National league side for 2012

[redunderthebed]

The RFL have guaranteed that for 2012 a national league side will get promoted to the super league.



*watches as Jeffb does a happy dance*



In all seriousness i think this is a payback for the national league sides that didnt make it this time by doing this after all the hullabaloo of crusaders and salford getting in.



I think the contenders are....



Leigh

Halifax

Widnes

Featherstone



I would love the fev to enter the league but i dont think it will happen.I think it will be halifax or widnes especially with the work on the shay continuing despite the football club going arse up and widnes with a new owner and a good stadium by all accounts.



However i think widnes will get it.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

It's all conjecture at the moment to be honest, I think the RFL might live to regret that. What if another team from further afield are a better proposition? What if Toulouse can make a good go of it?

 

[redunderthebed]

I don't know i think they could have toulouse and *insert national league team* and expand it to 16 teams.If we can further consolidate our base in England that would be good for the game.

 

[Vambo]

I don't know i think they could have toulouse and *insert national league team* and expand it to 16 teams.If we can further consolidate our base in England that would be good for the game.
[/b]

Any expansion above 14 clubs will depend upon tv income. This 'guarantee' is also dependent upon NL teams meeting certain 'criteria'.

Wouldn't surprise me to see a poorly performing SL club who are no nearer to getting their proposed new ground kicked out to make way for the likes of Widnes or Fax.

 

[Vambo]

Also...

"The knock-on effect of today's announcements will mean three clubs will be promoted from National League Two this year, with one relegated from League One.

Two teams will go up automatically, with the third gaining promotion through the play-offs.

Toulouse could be offered a place in the National Leagues, along with a representative from Scotland to complement the switch of Super League's 'Magic Weekend' from Cardiff to Edinburgh.

"We are discussing a number of exciting plans for the National League," said Wood. "There have been expressions of interest from a number of sectors, not just France."

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Any expansion above 14 clubs will depend upon tv income. This 'guarantee' is also dependent upon NL teams meeting certain 'criteria'.

Wouldn't surprise me to see a poorly performing SL club who are no nearer to getting their proposed new ground kicked out to make way for the likes of Widnes or Fax. [/b]

*cough* Wakefield, Cas, Harlequins *cough*

 

[Bullitt]

A shrewd move would be to promote the game in other parts of England then just Lancashire and North Yorkshire. As broad a spectrum as Wales, Scotland and France may bring, a successful team in the Midlands or South West would push the game up 100-fold faster then any other markets would.

Of course, while the North v South divide still exists in the minds of those stuck in the past and the blazers, that'll never happen.

 

[jeffb]

The RFL have guaranteed that for 2012 a national league side will get promoted to the super league.



*watches as Jeffb does a happy dance*



In all seriousness i think this is a payback for the national league sides that didnt make it this time by doing this after all the hullabaloo of crusaders and salford getting in.



I think the contenders are....



Leigh

Halifax

Widnes

Featherstone



I would love the fev to enter the league but i dont think it will happen.I think it will be halifax or widnes especially with the work on the shay continuing despite the football club going arse up and widnes with a new owner and a good stadium by all accounts.



However i think widnes will get it.

[/b]

Oh Cheeky :bana:

 

[St Helens RLFC]

A shrewd move would be to promote the game in other parts of England then just Lancashire and North Yorkshire. As broad a spectrum as Wales, Scotland and France may bring, a successful team in the Midlands or South West would push the game up 100-fold faster then any other markets would.

Of course, while the North v South divide still exists in the minds of those stuck in the past and the blazers, that'll never happen. [/b]

We need to be careful though. Just in the last decade we've been stung with teams like PSG (very first Super League) and Gateshead Thunder (1999). Both were based on the basis of "interest" and they were expensive disasters, particularly PSG. When they got relegated they simply went bust.

I'd love to see a team in the midlands but I'd say interest there is at a minimum if I'm honest, your good self aside.

 

[redunderthebed]

<div class='quotemain'>

Any expansion above 14 clubs will depend upon tv income. This 'guarantee' is also dependent upon NL teams meeting certain 'criteria'.

