: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:51 pm  

The Dors wrote:

The 2 clubs should trade places (if this stupid ticking of boxes is to persist). What's that? Common sense you say? Bah! We'll have none of that at Red Hall! Merger it is and Widnes have to move to Wrexham!

In the Case of our Infamous merger with gateshead we took on their debts and playing squad/management with our youth set up. The RL provided £1million to go towards the debts which would wipe out the Crusaders dets and allow them to take your division 1 spot (just how it happened then not what will happen now)

: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:56 pm  

To be honest, if Widnes were given the chance to compete in SL2010, then we should bite the RFL's hands off. We're not nearly ready, but we're not expected to be either. Obviously, a four-year license would have to be one of the first conditions of any agreement.

: Fri Dec 04, 2009 1:03 pm  

I usually rubbish these sorts of rumours. But this one does seem awfully like something the RFL would do in this situation.

: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:06 pm  

Why should we have to absorb this mess? Going up to superleague now and inheriting the dregs of what's left of the crusaders would simply undo all the work and planning the club has done. We would be lucky to pick up one win all season end up with a backlash of unhappy fans calling for the heads of everyone at the club, not to mention once again being a laughing stock.

No, we must remain in the championship where we can remain competitive and continue developing. To do abnything else would be utter insanity sinply for the sake of a shot at super league.

: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:24 pm  

I hope you guys want nothing to do with that farcical mickey mouse outfit.

Let the RFL sort out their own problems. Then again, that would mean them dumping on another proper club though.......................

: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:54 pm  

Alex J wrote:

I usually rubbish these sorts of rumours. But this one does seem awfully like something the RFL would do in this situation.

It does sound like the sort of scam the RFL like. Get SOC to pay off the debts from their experiment and get them out of the sh/t. However, this would actually make them look worse, considering the circumstances.

I think 99% of Widnes fans would be totally against this. I can’t see Steve O’Connor going for this either. Why should he pay off the Crusaders debts in order to get Widnes into SL? No chance.

If the RFL said that Widnes would be immune from relegation until 2015 if he paid £500,000 of their debt, with the RFL paying the rest, he may be tempted. I wouldn’t want him to do that though. I’m happy enough to wait a year or two. It’s far too late in the day now to gear up for SL. We are ready for another Championship season, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.

What would their coaching staff do?

How about the players they’ve signed?

We don’t need them here, so they’d have to be paid off as well. The club would be called the Widnes Vikings and would play at the Stobart with none of their players or coaching staff. That’s not a merger, it’s a direct swap!

It would be just like the RFL to ask Steve O’Connor to go ahead with this merger and, when he refuses, turn us down again in 2012.

I reckon they should approach Toulouse instead.

: Fri Dec 04, 2009 4:02 pm  

I'm looking forward to next season in the championship far more than I would look forward to getting beat week in week out in SL

: Fri Dec 04, 2009 4:41 pm  

I'm not in favour. As for the person who suggested these rumours came from viking fans, this is not what we want. We're on our way to super league having done everything right. We don't need to be rushed in when we're not ready. This is too late for us. I would absolutely love an announcement now that we're in next season instead. Give us four years instead of three. We're owed a bit of leeway after the way we've been treated. That announcement would bring a lot of optimism to the club and we would sail towards super league on a crest of belief and would be better prepared than almost anyone being promoted before.

: Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:29 pm  

Chris Dalton wrote:

I'm not in favour. As for the person who suggested these rumours came from viking fans, this is not what we want. We're on our way to super league having done everything right. We don't need to be rushed in when we're not ready. This is too late for us. I would absolutely love an announcement now that we're in next season instead. Give us four years instead of three. We're owed a bit of leeway after the way we've been treated. That announcement would bring a lot of optimism to the club and we would sail towards super league on a crest of belief and would be better prepared than almost anyone being promoted before.

Yep, I'd accept that.

: Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:37 pm  

freddies wig wrote:

I hope you guys want nothing to do with that farcical mickey mouse outfit.

Let the RFL sort out their own problems. Then again, that would mean them dumping on another proper club though.......................

Damn straight we don't. For one thing can you imagine the names and ridicule we'd suffer from then onwards? Just look at the stick the Shuddersfield Eagle Giants and the Gateshull Thunder Sharks have received...

No chance.