Doncaster Knights have not given up on Premiership dream

But benefactor Steve Lloyd says the current funding system has to change to make that leap possible.

Knights would not have accepted promotion last season and declared the prospect of going up as “simply unaffordable”.

In an in-depth interview inside this week’s Free Press, Lloyd said: “Believe me, there is no decision not to [go up]. There is no stating ‘we won’t’.

“There is certainly stating that it is difficult to the point of being impossible.

“Last season we didn’t go for it because we said it’s just an impossibility here to go up.

“In the future we’d assess it on its own merit.

“But, and it’s a massive but, the playing field of going up has to be more level.”

Lloyd also describes the Championship as “inadequate” and slams the decision to scrap the promotion play-offs.

Knights, currently fourth in the Championship, travel to Cornish Pirates on Sunday. A pitch inspection will take place at 11am today.