Wouldn't surprise me to see a poorly performing SL club who are no nearer to getting their proposed new ground kicked out to make way for the likes of Widnes or Fax. [/b]

*cough* Wakefield, Cas, Harlequins *cough*
[/b][/quote]

Cas are getting a new stadium wakefield is in the process of getting one and whats wrong with the stoop?.

Anyway quins will never ever get kicked out unless they go bust.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

It's Harlequins' attendance where they are badly underperforming. It's not all about stadia, it's about crowds.

 

[Bullitt]

'Quins don't own the Stoop. Well, London Broncos don't own the stoop at least.

Harlequins allow London to use their stadium and name as a means to gain extra publicity and get more use out of the ground. The 2 rugby clubs are still separate entities.

 

[redunderthebed]

It's Harlequins' attendance where they are badly underperforming. It's not all about stadia, it's about crowds. [/b]

Relegating them to the national league will help how?.I think with the stability they now have they can grow and with improvements in marketing and the alike they could go far.

However London would have to be easily one of the most crowed sporting markets on earth so it will be hard quins are just another face in the crowd in that respect.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

I'm not saying they should be relegated, I'm just saying that they should watch their backs. I am fairly sure they'll get less on next season than the Crusaders, but that's a different debate for a different thread.

 

[Vambo]

A shrewd move would be to promote the game in other parts of England then just Lancashire and North Yorkshire. As broad a spectrum as Wales, Scotland and France may bring, a successful team in the Midlands or South West would push the game up 100-fold faster then any other markets would.

Of course, while the North v South divide still exists in the minds of those stuck in the past and the blazers, that'll never happen.
[/b]

Apparently those areas are already on the RFL horizon.

I would expect all 'Sport England' regions to find themselves with a team in the National Leagues sooner rather than later.

Sport England Regions

 

[Vambo]

<div class='quotemain'> It's Harlequins' attendance where they are badly underperforming. It's not all about stadia, it's about crowds. [/b]

Relegating them to the national league will help how?.I think with the stability they now have they can grow and with improvements in marketing and the alike they could go far.

However London would have to be easily one of the most crowed sporting markets on earth so it will be hard quins are just another face in the crowd in that respect.
[/b][/quote]


At this moment in time QuinsRL aren't doing too clever.
They alienated some of their existing fans by assuming the Harequins identity and The Stoop isn't proving to be the 'home' that they were hoping for. Most existing London fans probably don't live anywhere near Twickenham and as such many seem to just go on to the odd 'marquee' game ie Stains, Wigan, Leeds whilst most don't bother with what are considered lesser teams ie against Cas last week they only had 2,112 on h34r:

It's important that we have top level RL in London but I'm of the opinion that the long term future of RL in London lies with teams such as London Skolars and South London Storm.

 

[jeffb]

<div class='quotemain'>
<div class='quotemain'> It's Harlequins' attendance where they are badly underperforming. It's not all about stadia, it's about crowds. [/b]

Relegating them to the national league will help how?.I think with the stability they now have they can grow and with improvements in marketing and the alike they could go far.

However London would have to be easily one of the most crowed sporting markets on earth so it will be hard quins are just another face in the crowd in that respect.
[/b][/quote]


At this moment in time QuinsRL aren't doing too clever.
They alienated some of their existing fans by assuming the Harequins identity and The Stoop isn't proving to be the 'home' that they were hoping for. Most existing London fans probably don't live anywhere near Twickenham and as such many seem to just go on to the odd 'marquee' game ie Stains, Wigan, Leeds whilst most don't bother with what are considered lesser teams ie against Cas last week they only had 2,112 on h34r:

It's important that we have top level RL in London but I'm of the opinion that the long term future of RL in London lies with teams such as London Skolars and South London Storm. [/b][/quote]



Can't complain about Skolars, they are doing it the right way in my opinion. Moving on up the Leagues on their own backs due to hard work and earning promotion and not being hoodwinked into the top flight.