Salfords new stadium looking doubtful until 2011.

Saints will have theirs first at this rate..

This is exactly why teams like Leigh and Widnes should have been given a licence instead of Salford, wakey and celtic.

Yet another botch up from the RFL.

Totally agree. Spend a few quid on some fancy graphics and a website and convince everyone you are going to build a new stadium.

Show me the drawings and show me the work on site, otherwise its all just a load of spin.

Not their fault that the 'credit crunch' turned up, is it? We should just count ourselves lucky that we got the HJ done when capital was more freely available.

Im not having that excuse.

The funds should have been in place long before the 'credit crunch'.

The licence scheme came into being way before the cc and all clubs knew the criteria of having a fit for purpose stadium or at least having one in the pipeline.

All these clubs have done is pull the wool over the RFLs eyes.

I'd rather have teams that can compete and play decent rugby than useless teams with good (but empty) stadiums

Why was the only criteria for things the stadium?

The only one I can fully agree with is Salford as it would appear they lied to get the points for the stadium saying it would be built during this franchise when it seems the chances of that are very slim

The chances of that were always negligible.

The franchise system is cack. I'd wager Celtic will finish bottom in all 3 seasons, their crowds will be poor, the facilities will not improve nor will youth development.

I think you - as usual - are over simplifying and jumping to ill-informed conclusions. You are implying that Salford don't really want a stadium, they just to want to look like they want one. A lot of hard work and effort will have gone into their stadium project and they must be gutted things keep going wrong. Remember we were extremely fortunate Tesco wanted to build a store in the town and couldn't do it without us.

And as others have said - franchises were not simply awarded on stadium related criteria.

Im sorry Seb but I object to your somewhat over critical analysis of my post and also the way you have decided to comunicate it.

Your reply IMO is a personal attack and is not reasonable debate.

As for your comment about Tesco's, are you seriously telling me that their new store was dependent on Warrington Wolves. Tesco's is a giant entity and have massive influence on all things including political decisons both at local and central government. If they wanted a new store in Warrington they would get one simple as.

The reliance was the other way round, ie no tescos no new stadium.

Tesco's store was entirely dependent on Warrington Wolves they had been trying for years to get a big store in but as the council had recently spent A LOT OF MONEY on the Cockhedge Centre they turned them down. The stadium being funded was the answer.