International RL Blog

The SL play-offs are under way and and should be the pinnacle of the UK domestic season. Unfortunately, three out of the four matches played so far have been one-sided non-events in front of relatively poor crowds, with one in particular spoiled by inconsistent refereeing. An obvious contrast can be made with the NRL play-offs which have been wonderful.     Since the SL Grand Final was initiated, only five teams have taken part including the big four of Bradford, Leeds, St Helens and Wigan plus Hull. Three of these teams are still in contention despite the salary cap and licencing regulations which says very little about progress being made. All neutral supporters should cheer for Warrington & Catalans It has recently been announced that Jack Reed of the Brisbane Broncos and Chris Heighrington of West Tigers will play for England in the upcoming Four Nations along with Gareth Widdup of Melbourne Storm. They are good players and I don't blame Steve McNamara ...

Crusaders  withdrew their application  for a new three-year SL licence in July due continuing financial problems.   They have announced that they intend join the other Welsh professional outfit, South Wales Scorpions, in the second tier of the RL pyramid. Campaign groups supporting the Crusaders have backed the move. CLICK HERE for more information      

17/7/11     Crusaders  20  Castleford  26     Wrexham This fixture turned out to be the last match Crusaders played before the grim reaper tolled the death knell on their SL existence. It might turn out to be the last match they ever play. They welcomed back seven players who were suspended for breaking the clubs disciplinary code which seems laughable now but they were keen to get some wins under their belt before the end of the season. Castleford were without star player Rangi Chase through suspension but welcomed back ex-Crusader Nick Youngquest after a long injury break Castleford opened the scoring through Jordan Thompson before Jason Chan, Lloyd White and Jordan Tansey gave Crusaders a 14-6 half time lead although they were clearly the better side and were very unlucky to see two tries disallowed by the video ref especially one by Stuart Reardon in the corner. After the break Youngquest and Jarrod Sammut swapped tries while Crusaders cont...

"The more things change the more they stay the same" The Crusaders fiasco  is Gateshead Thunder and Paris St Germain all over again. I don't understand how a sport with an expansionist agenda, which receives millions of pounds from it's sponsors, can allow a team like the Crusaders to fail on financial grounds yet allow three other teams,  recently out of administration to carry on. If this is a three year process  why did it all happen at the last minute? I feel particularly sorry for the loyal Welsh fans and hard working Crusaders players, some of whom have recently signed new contracts.  The RFL and the club owners have a lot of questions to answer and Rod Findlay has a track record to defend.  Will the Crusaders carry on in the Championship? If they don't, well it says it all  Where does this leave RL expansion? Will it ever be attempted again? Where does this leave Welsh RL, the 2011 Four Nations, the 2013 World Cup and international ...

There is no need  for the RL community to be pessimistic even in the current financial climate. The glass is half full The RFL can continue to plan for slow sustainable growth without getting over excited. There will be set backs but the salary cap can be a vital tool used to maintain a fine balance between traditional and new which can work in partnership towards a common goal. There are some existing, successful SL clubs from relatively small towns who are currently thriving but will inevitably reach a limit. In a free market, a team from a town like Warrington cannot compete with a team from a city like Leeds. When the Warrington club tries to expand it inevitably encroaches on the territory of neighbouring SL teams like Wigan and St Helens who have the same problem. Other SL teams such as Crusaders or Les Catalans do not have this problem. They might not currently be as successfull but the potential is much greater. G...