@Waco
Still makes no sense.
Weather a team is strong enough to play in the GFL after coming up from the GFL2 should be left up to the club staff/coachs/players not a stupid rule saying no, no, you may not be good enough for the GFL so a Reg. Round is necessary.
How can the staff, coaches and players even know how the team would fare without a contest against the weakest of the next league? They may be able to guess and theorize, but nothing beats, as you would say, FACTS, namely the score on the board, indicating you have been measured and came up short.
Let us just take the Comets as an example. Great season last year and were not able to beat the Cowboys, who were last. What does that say about their level of skill and potential positive impact within the GFL1? Would the Comets have become a contender or an even weaker whipping boy?
As a whipping boy, you do not make the league you play in better, you dilute it and need to be washed out.
This is 2013 and times have changed and that my friends are the FACTS!! The players are much better, the coaching are hell'va lot better and it just makes sense to give these teams who go up or go down and regroup for one year!!
You kind of argue against yourself here. Times may have changed and they have changed equally for all, which means the players are much better, the coaching is better for all teams - time...great equalizer.
And yes, it just makes sense to give these teams, that go up or down TIME to regroup for one year. That is pretty much what the point of religation is.
Again, using the Comets as an example. They didn't cut the mustard for GFL 1 and have this year, this season to regroup and become better - or as you said: regroup in the league they are in - then make another run at GFL1.