and then thr rfl wonder why some section of the media dont bother with our game

Looks like we'll play [itheir[/i academy, anyway..



TBH I don't see what all the outrage is about. These players were playing for them perfectly legally in NL1, their only crime was to want to spend xmas with their families. Even then IIRC they were checked and allowed back in to play... so what's changed now?



I appreciate it's not the populist bandwagon view given that everyone in this poxy country seems to live their lives according to Daily Mail scaremongering, but frankly if anything stinks it's these new immigration laws.

Unfortunately, that's where the doubt appears to come in







[url=http://www.crusadersrfl.com/newsstory16.htmfull story[/url







What promotion winning team? There was no promotion. Crusaders, like us and everybody else, are in SL because of a franchise application – not because of what they did in the 2008 GF.

I reckon some Cas fans could do with remembering that the only reason they are in Superleague this season is the franchise system. It saved your asses from another relegation experience so how you can suggest that Fax and all that lot would have been in had it not been for Celtic when you yourselves would have been relegated had it not been for the franchise system, I really don't know.

well the franchise came in with lots of games left last year so thats unfair to say really? took alot of pressure of the lads thou knowing we were safe nothing to play for thou

fantastic news for us we might get our points diffrence back to normal in 3 matchs i hope.

Very strange and not good, people losing their jobs is never nice.

Not really. You still finished bottom so would have been relegated, had it not been for the franchise system. It's great that you weren't, don't get me wrong. I love the way Cas play rugby (well, when they decide to play!

). However, if Cas fans are saying Celtic shouldn't have been allowed in when they themselves shouldn't have been either (based on the pre-franchise system), that smacks a bit of hypocrisy don't you think? And does make them look a tad silly, too.

The problem with this is "Cas Fans". As it happens there are plenty of "Cas Fans" who don't trot out this tripe, and there are plenty of "Other Fans" including, would you believe it, "Saints Fans" who do.

If you read my first post you will see that I quantified my initial statement. I didn't think I had to a second time because it was already on the thread.



And I'm well aware of Saints fans who do 'trot out this tripe'. I've argued back at them on my own board.

I think it's worth quantifying every time, to be honest. I'd also contend your glib assertion that franchises "saved our asses", but that's another story.

But you could also equally say we finished bottom as a result of playing youngsters and perservering with the squad that got us up, knowing full-well that those factors would benefit our franchise application in the short-term rather than filling our squad with over-the-hill Aussies and players.



Had there been relegation, the squad would have been much more different. Different factors, different times, different circumstances.