SL Franchise Bids list revealed

[marv]

If we're expanding the top level comp I don't quite see the point of simply including another two northern towns. We need to think bigger.
We need someone in the Manchester area, so Salford (with the new stadium, etc) fit the bill. For the sake of international development we need to consider Toulouse.

I completley disagree with you Nadera, Toulouse are no where near ready their on field product ATM is shocking plus Catalan have not managed to finish higer than tenth with 8 Australians in their team. (removes flat cap)

Toulouse in the comp sereves to dilute the player pool for Catalans further, I would happily consider Toulouse if Catalan had made the top six 3 years in a row but they appear a little off that for now, despite currently lying in fifth.
I am a Catalan supporter I want to see some sucess for them and less reliance on Australian players long term.

Celtic represent a better option than Toulouse, but I dont think they are ready yet either. I'd like to see how thier season goes in NL1.

Personally I'm not thinking International expansion thoughts, I just feel there are candidates in NL1 who represent a better chance of improving the competition on the field as well as off it.

The fact they are northern towns should not come into it, whichever teams are admitted If the comp is expanded then it is...........well, expansion.

If people in Wales and Toulouse are serious about SL then in 2012 they should be in pole position, rather than people saying if they dont make it this time they will take bat and ball and go home.

 

[dallymessenger]

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=147&ContentID=66023


toulose apparently think theyve put in a strong bid.

toulose will have one of the best off field stuff going for them.

massive city, lots of sponsors.

id probably go with salford, crusaders and toulose and one of wakey or cas to miss out.

15 would be better as all of them could be in ie current SL + toulose, salford and CC.

 

[nadera78]

I completley disagree with you Nadera, Toulouse are no where near ready their on field product ATM is shocking plus Catalan have not managed to finish higer than tenth with 8 Australians in their team. (removes flat cap)

Toulouse in the comp sereves to dilute the player pool for Catalans further, I would happily consider Toulouse if Catalan had made the top six 3 years in a row but they appear a little off that for now, despite currently lying in fifth.
I am a Catalan supporter I want to see some sucess for them and less reliance on Australian players long term.

Celtic represent a better option than Toulouse, but I dont think they are ready yet either. I'd like to see how thier season goes in NL1.

Personally I'm not thinking International expansion thoughts, I just feel there are candidates in NL1 who represent a better chance of improving the competition on the field as well as off it.

The fact they are northern towns should not come into it, whichever teams are admitted If the comp is expanded then it is...........well, expansion.

If people in Wales and Toulouse are serious about SL then in 2012 they should be in pole position, rather than people saying if they dont make it this time they will take bat and ball and go home.

If Celtic are a better bet that Toulouse then fair enough. But one of them needs to be in the mix, otherwise we are just replicating what we've already got.

It's all very interesting though!

 

[The Observer]

I don't think Mo had that much clout with Sky.

Dallymessenger is right with Sky preferring a Welsh team over the French. Again, see the book he mentioned. Also, Mo did have clout with Sky in 1995. News Corp wanted to sign the RFL quickly to SL in April 95, Mike Colman's book Super League The Inside Story details how News Corp representative David Smith took Lindsay on a car trip around the North of England barely letting him out to go to the bathroom! Lindsay would have insisted on PSG in that meeting, Smith agreeing so he could get him to sign on the dotted line.

 

[redunderthebed]

Bradford Bulls
Catalans Dragons
Castleford Tigers
Celtic Crusaders
Huddersfield Giants
Harlequins RL
Hull FC
Hull Kingston Rovers
Leeds Rhinos
St Helens
Toulouse Olympique
Warrington Wolves
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wigan Warriors

Only uncertainties are cas and wakefield but cas are building a stadium and wakefield is redeveloping there's i believe.Give the NL1 side till 2012 they can redevelop/build stadia get more people to games etc etc.

I sincerely hope that castleford and Wakefield survive it would suck if that great region for rugby league is gone from the super league.


We need more non-english teams.

 

[ucantseeme]

We need more non-english teams.

I concur. Grow the pie. I would be leaning towards teams which have a better likelihood of more lucrative broadcasting rights. The ESL should be thinking about 10+ years from now. A team in Wales, Scotland, Ireland each would be nice.

 

[dallymessenger]

Bradford Bulls
Catalans Dragons
Castleford Tigers
Celtic Crusaders
Huddersfield Giants
Harlequins RL
Hull FC
Hull Kingston Rovers
Leeds Rhinos
St Helens
Toulouse Olympique
Warrington Wolves
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wigan Warriors

Only uncertainties are cas and wakefield but cas are building a stadium and wakefield is redeveloping there's i believe.Give the NL1 side till 2012 they can redevelop/build stadia get more people to games etc etc.

