scratch, but the RFL wont make the decision on stadia alone, but it must be a big part of the application

It should be interesting as someone has previously commented as Wakey have a decent team at the minute, would they relegate them if the stadium wasn't up to standard? Would they do the same with Saints if they hadn't sorted their stadium out? I very much doubt it

Looks like an interesting time with some difficult decisions to be made the the RFL (and pretty sure they wont be popular in some areas)

[GeoffN]

The stadium is only a small part of the points system, though (something like 1 point out of 12? - DaveO will correct me if not...) - they quite rightly also look at things like attendances, youth system, finances and the like, which are just as important. The only criterion I don't think should have as much weight as it does is the location, although I see why they include it (they have to find some way of knocking points off us...).