I agree even my beloved Quins have gone "NRL" reject mad this winter.

And all this happening at the same time as Saints chairman is lobbying the RFL to keep "english" players in Super League (i.e raise the salary cap) because James Graham may go to the NRL when his contract is up!



It's a little more complex than that, Faddy, but hey why let the truth get in the way of a good rant!!!

It seems on the face of it the the RFL were "economic with the truth" regarding the Brewery Field incurred debts when Wrexham Sporting Village bought Crusaders just before the start of last season. As the new owners investigated the situation as the season developed it was clear that debts they were not aware of were being persued by those owed. What has happened now was only what the new owners asked for in the begining, a new company for crusaders.

Oh I hear folks saying what about due diligance? Yes what about due diligance? There was clearly not enough time to do so before the season had to start and had ownership not been transferred then Super League and the RFL in particular would have looked kinda foolish, having an expansion team go to the wall. Especially at a time when RL is gaining ground in getting into a new territory with a new audience.

I suspect when we come back and look at SL and Championship level RL in 20-25 years time that some of those teams currently in those competitions wouldn't be, either having been consigned to the pages of history or rising from the ashes of their collapse and plying their trade in a revamped high end "amateur" league that the RLC is likely to become and new teams outside the game's traditional areas will have replaced them, with the help of both the RFL and visonary investors.

Surely even the most biased Crusader fans must see they get preferential treatment. Put to one side Blackpool but lets look at Whitehaven and Keighley for example both went into administration and both were given maximum points deducted, this stinks more than sheep poo. One rule for super league clubs another for the rest.

A question - have Crusaders come out of Administration or not? There has been no announcement from either the RFL or the Crusaders Board.

A 4 point (2 wins) deduction is a very light penalty when there are 27 games to be won in the SL. A 9 point (3 wins) deduction in the Championship is far harder to justify when there are only 18 games to be won. Where is the justification in such a wide variation in the punishments?

The only justification I keep getting is that RL needs a strong welsh club team and international side! Other than help a few more aussies have a pay day I have yet to see it!

seems to be an obvious double standard. all clubs should be treat the same.be it heartland or expantionclubs.but we all know you will be let off and backed up finantionaly to the hilt . we will soon find out when wakey are deducted points.bet they get more then four points. have no problem with crusaders. just believe it should be a level playing field for everyone with no favaurtism

Where is the double standard that has justified this post? Idiot.

That the prescribed deduction is higher than the Wcrusaders got, whilst other clubs who go into administration get the full whack.

Knob!

Which Super League clubs have been deducted more points than Crusaders this year, or in the recent past?

Didn't Widnes get 9 points deducted ?

Widnes were a championship (well actually NL1) club. The maximum fine is 3 wins (ie 6pts in SL, 9 pts in the championships).

It's quite easy to find out why Crusades got less than the maximum deduction. It's a matter of public record. Whether Wakefield get the maximum deduction or less will depend entirely on the specifics of their administration (including how they deal with outstanding debts). It has nothing to do with Crusaders and, whatever the deduction, it will not be evidence of an unlevel playing field, but of each case being treated on its merits.

hth.