I may be wrong but I understood the 10,000 stadium with 2000 seats and 2500 average crowd are minimum standards, ie without these they will not further consider an application, that does not actually get you any points.



The minimum standard is why Wakey Cas and Salford need new grounds - they don't have 2,000 seats. Also why Bradford & HKR did not get warnings.



Actually HKR are a great example, New Craven Park gets slated but is actually a very decent ground on two sides, the improvements to date suggest further development will happen.



As Gutterfax has stated elsewhere Barrow do have a number of strengths to any bid, however the ground as it stands is a showstopper. People may think that unfair, but those are the criteria, what Barrow need to do is not build a Halliwell Jones but get thier Craven Park to the standard of HKR's.



Can that be done for 2012? I don't know, but it would cost more than a few hundred grand. It certainly should be achievable for 2015, by which time other factors could make Barrow a shoe in.

Good thread this.

I think its a bit optimistic to think that Barrows side is 'almost' SL quality when they are only 4th in the Championship. So no, I think the barrow team would need more than just a 'few' additions. Players that are very good at CC level, such as broadbent who is playing brilliantly, would be caught out for pace/fitness in SL. Catic is still SL quality though!

I dont know where this has come from ? , Have the RFL issued a statement that I missed ?

Barrow currently have many players out injuried and have players missing from week 1 plus we still have games in hand of all the teams above them, so its a bit harsh to judge them on being 4th today.

I know you have players missing but TBH you would have to be absolutely walking it in the championship to be anywhere near SL level. 'Fax and Barrow have the best players on paper but 'Fev are probably the best 'team' this year and they are no where near SL so Barrow (IMO) are miles away from being competitive at SL level.

Mick if the current Barrow side were in SL you would be missing a lot more players now out through injury , it is a totally different game , Leigh ended up using 38 players in 2005 , we basically had a whole team of players out injured for the whole of the 2 nd half of the season , you have a good squad , quite possibly the best all round team in the Championship , and it will not surprise me if you make the GF again , but you are no where near a SL standard squad

Fev played very well at Warrington, Wire weren't poor either like you often see when its SL v Chp. Overall they're the best team i've seen at that level this year. Some of their defensive structures are SL like, very well coached but week in week out (which is where the problems come) their players would be badly found out.

We all know one off cup games v SL sides are a world apart than playing SL games every week, but Barrows recent games vs Wigan home, Saints & Cas away were fairly incouraging, Yes big big changes would need to be in place, but we have to be hopeful or whats the point ?

The point , well the same as it has always been , you go to the game and cheer your team ,



If you are suggesting that SL is the be all and end all , well IMO you are wrong , and you will be eternally dissapointed

I was more kinda trying to say that you have to be hopeful or optimistic or you'd be fretting all the time and thats what i dont see the point of, if you follow my drift.

About what ?