Re: How many boxes do we currently tick? : Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:25 am  

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8885900.stm The RFL has confirmed that, subject to fulfilling their minimum criteria, at least one Championship club will be awarded a Super League spot next March. The RFL has also confirmed Super League will stay at 14 clubs - leaving the current teams facing an anxious wait. The next set of licences will run from 2012 to 2014. However, the lucky Championship side will discover their fate before that in March, with a December deadline for application, subject to meeting five criteria laid down by the RFL. The criteria are: 1 Commercial, marketing, media and community. 2 Facilities. 3 Finance. 4 Governance and business management. 5 Playing strength and player performance strategy. So it looks like the goalposts have shifed somewhat. Same principles based around framing the future but different to last time. No details released (that I can find) about what is a pass in each criteria, or what level within each criteria make for a A/B/C licence, but they might be delibrately vague statements so the RFL can justify whatever decision they want to make. Until we know the details of how they judge each this time we won't know how many boxes we are likely to tick or indeed how many we need to tick to maintain our B. Interesting times ahead for Wakey, Cas and Salford I suggest.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8885900.stm The RFL has confirmed that, subject to fulfilling their minimum criteria, at least one Championship club will be awarded a Super League spot next March. The RFL has also confirmed Super League will stay at 14 clubs - leaving the current teams facing an anxious wait. The next set of licences will run from 2012 to 2014. However, the lucky Championship side will discover their fate before that in March, with a December deadline for application, subject to meeting five criteria laid down by the RFL. The criteria are: 1 Commercial, marketing, media and community. 2 Facilities. 3 Finance. 4 Governance and business management. 5 Playing strength and player performance strategy. So it looks like the goalposts have shifed somewhat. Same principles based around framing the future but different to last time. No details released (that I can find) about what is a pass in each criteria, or what level within each criteria make for a A/B/C licence, but they might be delibrately vague statements so the RFL can justify whatever decision they want to make. Until we know the details of how they judge each this time we won't know how many boxes we are likely to tick or indeed how many we need to tick to maintain our B. Interesting times ahead for Wakey, Cas and Salford I suggest.

Re: How many boxes do we currently tick? : Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:42 am  

Duckman wrote: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8885900.stm The RFL has confirmed that, subject to fulfilling their minimum criteria, at least one Championship club will be awarded a Super League spot next March. The RFL has also confirmed Super League will stay at 14 clubs - leaving the current teams facing an anxious wait. The next set of licences will run from 2012 to 2014. However, the lucky Championship side will discover their fate before that in March, with a December deadline for application, subject to meeting five criteria laid down by the RFL. The criteria are: 1 Commercial, marketing, media and community. 2 Facilities. 3 Finance. 4 Governance and business management. 5 Playing strength and player performance strategy. So it looks like the goalposts have shifed somewhat. Same principles based around framing the future but different to last time. No details released (that I can find) about what is a pass in each criteria, or what level within each criteria make for a A/B/C licence, but they might be delibrately vague statements so the RFL can justify whatever decision they want to make. Until we know the details of how they judge each this time we won't know how many boxes we are likely to tick or indeed how many we need to tick to maintain our B. Interesting times ahead for Wakey, Cas and Salford I suggest. I think that is the key part. The "At least" could be Widnes, but I am sure that the RFL are keen to shoe horn Tolouse into Superleague, which would mean that two current teams would drop down to the Championship, and I agree on the three mentioned above. Although Toulouse havent either won the Northern Rail cup or appeared in a grand final (yet) the operational rules state that overseas clubs could be invited to apply (without meeting this criteria). As a Halifax fan I know that we dont really have a cat in hells chance of obtaining a licence this time around, nor do I think we are ready for it, but the RFL could look pretty silly promoting two clubs from the championship that are currently 7th and 8th???? Bring back promotion and relegation!!!!

