£35k sounds like a lot of money - and I certainly wouldn’t mind it in my back pocket, but it’s part of a £7m total revenue for the club. Those Widnes speccies in isolation provide just 0.5% of our anual revenue. A drop in the ocean really?



The only way an overseas club like Toronto or Toulouse can add real value to the competition is a domestic paid TV deal that they can add to the pot. IF they can supply that, the Widnes money would pale in to comparison.



Personally I think a two tier competition would seem the right one, with 24 professional clubs spread between them. But that can only be achieved with a French and / or NA TV deal.

Personally I think the likes of Widnes and Salford are displaying all the traits of a second tier club at present.

I hope Widnes stay up as our neighbours. I don't get involved in unclassy topics(unless it's Saints). That's all I'll say on it.

Hope Widnes do stay up but can't see it...they will probably be replaced by Toronto which is right really...agree with the posters that say Widnes offer more than cats London Toronto etc...as for johnno at least he's still sticks around even tho his team are bobbins unlike the saints lot.as anyone heard anything from them or are they on the missing persons list..

Not a very bright idea wishing disease & pestilence on you nearest & dearest especially when they help the club to some of its better gates. A very inviting idea all this overseas expansion but unless it leads to expansion within those countries you are just left with an expensive to run superleague propped up by tv money.

I find Widnes' current plight very sad - nothing to laugh at for me. I remember the Sorensen, Offiah days and it's sad to see them getting a few thousand and looking to be heading out of top flight. Like others have commented - I can't see them coming back any time soon. It feels like the soul of the club has gone and people are just giving up on them. It's a shame as they have some good youngsters. I always thought Betts did a good job and kept them up with little panic but I get the impression the fans have had enough of just surviving.

I never understand why expansion has to be an either or - surely the idea should be that we build on the heartlands and add to it with clubs such as Toronto to create a diverse, vibrant competition. But that would require some strategic thinking - hopefully Elstone and co can start to bring this type of thinking.

whereas I lack Complete Class.



I care not one jot if they go down ...I didn't last time and the time before that and I wont again,



They have been out of Superleague longer than they have been in it. they have only competed in 11 seasons in the entire 23 year history of superleague.



While they were in the second tier we were wining Back to Back challenge cups and a League Leaders shield...seriously did we care about them then ...dont get all misty eyed on me now.



there is Something about Widnes that is completely soulless I don't know whether that's because I know the Town and its a dreadful hole with no discernible Town Centre. But the club just seems to be a huge nothingness.. They did try with the Bobby Robson charity tops for the magic weekend,but the plastic pitch was the only time they have ever been mentioned for something...!!



Thats why Johno the great is raking up a trophy win that had a zero year History when they won it....completely meaningless team....



should be replaced by Bradford sharpish......

But most of our towns in the NW are poop holes - we cannot hold that against them. We are on thin ice there. I would like Widnes to be a rival like Saints or Wigan. More to get excited about then.

I'd sooner play them twice a year in SL than see them go down. It's a bitter irony that in their 'exile' years when pleading to get into SL the war cry was that Widnes is a 'natural RL town' and the crowds would flock to see the side in SL. Sadly this has proven untrue. Like most potential supporters, they won't show up year-in-year-out to see their team prop up the league and get nowhere in the cup. If they are eve to be competitive they need new owners with the will to invest.

We're in a results business. People soon get fed up with constant failure, especially when they're forking out £20+ for it.



Our recruitment under Smith for his last 4-5 years was shambolic. Widnes Salford's and especially Leigh's has been catastrophic in the same time. That's why they're struggling. All the money Leigh have urinated up the wall on misfits and has beens. Laughable. Widnes and Salford have just sleepwalked into where they are.



Recruit badly, you pay the price

I agree, particularly with the second half of your statement.



The main difference this time for me is that IF they go down again (I admit to being happy-ish about this prospect in previous years) is that I think that there will be serious ramifications for an old rival this time, there's a good chance it will be over and out from them

I understand completely why this thread exists and was expecting much worse when I clicked on it, but there's actually a lot of fair comments. Whilst we'll always be around in some form, there's a good chance that we've already played our last ever Super League game. Despite doing a lot of good work off the pitch, together with our excellent youth set up, we've got nobody to blame but ourselves for our current predicament; we're increasingly out of our depth at this level and several years of poor recruitment has caught up with us.



I'd be happy for us to re-group and be a decent competitive Championship team but it's the derbies I'd miss most - every other game seems flat in comparison.

I thought when Widnes sacked the coach I felt you signed your own death warrant. Betts had dona great job keeping Widnes in there with the odd high flash.