I sincerely hope that castleford and Wakefield survive it would suck if that great region for rugby league is gone from the super league.


We need more non-english teams.

current 12 + toulose and CC.

that would be a bold step.

salford should be there too, out of the weaker of cas / wakey

 

[t-ba]

salford should be there too, out of the weaker of cas / wakey

I think that's the "In a perfect world" scenario.

 

[dallymessenger]

I think that's the "In a perfect world" scenario.

i originally thought it would be current SL + crusaders and salford.

but the toulose franchise bid ticks all the boxes. theyd be crazy to leave them out this time after the last 2 chances to get in.

the city has a population of around 1.5 million and their backer has good connections with everyone in the city.

they would get lots of media and money for rl

 

[taste2taste]

It suxs that Sky will have a say in the decision.

as other posters have mentioned, they wont want a french team in as it doesn't help their ratings.

Whats good for sky isnt necessarily whats good for the game.

 

[nadera78]

It suxs that Sky will have a say in the decision.

as other posters have mentioned, they wont want a french team in as it doesn't help their ratings.

Whats good for sky isnt necessarily whats good for the game.

Not this conspiracy theory again. It is entirely an RFL decision!!!!!!!!!!!

This is such a sensitive process that the RFL have hd to go over the legalities of it again and again. The idea that an outside body could come in and dictate what teams should be included is ludicrous. It would lead to any number of legal challenges, and see the whole system break down.

RL is a great game, but for conspiracy theories it just cannot be beaten. God, some people even think the Challenge Cup draw is rigged so the RFL and BBC get the games they want.

 

[deluded pom?]

Apparently the CC semis will see Leeds play Wakefield and Saints play Warrington ;-)

 

[dallymessenger]

Not this conspiracy theory again. It is entirely an RFL decision!!!!!!!!!!!

This is such a sensitive process that the RFL have hd to go over the legalities of it again and again. The idea that an outside body could come in and dictate what teams should be included is ludicrous. It would lead to any number of legal challenges, and see the whole system break down.

RL is a great game, but for conspiracy theories it just cannot be beaten. God, some people even think the Challenge Cup draw is rigged so the RFL and BBC get the games they want.

what if sky say to the RFL include a welsh team and well pay you more money?

 

[Quidgybo]

Not this conspiracy theory again. It is entirely an RFL decision!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes it is. But it isn't a conspiracy theory to say that Sky wouldn't be interested in paying more for a team playing in a region they don't broadcast to. That's just basic business sense. And any business (the RFL) that doesn't give significant weight to the wishes of its major funding provider (Sky by some very large margin) is shooting itself in the foot unless it can be sure of obtaining equivalent funding from an alternative source (eg. French television). It may be solely the RFL's decision but the wishes of Sky can't and won't be ignored because they're the ones holding the gun in this room.

Leigh.

 

[deluded pom?]

Any sport that surrenders it's integrity by kowtowing 100% to an outside entity is on a slippery slope to oblivion. Regardless of the money involved.

 

[Quidgybo]

No one said anything about "kowtowing 100%" to Sky. The point made was simply that it is also not an option to 100% ignore the wishes of Sky. Unless you've got an alternative source for £1m or £2m annually that you're not telling us about, we've got little option but to give serious consideration to the wishes of the organisation who is largely paying our bills - criteria or no criteria. Again that's not a conspiracy theory, it's just the financial reality of the situation.

Leigh.

 

[redunderthebed]

current 12 + toulose and CC.

that would be a bold step.

salford should be there too, out of the weaker of cas / wakey

Didn't salford get murdered last time it was in the super league?.

I fail to see unless you know something i dont how salford would survive.Although give a few seasons some decent backing and you never know.

 

[deluded pom?]

I wouldn't say murdered exactly.

 

[dallymessenger]

Didn't salford get murdered last time it was in the super league?.

I fail to see unless you know something i dont how salford would survive.Although give a few seasons some decent backing and you never know.

murdered? they made the semis a few year back?

basically this is why they should be in :

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/rugby_league/s/1037869_visions_of_big_red_future

throw in the fact that the BBC are moving their sports department down the road which means more publicity for RL.

the new ground will allow salford to spend max. Salary cap, whereas before the club were spending 1.2 million out of a total sc of 1.8 million.

big future for the original Red Devils.

 

[dallymessenger]

dble post