Duckman wrote: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8885900.stm The RFL has confirmed that, subject to fulfilling their minimum criteria, at least one Championship club will be awarded a Super League spot next March. The RFL has also confirmed Super League will stay at 14 clubs - leaving the current teams facing an anxious wait. The next set of licences will run from 2012 to 2014. However, the lucky Championship side will discover their fate before that in March, with a December deadline for application, subject to meeting five criteria laid down by the RFL. The criteria are: 1 Commercial, marketing, media and community. 2 Facilities. 3 Finance. 4 Governance and business management. 5 Playing strength and player performance strategy. So it looks like the goalposts have shifed somewhat. Same principles based around framing the future but different to last time. No details released (that I can find) about what is a pass in each criteria, or what level within each criteria make for a A/B/C licence, but they might be delibrately vague statements so the RFL can justify whatever decision they want to make. Until we know the details of how they judge each this time we won't know how many boxes we are likely to tick or indeed how many we need to tick to maintain our B. Interesting times ahead for Wakey, Cas and Salford I suggest. I think that is the key part. The "At least" could be Widnes, but I am sure that the RFL are keen to shoe horn Tolouse into Superleague, which would mean that two current teams would drop down to the Championship, and I agree on the three mentioned above. Although Toulouse havent either won the Northern Rail cup or appeared in a grand final (yet) the operational rules state that overseas clubs could be invited to apply (without meeting this criteria). As a Halifax fan I know that we dont really have a cat in hells chance of obtaining a licence this time around, nor do I think we are ready for it, but the RFL could look pretty silly promoting two clubs from the championship that are currently 7th and 8th???? Bring back promotion and relegation!!!!

Re: How many boxes do we currently tick? : Thu Aug 05, 2010 9:33 am  

spanishbob wrote:

I think that is the key part. The "At least" could be Widnes, but I am sure that the RFL are keen to shoe horn Tolouse into Superleague, which would mean that two current teams would drop down to the Championship, and I agree on the three mentioned above. Although Toulouse havent either won the Northern Rail cup or appeared in a grand final (yet) the operational rules state that overseas clubs could be invited to apply (without meeting this criteria).

As a Halifax fan I know that we dont really have a cat in hells chance of obtaining a licence this time around, nor do I think we are ready for it, but the RFL could look pretty silly promoting two clubs from the championship that are currently 7th and 8th????

Bring back promotion and relegation!!!!

I agree completely, also, the announcement on who is dropping out of SL will be made in July (?) next year, so it could be a team that is in a playoff position and possibly in the later stages of the cup...which could have the potential to make the sport not look great to anyone looking in from outside, you can just imagine the BBC cup semi final coverage now, "and welcome to todays CC semi final between Leeds and Wakefield here in Huddersfield, with Leeds looking good this year as are Wakefield but they have just been informed they are no longer good enough to qualify for superleague and will be playing in the championship next year...baffling"

The at least one will be Widnes, no doubt. But I could see them trying to get Toulouse in as well. I also suspect whichever club is removed will immediately compare their rejected application the the already accepted previously successful application of Widnes and lodge a legal challenge. Especially as the criteria for promotion into the comp seem to be slightly different to the criteria for remaining in the comp....

It could all get very messy next summer.

Re: How many boxes do we currently tick? : Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:51 am  

tigertot wrote:

Not a hope in hell of Bradford not getting a licence. The RFL can publish whatever criteria they want but they would bend it to keep Bradford in, & so they should.

It would be terrible publicity for the game if Bradford failed as a SL club, being the flagship side that 15 years ago every other team aspired to be. I can't see it happening for a long time if ever.

Re: How many boxes do we currently tick? : Thu Aug 05, 2010 6:44 pm  

spanishbob wrote:

I think that is the key part. The "At least" could be Widnes, but I am sure that the RFL are keen to shoe horn Tolouse into Superleague, which would mean that two current teams would drop down to the Championship, and I agree on the three mentioned above. Although Toulouse havent either won the Northern Rail cup or appeared in a grand final (yet) the operational rules state that overseas clubs could be invited to apply (without meeting this criteria).

isnt that bit in rules actually phrased as overseas clubs outside the championship? if so presumably toulouse would need to drop out of championship next year in order to be considered under that rule.

Re: How many boxes do we currently tick? : Thu Aug 05, 2010 7:26 pm  

Of course SL would let us drop out!

I have no doubt in my own (possibly twisted) mind that even when we were at our peak Sky and the RFL would have preferred it to have been Leeds, Saints or Wigan! The first few seasons they probably thought it was quite good that an 'underdog' was pushing the top teams as it proved that anyone would do it, but we all know that secretly they would have preferred Leeds and their pretty 'Star' kit to be winning everything!

