I repeat, it's a (very) unfair question, but could I politely ask you for a simple "Yes!" on "No!" to Do you want a favourable nod from the SL hierarchy on 16 October?
Yes
I am not sure why the Club would want to put in an application for SL, if finances were not in place and plans to have a competitive team.
Outside Wigan and Hull KR and possibly Leeds, there are no really class teams in SL with consistent form throughout the season, despite the hyperbole of Sky commentators. I think the Leigh bubble will burst eventually.
I am not sure how many of our current squad could play at SL level, or would even consider going full-time, so clearly we would have to substantially strengthen the squad.
With SL funding and sponsorship in place, I think we could have a team capable of competing with the likes of Huddersfield, Castleford, Catalan, Warrington, Hull and Wakefield. We would expect to get a consistent core support of around 5,000 and bigger crowds for our derby games against Warrington, St Helens, Wigan and Leigh.
In reality, I think Salford just cannot be allowed to continue in SL in 2026 - although Hull basically did the same in 2024, when they deliberately cut playing costs and wrote off the season knowing they would not be relegated. York should be promoted and I guess they will be joined by Bradford and London. SL will then be a closed shop for maybe three seasons, if not a permanent franchise arrangement. The rest of the semi-professional game will simply wither away through lack of funding, unless they become feeder clubs for SL.
In my view, the RFL are killing the game of RL in its heartlands for the dream of building a national and international presence for the game. That is never going to happen.
The game would be strengthened if there were two competitive leagues, with a fairer distribution of central funding and promotion and relegation based on performance on the field.
The RFL Board could still dream of world dominance in sport, with teams around the World and sales of Bradford Bulls shirts flying off the shelves in Peking, Tokyo, Moscow, Sydney and even Cleckheaton! Let them dream while the rest of us enjoy watching the wonderful game of rugby league.
spot on there frank !
Also the rfl will be claiming the game is in great shape after the ashes tests - papering over the holes in the wall, never mind the cracks !
People have been a bit unkind. The team actually played pretty well apart from the two defensive lapses. They were recognisably the same team that had won five games on the bounce. As Spelly said, five more minutes and we were through to the last six.
I wonder if Will Roberts will play against London. He's just what we need. I notice that he gets the best out of Condon too.
These season long loans clearly don't work. We also don't find out if/why they have gone back unless they are not in the squad.
Luke Thomas, Andrew Badrock, AJ Towse, Will Roberts and John Bennison all announced as season long loans. I think think we are shooting ourselves in the foot a bit announcing them as season long, just say extended on a rolling week by week basis.
Roberts isn't in the squad even though we have no stand off and isn't involved in the Saints squad but not heard anything. Bennison was 18th man for Saints last night. Looked like he was enjoying his rugby here. Goes back to Saints and doesn't even play.
Highlights the importance of having a 25 man squad, but with 25 players you are willing to select. This year we have had 4 lads in the squad available and then drafted SL youngsters and reserve players to pick ahead of them. That can't be good for togetherness in the squad.
With nothing on the game, we are probably saving money by not picking most of our loan players, because we don’t pay for their wages if they don’t play. Don’t know what we are paying them, so don’t know how much we will save by not playing them, and wether it’s better saving money and playing a weaker side
@farnworth-viking on that basis, we could have done with Will Roberts against Fax. I bet a win vs Fax would have put a couple of hundred on tomorrow's gate if it was to secure a top 6 finish. Say £24 x 200, that's an extra £4,800 with the same match day costs to pay for opening the stadium.
I agree, I was just saying what I thought the club might have been thinking.
I wouldn’t have picked Patton, I think he was a poor signing and has had about 3:4 good games for us all season .
i think if Roberts had played and Maizen had not missed the game to see his child born , we would have won last week.