Two down...

[The Swede]

...two to go.

With Northampton and Hemel Stags confirmed as being the two newest clubs to the Championship One fold from 2013, as part of the RFL's 'from the ground up' expansion campaign, is it me, or has the trail for the third and fourth clubs to receive confirmation for admition gone a bit cold?

Will the RFL retract on going with an ambitious number as four expansion sides and stick with the two already confirmed? Stranger things have happened, but I think that's unlikely, one must hope they're just taking the time to throughly sift through the potential candidates to make a competent decision.

Who do we think will be these next two? The Pete Waterman-backed Coventry Bears spring to mind as a favourite for mine. I think getting a club in the midlands could be a good move for the RFL in terms of bog-standard geographical spread, although Northampton are already there, so perhaps that would weaken their case on that score. Other names to crop up include Warrington Wizards, Thatto Heath *spits* and Siddal from the heartlands, but I'd be inclined to think, obviously in keeping with this policy, names like Bristol Sonics, Oxford Cavaliers, Medway Dragons or even a side in Dublin or Edinburgh would be priority options for the RFL here.

Just thought I'd bring it up again seen as we've heard next to nothing in the last month or three.

[CherryPie]

I hope Coventry Bears are the next team announced. Rugby league is really growing in popularity in the region and I think the Bears are the right team to make the step up. My sister plays for the Bears ladies team though so I'm a little biased on that one. I do think they have plenty of potential to succeed.

As the fourth team I'd like to see Bristol Sonics included.

[HKR AWAY DAYS]

There was about a 2-month gap between the announements of Northampton and Hemel, so it isn't concerning. The RFL will want to make sure the decisions are absolutely the correct ones because this is a bit of a step up and no error will want to be made.

[The Swede]

Aye, suppose so.

[Tattyrhino]

I'd like to see the Cov Bears and a wildcard like Dublin, but if there was to be a team in like Dublin though surely the RFL would have to pay most/all of their travel costs for away games for now

[Cheese]

the travel costs were cited as an issue with toulouse as i recall.

[The Swede]

I think going 'too far way' in the Championships has proved with Toulouse to be a bit too much of a financial obstacle, so I can't see anything from the continent (i.e. Rotterdam, another French side, Norwegian side, for example), but I don't think Dublin would be as bad, although still an obstacle nonetheless.