The RFL have been quite stringent with financial criteria for new clubs apart from the abomination that was Northampton Rebels. Given Coventry Bears chance to source funding from a diverse number of areas that weren't there last time they applied IMO and this time the bid is from what I hear much stronger.

The worrying thing about the third tier is the RFL included only twelve clubs in their presentation on it and given they said Toulouse were coming into SL2 and Coventry into the third tier that means they're expecting 3 clubs to fold by then, no idea who the third is unless it was merely an estimate

I think you are being generous to the RFL in suggesting they have a plan for CC1. At present the league seems to be just an afterthought in the plans (and I am not sure they have had the thought yet).

The RFL did think of plans for the third tier but they were completely unworkable and involved splitting it north and south. They backed down when they realised the clubs weren't there to fill a Championship South and due to opposition from clubs like Hemel

I've got family in Cov and I'm down there fairly regularly, I'll definitely try and get along for a game next season and I've just bought a T-shirt in anticipation!

The way l see it with 2 SL divisions of 12, there will be 6 teams relegated from the Championship next year
There are 9 teams in Championship 1 plus Coventry
lf Toulouse are coming in thats 7 relegated from the Championship to tier 3,
2 promoted making 15 teams, in tier 3, hows that going to work ? NR Cup etc, lot of games, lot of travelling, lot of expenses, for the clubs least able to afford it

I think they're hoping to do it the way NL3 worked back in the day, say Hemel only play Gateshead, Barrow etc once but Skolars, Oxford etc twice. I doubt there will be a NRC and if there is would just be a knockout for third tier clubs as SL2 clubs won't be in it

It won't be 7 relegated from the Championship as they won't relegate a playoff team to accomodate a team that can't win Championship 1.

SL2 will probably be:

Bottom 2 in SL
8 Championship playoff teams
Toulouse
Winners of a Championship/Championship 1 promotion/relegation playoff series

I'd have thought the playoffs would be something like 9th-12th in Championship (bottom 2 would go down anyway) plus the top one or two teams in Championship 1 but the exact format isn't confirmed