New WRU payment deal

Although coaching is obviously a factor in success it's hard to argue that finances, population and player availability amongst other things don't have a big impact on our ability to compete, and playing in a league where there is no mechanisms (i.e. wage caps, agreed release across the league) to create a reasonably level playing field then we're relying on once a generation luck in terms of player and coaching quality which isn't a consistent model.

In the league we're basically competing with the Irish national team in Leinster to win it and the approach various governing bodies decide to go with has a huge bearing on our ability to compete consistently, this is why there's so much apathy towards the league and has been for over a decade.

We can put as much hope and faith in the team as we want but ultimately we're not in control of our own destiny, and personally I'd rather be on a more level playing field with less variables (which would involve a different compensation model for player release with our union) and take it to the English.

Or we can just cross our fingers.

Only Bristol have a higher population than Dublin and Glasgow. Obviously the South Africans populations are much much higher.

But there's no point in getting hung up on one factor, its the collection of factors that needs to be looked at as a whole.

to get better coaches, you need better revenue streams. If we joined the English Prem then I would say that there is a very high probability that our revenue streams will increase due to larger attendances.

For me personally, I couldn't care less about playing the lions, bulls, or any team from the other countries tbh.... hell I'd even consider after finishing my training to move back to Wales to have quality opposition that is within daily travelling distance (Apart from Newcastle) week in week out....

The URC is a bag of poo. The Irish don't care about it, The Scots are only in it as there isn't a scottish alternative. The Italian teams have improved, but that hasn't been replicated properly through the international team and don't get me started on the saffers. 

Manchester?

Given the governance of the game in Wales I'd say that would happen whatever league we are in.

Relegation won't be around much longer. That's not the worry.