You could tell how much it irked them in '97 when we romped to the title. They changed the rules the next season because they didn't want another situation like it used to be with Wigan winning the title by February year after year!

It we'd have gone over the salary cap like Wigan did to avoid relegation I again have no doubt in my own (definately paranoid) mind that we'd have been relegated to the Pennine League.

Pah.

In all seriousness though, and at risk of putting a cat amongst the Pigeons... is it such a straight cut decision that Widnes will be given a SL licence? What about the likes of Barrow? It's hardly a well kept secret that the RFL would like a Cumbrian club in SL...

Re: How many boxes do we currently tick? : Thu Aug 05, 2010 7:41 pm  

<gledhill>
It's a good job that Stuart Cummings doesn't have any say in the licenses as you know he'd make sure other clubs get more points than us, just like he does every week when he appoints and instructs his referees to, during the games!!!
</gledhill>

Re: How many boxes do we currently tick? : Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:20 pm  

bewaresheep wrote:

In all seriousness though, and at risk of putting a cat amongst the Pigeons... is it such a straight cut decision that Widnes will be given a SL licence? What about the likes of Barrow? It's hardly a well kept secret that the RFL would like a Cumbrian club in SL...

Well, Im sure the rfl would like us to think its not clear cut, but these are the conditions of entry below and so far only Widnes meet all of them....I'm sure thats just a coincedence though

To be considered for superleague;
1 Club has reached a Championship final or won the Northern Rail Cup in 2009 or 2010.
2 Club has a stadium with an operational capacity of 10,000.
3 No insolvency event has occurred during the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons.
4 Club has turnover of at least £1,000,000 in financial year ending 2009 or 2010 (turnover of charitable foundation can be included in this figure).
5 Club has an average attendance of at least 2,500 in 2009 or 2010.

Its also worth nothing that it said at least one will drop out, could well be more than 1 club, and in that scenario Widnes will be a given IMHO.

Re: How many boxes do we currently tick? : Fri Aug 06, 2010 1:20 am  

bewaresheep wrote:

Of course SL would let us drop out!

I have no doubt in my own (possibly twisted) mind that even when we were at our peak Sky and the RFL would have preferred it to have been Leeds, Saints or Wigan! The first few seasons they probably thought it was quite good that an 'underdog' was pushing the top teams as it proved that anyone would do it, but we all know that secretly they would have preferred Leeds and their pretty 'Star' kit to be winning everything!

You could tell how much it irked them in '97 when we romped to the title. They changed the rules the next season because they didn't want another situation like it used to be with Wigan winning the title by February year after year!

It we'd have gone over the salary cap like Wigan did to avoid relegation I again have no doubt in my own (definately paranoid) mind that we'd have been relegated to the Pennine League.

Pah.

In all seriousness though, and at risk of putting a cat amongst the Pigeons... is it such a straight cut decision that Widnes will be given a SL licence? What about the likes of Barrow? It's hardly a well kept secret that the RFL would like a Cumbrian club in SL...

Yes they do want a cumbrian side but even the RFL cant see them as ready, they have a ramshackled ground, the attendances are smaller than Halifax and Widnes, if they went up they wouldnt be able to survive, someday but there isnt enough interest in the game in cumbria at the minute to risk it

Re: How many boxes do we currently tick? : Fri Aug 06, 2010 6:55 am  

bewaresheep wrote:

Of course SL would let us drop out!

I have no doubt in my own (possibly twisted) mind that even when we were at our peak Sky and the RFL would have preferred it to have been Leeds, Saints or Wigan! The first few seasons they probably thought it was quite good that an 'underdog' was pushing the top teams as it proved that anyone would do it, but we all know that secretly they would have preferred Leeds and their pretty 'Star' kit to be winning everything!

You could tell how much it irked them in '97 when we romped to the title. They changed the rules the next season because they didn't want another situation like it used to be with Wigan winning the title by February year after year!

It we'd have gone over the salary cap like Wigan did to avoid relegation I again have no doubt in my own (definately paranoid) mind that we'd have been relegated to the Pennine League.

Pah.

In all seriousness though, and at risk of putting a cat amongst the Pigeons... is it such a straight cut decision that Widnes will be given a SL licence? What about the likes of Barrow? It's hardly a well kept secret that the RFL would like a Cumbrian club in SL...

You make Gledhill seem normal.