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The Stoop: good facilities

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Harlequins were the latest Super League side to come under the Boots 'n' All licensing spotlight.

With clubs being asked to put their bids in for a permit to take part in the competition from 2009, every week Angela Powers will be out and about seeing how the candidates meet the necessary criteria.

This week she dropped in on The Stoop and it was a positive report for rugby league's capital club as Harlequins seem to meet seven of the 10 criteria and are almost certain to earn one of the 12 or 14 spots available in Super League from next year.

One of the biggest things in their favour is their stadium. With easy access from the motorway, plenty of parking, good facilities and a large capacity The Stoop seems to meet the standards set by RFL.

On the downside, they don't get anywhere near to filling the ground as their average crowd last year was around 3,500 despite the huge catchment area they have.

The fact that the ground they share with the Harlequins Rugby Union team doesn't belong to them limits their earning potential and they do not pick up a point for having an annual turnover above £4million.

Elsewhere though, Harlequins' application looks like it will be very strong. They pick up points for being solvent, for having no major breaches of the salary cap and for having no other major clubs nearby.

For a club once dominated by Aussie imports, Harlequins are now growing their own and pick up a point for junior development, while finishes of 6th, 7th and 9th in the last three Super League seasons means they are deemed to have contributed to the competition.

Harlequins chief executive Paul Brown said he was excited by the new Super League licensing plan as it would force clubs to improve in areas where they struggle, which for his club means attracting more spectators.

He said: "We think the Super League license application process is a great process. It brings into the spotlight the things you aren't successful at instead of ignoring them.

"We're not only paying attention to the seven we feel we qualify on, but in particular we're looking at the three where we don't.

"We want to build a great organisation as part of a great competition."

Here's how Harlequins fared...