Difficult times to make signings as not known what league we will be in ( factually we know it’s the championship)
also with allegedly other teams in financial difficulties should leave us in a far stronger position - we should be competing at the top along with Oldham, Doncaster and possibly fax and fev
@7-vikingnomad I think we will finish 4th next season. Toulouse and York the top 2 will go up. Then it's between London and Bradford for the 3rd spot. Whichever one doesn't go up should win the league next season. If its London they will walk it with a full time squad and a load of NRL players. A bit like Leigh and Wakey. That will not be good for the league as this year it was more competitive.
Oldham will finish second, Fax have had financial difficulty but did well with a small squad, so they could finish 3rd if they can keep the same playing group.. Featherstone won't be in the mix, they are in real difficulty so will lose players and drop down the league. That should see us 4th just ahead of Doncaster.
I wonder if Salford will get anything like a good side, I suspect next year will be a re-build and they will just be glad to be playing.
With 3 top teams going up and loads of League 1 standard teams entering the league, if we finish 4th next season it will be the equivalent of finishing 7th this year.
if Halifax’s reported debts are correct , I think they’re going to struggle to hang on to a lot of their good players, and won’t finish in the top 4 next season.
@dan1 few of Salford's players are off to Bradford....the Bradford that "don't know which league their in " ....all you need to know about where Salford might end up is ....the coach is favourite for the saints job ...and their first two signings are jack walker and the owners son that played for Workington last season....if as predicted theirs two regional conferences I'd fully expect us to be in that top 4 alongside Oldham and barrow plus another.......and then in play offs with York... Sheffield..Fev and Donny .....saying that as I think and predict York are the team to miss out .... Toulouse reportedly above Salford and Huddersfield for that top 12 guaranteed... Bradford expected to be in the 12 ....leaves two from Huddersfield..London and York.....Ken Davy already given financial guaranteee to cover their loss in central funding.....not a chance they get dumped ....London are in let's face it..everything suggests that ...leaves York out ....been all-sorts of rumour over their signings but in reality they've signed Paul Vaughan ...whoop de doo ....signing mcshane and mata'afa was bigger ....if I'm wrong which I don't think I am ...I reserve the right to plead insanity
A hell of a lot of unknowns yet!!!!
@cumbria-viking I don't see Bradford over York. The head of RL commercial actually wrote a piece about how great it would be for York to be in SL, which I thought at the time was a bit over the top. Toulouse as you say are in on IMG so it takes it out of the panels hands. I think Bradford were in until London got new owners.
Toulouse replace Salford
York replace Huddersfield
Bradford in and London in as the extra 2 teams. That would actually make sense. I think Bradford have a better case than Huddersfield and Castleford for a team based in West Yorkshire.
I can’t see them relegating Huddersfield or Castleford, not saying they shouldn’t.
I think Bradford will miss out, unless they tell London they have to prove themselves this season and they will let them in SL next season.
It will be interesting to find out what Yorks attendances have been this season, as they haven’t published them all season, despite the RL saying in their rules, that clubs have to.
@farnworth-viking Cas have an A grade rating which means instant inclusion.
Huddersfield applying for one of the independent selections says a lot - I reckon Toulouse and York have gone above them in the IMG gradings
then it’s 2 from London, bradfraud and hudds - I don’t think we will get a look in
How do Cas get a A grade, when they have a crap ground and usually finish in the bottom 4
@7-vikingnomad I just don't see how they can separate Bradford and Widnes, other than the IMG grading.
Similar crowds - although the 7,000 we got against Warrington must place us in a good position; similar history and financial problems, but both will need to show their finances are sustainable in SL; and Widnes have the edge on the Stadiums, with Widnes having a modern ground and Bradford having a dilapidated ground that does not meet RFL standards. I am not sure how we compare on community involvement and youth development, but presume similar.
Unless Bradford get in on the IMG grading, I think Widnes have the edge over them.
@prisoner that was last season. Under IMG if 20 teams get a grade A next week it's a 20 team SL! But they have increased the threshold on some elements, especially around the social media.
If Cas get a grade A this time round then they can't go down.
@dan1 It is confusing to know exactly what the RFL is planning. I think the aim was to restrict promotion to SL to those Clubs with a Grade A, but achieving a Grade A would not necessarily guarantee promotion. I think any future expansion of SL will very much depend on the next TV rights deal.
@frankg Could be right there Frank - so there's not much going for us then!