It's all at your Co-op NOW!

For the 22 Co-operative National League clubs, this week marks the start of an odd season in many ways. It will be no less competitive on the field. It is just that the competition will be just as ferocious off the field, with six NL clubs submitting Super League licence applications, the outcome of which will not be known until July, two months before Grand Finals day at Warrington on September 28. Leigh and Salford, two of the applicants, go head to head in the televised opening game of the season, an intriguing 6pm curtain-raiser on Sky Sports to Thursday night's Leeds-Bradford Super League derby.

Unlike Salford, Leigh's new ground is nearing completion. The council-built stadium, which they will share with non-league football club Leigh RMI, will be ready for June. Construction has started but Salford's proposed 20,000-seat stadium will not be ready until the start of the 2010 season. On the field, the pair should serve up a ding-dong affair to kick the new league season off, with Leigh having recruited strongly and beaten Widnes twice in the Northern Rail Cup. Salford have sufficient class and in Shaun McRae a Super League title winning coach, but it won't be easy for the City Reds at Hilton Park.

The consequence of Widnes's financial collapse last year and merciful rebirth, thanks to ambitious new owner Steve O'Connor, unfortunately means they start on minus nine points. A technical knockout, quite possibly, but not necessarily a mortal blow for the Vikings, who have a strong belief to go with their strong licence application.

That leaves Celtic Crusaders, Halifax and Featherstone, who are submtting an application as a dummy run for a serious bid in 2011, by which time they would hope to have developed the Chris Moyles Stadium - Post Office Road, if you prefer - to meet the ground criteria. Halifax, too, are said to be looking more long term, but with the local authority having last week rubber-stamped completion of the East Stand at The Shay, which has remained half-built for five years, they are understandably going to have a crack at getting in next year.

The Bridgend-based Crusaders should present a persuasive case to have a Super League franchise in South Wales, all of which leaves the Heavy Woollen rivals Batley and Dewsbury and Sheffield and Whitehaven to concentrate purely on the rugby and put any licence thoughts on the back burner for 2011. Halifax could muscle their way in to the Grand Final, but I've a strong suspicion that the Centurions-Reds match that starts the NL1 season will be the same one we see on the big day in Warrington.

Good stuff in prospect, too, in NL2, with Doncaster looking to make the big push under Ellery Hanley, Bobbie Goulding leading the way at Rochdale but with the odds favouring Oldham after an impressive recruitment drive. To Barrow, Blackpool, Gateshead, Hunslet, Keighley, London Skolars, Swinton, Workington and York, the best of British, starting on an action-packed Good Friday.

Comments

[Al]

Come on you Skolars!

[adelwire]

As a fan of expansion within the great game come on Celtic Crusaders and London Skolars this season. Think the Challenge cup draw might be one big step too far....but we live in hope!!!!

[cadoo]

Come on the Crusaders and Doncaster!

[Chris Harrison]

The National Leagues are in a much better state since the break up of the Northern Ford Premiership, particuarly the National League 1 Clubs who seem to be developing into Superleague standard clubs under the new incentives provided by the Franchising system, and i must admit i was a crtitic of the system.

[Smitty]

We've a Co-op near us and they all know about the sponsorship of the national leagues in there. Good sponsor for rugby league. I'm looking forward to the season in the lower leagues. Salford and Oldham to win the Grand finals.

[Fully]

I can see Leigh overturning Salford. Should be a packed crowd, something which will do the National Leagues good.

[alex]

I thought the Times was sorting out its banner, and giving RL its own link?

[Tiger Tim]

Love that headline on this article, a real throwback to co-op advertising on the telly.
Love it. Think I'll pop down the co-op meself - good sponsors of the national leagues comp. Community, its what this game is about. Good luck to all involved.