Totally agree Boxer. Those who's say "ah well put London, Toulouse in automatically" and come out with the usual hyperbole, soundbites of those you mention. It's arrogance and they just throw "little Englander/northerner" insults back at you. I'd love a strong London and two French teams in a strong 14 team competition. But you expand from a position of strength. Those who think the expansion clubs are the saviours are deluded.

London could be weeks away from not existing (13th strongest club apparently) Catalans have been in SL for twenty years and haven't brought any sponsors from France (which is why SL clubs rightly or wrongly now want them to fund flights) the final last year involving Catalans had 40% less viewers on sky. Then you look at the 50k CC final where the sport made a big loss from it. These are facts those who see themselves as "cosmopolitan forward thinking fans" don't face up to.

Don't confuse the above with me saying Catalans shouldn't be in as they're a strong club. They should be in SL. But they're not the saviours of the sport as the above shows.

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/ev ... alteration

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/ev ... alteration

Not really any levelling of the playing field for non SL clubs...

If anything it increases the advantageous position of current SL clubs, but no surprise there. Really we need expansion to be in with a chance of getting into the top flight again.

The only way in is if a SL club goes belly up IMO. Otherwise the odds are stacked against us.

Well judging by Salfords current plight and having emergency auditors go in, I don't think it's too far fetched an idea of this happening. When you look at the numbers, the idea this stadium deal is going to be the silver bullet is just dreaming. Fact is though they don't lose any IMG points still and actually aren't far off a grade A which just makes the whole IMG process a sham.