Can anyone help clear a few things up.....? : Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:45 pm  

Firstly I'm not trying to start a debate or owt and am genuinely confused by the amount of rumours flying round. Without going into the various moral arguments, recriminations, accusations and conspiracies (not referring to this specific forum but the net in general) can anyone answer the following questions? Please provide some official links too 1. Will Crusaders be allowed to apply for a license or is it true that entering administration means exemption from application? 2. If they are allowed to apply is this cos of a recent rule change? I don't remember much publicity about the meeting at the time but I read it on the following usually reliable sources: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/no ... ue-wrexham http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ation.html 3. If there was a meeting have any other rule changes been brought in that effect Widnes' application? 4. Is there any truth in the rumours of a delay in the franchise until 2015? From what i read here it was started as an unsubstantiated claim on a BBC forum, is that still the case? 5. As the rules currently stand is there definitely going to be a promotion for at least 1 Championship club? The reason I ask all this is that a lad I know at work is on the very cusp of converting from Union to watching League full-time too. Having been reading some stuff in the press, he was interested in what was happening re the franchises but his league mates at Uni (mostly Leeds and Bradford fans) were mystified by it all. He asked me about the situation in depth as I'm a Widnes fan and he thought I'd know what's what. I was embarrassed to have to admit that amongst all the hearsay, I hadn't a clue either. Hope you can set us straight here, I have a horrible feeling that some of my questions maybe unanswerable!

Firstly I'm not trying to start a debate or owt and am genuinely confused by the amount of rumours flying round. Without going into the various moral arguments, recriminations, accusations and conspiracies (not referring to this specific forum but the net in general) can anyone answer the following questions? Please provide some official links too 1. Will Crusaders be allowed to apply for a license or is it true that entering administration means exemption from application? 2. If they are allowed to apply is this cos of a recent rule change? I don't remember much publicity about the meeting at the time but I read it on the following usually reliable sources: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/no ... ue-wrexham http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ation.html 3. If there was a meeting have any other rule changes been brought in that effect Widnes' application? 4. Is there any truth in the rumours of a delay in the franchise until 2015? From what i read here it was started as an unsubstantiated claim on a BBC forum, is that still the case? 5. As the rules currently stand is there definitely going to be a promotion for at least 1 Championship club? The reason I ask all this is that a lad I know at work is on the very cusp of converting from Union to watching League full-time too. Having been reading some stuff in the press, he was interested in what was happening re the franchises but his league mates at Uni (mostly Leeds and Bradford fans) were mystified by it all. He asked me about the situation in depth as I'm a Widnes fan and he thought I'd know what's what. I was embarrassed to have to admit that amongst all the hearsay, I hadn't a clue either. Hope you can set us straight here, I have a horrible feeling that some of my questions maybe unanswerable!

Re: Can anyone help clear a few things up.....? : Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:55 pm  

1. Will Crusaders be allowed to apply for a license or is it true that entering administration means exemption from application?

Crusaders will be getting new owners soon and a name change (probably to Welsh Crusaders) they will still be in the league next year and the year after.

2. If they are allowed to apply is this cos of a recent rule change? I don't remember much publicity about the meeting at the time but I read it on the following usually reliable sources:[/b

see answer to the first question

3. [b]If there was a meeting have any other rule changes been brought in that effect Widnes' application?

No, Widnes are still very much on for Super League 2012

4. Is there any truth in the rumours of a delay in the franchise until 2015? From what i read here it was started as an unsubstantiated claim on a BBC forum, is that still the case?

It was a wind up.


5. As the rules currently stand is there definitely going to be a promotion for at least 1 Championship club?

Yes, but it will only be 1.

Re: Can anyone help clear a few things up.....? : Sun Nov 21, 2010 7:02 pm  

yossarian wrote:

1. Will Crusaders be allowed to apply for a license or is it true that entering administration means exemption from application?

They can still apply. Don’t forget that we were allowed to apply too. They’ll probably get a licence, because I think that’s what the RFL and Sky want, and why they added two more clubs to SL in 2009.

yossarian wrote:

2. If they are allowed to apply is this cos of a recent rule change? I don't remember much publicity about the meeting at the time but I read it on the following usually reliable sources:

The rule change was voted on by SL chairmen. There are a few of them sweating on image right taxes which may send their clubs into administration, although it also seems pretty convenient for the Crusaders.

It’s a pity that the taxman didn’t come after them in 2008.

yossarian wrote:

3. If there was a meeting have any other rule changes been brought in that effect Widnes' application?

Not that I know of

yossarian wrote:

4. Is there any truth in the rumours of a delay in the franchise until 2015? From what i read here it was started as an unsubstantiated claim on a BBC forum, is that still the case?

No, it was just a troll on BBC 606.

yossarian wrote:

5. As the rules currently stand is there definitely going to be a promotion for at least 1 Championship club?

As they stand at this moment, yes, but we’ll see. The RFL are in a pretty tight spot with all this, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them move the goal posts again.

Re: Can anyone help clear a few things up.....? : Sun Nov 21, 2010 7:17 pm  

Thanks a million lads!

Hopefully I can talk him into being a Viking!

Re: Can anyone help clear a few things up.....? : Mon Nov 22, 2010 12:56 pm  

yossarian wrote:

Thanks a million lads!

Hopefully I can talk him into being a Viking!

The only thing he needs to know to become a Viking is how to Rape and Pillage !!

Re: Can anyone help clear a few things up.....? : Mon Nov 22, 2010 4:36 pm  

Apparently SKY have said that without the Crusdaers the SKY money will be reduced in 2012. Also someone mentioned Crusaders getting new owners. I read it would be the same owners under a new name!

Re: Can anyone help clear a few things up.....? : Mon Nov 22, 2010 8:20 pm  

DemonUK wrote:

Apparently SKY have said that without the Crusdaers the SKY money will be reduced in 2012. A

Don't suppose anyone can find a link were Sky confirm this.

Re: Can anyone help clear a few things up.....? : Mon Nov 22, 2010 9:09 pm  

JHF wrote:

Don't suppose anyone can find a link were Sky confirm this.

I think Martin Sadler said this in todays LE. He stated that SKY get high viewing figures when Crusaders were on.

Re: Can anyone help clear a few things up.....? : Tue Nov 23, 2010 3:07 am  

rufustanner wrote:

I think Martin Sadler said this in todays LE. He stated that SKY get high viewing figures when Crusaders were on.

I was watching Ocean Finance TV on those nights.

Re: Can anyone help clear a few things up.....? : Tue Nov 23, 2010 12:10 pm  

[quote="Pepe"]

The rule change was voted on by SL chairmen. There are a few of them sweating on image right taxes which may send their clubs into administration, although it also seems pretty convenient for the Crusaders.

Pepe, according to a poster on another site, a Cas fan who seems to be well informed, said that the SL chairmen voted 10-3 against removing the administration clause, but the RFL went ahead with it anyway. This seems to support my understanding that the RFL own the 'franchise model' and as such, can basically do want they want with the franchise criteria etc.