Seeing the future - reprised

Well D-Day has passed and the 14 Superleague teams for next season know who they are.

I'd like to say that I was pretty much on the money as far as my 14 choices were (it was fairly predictable) - though Castleford snuck in by the skin of their teeth with a Grade C licence, along with Celtic Crusaders and Salford City Reds. Congratulations to both, especially Salford chairman John Wilkinson who has spent over 20 years - and doubtless a Jamie Peacock sized chunk of his own money - to keep the Reds going in order to see them take their place at the top table with their ambitious new stadium at Barton.

I will say it's a real shame for the people in Widnes especially, with their Chairman Steve O'Conner saving them from administration and ensuring they survived in their great new ground. I think they were unlucky not to be replacing Castleford, expecially with their guarantees of financial solvency and their ground being of a far greater standard than both Cas and Wakefield (and Hull KR arguably).

There is a feeling of bitterness for teams like Leigh that the Celtic Crusaders admission was a fait d'accompli - and it may well be seen as inevitable that a new regional team would get in. the neutral should be pleased for the Crusaders though, with a healthy presence in Superleague, it should mean that Welsh Rugby League thrives anew - like the glory days when Welsh Union players defected wholesale in the 1970s and 1980s. If they could recapture that through the Crusaders development/academy schemes it can only mean good things for the game as a whole - plus a certain Welsh fan I know may be able to dance the caterpillar at another Wales victory over England before too long.

Anyway, whilst there is another 4 months to the Grand Final, the new teams have a great opportunity to recruit effectively, with the reassurance that they won't be relegated if their first season in the top flight doesn't go to plan. Congratulations to the RFL on negotiating a tricky process with the minimum of fuss - in 3 years time there should also be room for expansion of the league and further development into the regions. The National League are already prepared to admit Scottish, Irish or French teams for next season, which gives them a decent 3 year run to the next franchise awards. Forward planning the like of which you don't usually see in sport.