• Courier Sport will have the first news on the sport's biggest announcement since the advent of summer rugby, plus all the reaction from the Fax camp, here as it happens.

Fax are one of 19 sides chasing a place in the sport's top tier under the Rugby Football League's new franchise system.

Despite their on-field success over the last two years - they currently sit second in National League One - Fax are regarded as rank outsiders for success when the game's big boss Richard Lewis unveils the winners and losers at a Leeds hotel.

The 12 existing Super League sides are all expected to keep their places, despite conjecture about the facilities of West Yorkshire pair Castleford and Wakefield, with any two of National League trio Celtic Crusaders, Salford and Widnes, who have all splashed out on full time playing squads this year, the favourites for the other places.

The Reds have the recent top flight pedigree, having been relegated at the end of last year, while Widnes have a modern stadium and a solid junior set up.

Celtic, the Bridgend outpost bankrolled by controversial rugby union impresario Leighton Samuels, perhaps have the most to lose, with rumours rife that rejection would spell the end of the three year old club.

But while defeat could have a near catastrophic effect on some applicants, Clay, who has played a major role in constructing Fax's bid, was cool about the long-awaited announcement.

"This is not a case of win or bust for us," he said.

"We have put a lot of work into this, and we clearly hope we are successful, but we haven't gone all out in the same way that some clubs have.

"If we get the nod, we are very confident we can step up to the mark.

"If we don't, it doesn't affect our long term plan to return the club to the game's elite.

"We are aiming for sustained growth, which means that even if we are not successful this time, we will be in a much stronger position for the next round of applications in 2011."