RFL chairman Richard Lewis yesterday revealed the governing body is in line to record profits again while the recent Gillette Four Nations tournament is also set to reap dividends.

"It has been a challenging year," he said, with Welsh outfit Crusaders the Super League club currently embroiled in most turbulence.

"In the midst of a recession its inevitable clubs were going to find life challenging.

"We're certainly no different to other sports but possibly could argue we're moving on at the moment in slightly better shape than some.

"We're pretty confident we'll be in profit again for another year and I thought the Four Nations was a good tournament given the environment we're operating in.

"It was quite successful, good to see England play a lot better and, financially, it hit its budgets and targets.

"It will deliver profits to the competing nations."

That is a distinct improvement on the last international tournament the RFL staged of such magnitude, the disastrous loss-making 2000 World Cup.

However, matters of a domestic nature are now more crucial.

RFL chief executive Nigel Wood admitted "time is pressing" for Crusaders to resolve the uncertainty over where they will play next year.

Crusaders have confirmed only that their first home match of the 2010 engage Super League season will be held in Wrexham.

Bottom-placed Crusaders, dogged by problems on and off the field during their debut campaign, left Bridgend at the end of last season for a new base at Newport but as yet are unsure when they will be able to use the town's Rodney Parade ground.

Plans had been made to take three games 'on the road' to Wrexham anyway but there has been speculation that even more matches may now have to be played in north Wales.

The RFL are unwilling to comment in detail on the matter but hope to have definitive answers in the next fortnight.

Playing extra fixtures in Wrexham will infuriate some clubs – such as Halifax, Featherstone and, particularly, Widnes – who lost out on a Super League licence to Crusaders.

One of the factors in their favour when they won a 2009-11 licence was their isolated location in south Wales – but Wrexham is just 32 miles from Widnes. The RFL also say they are now, after the UK Border Agency concluded their own inquiries, ready to step up their investigation into the controversy which saw six Crusaders players deported.

The Welsh club's arrival was part of Super League rising in number to 14 this year, something Lewis insists has been a success despite arguments about a drop in quality.

"You could justifiably say 14 teams was a dilution of some of the standards of play," he said.

"But I thought there was also some outstanding entertainment during the season.

"I won't do what the IOC say about the Olympics each time being the best ever.

"But, by in large, the season held up well."

Lewis added he is "not persuaded at all" by the Australian experiment of having two on-field referees and conceded London club Harlequins' failure to grow as they might since their move to The Stoop was a "disappointment."

Wood has revealed the governing body is working closely with Super League clubs to assist in promoting play-off fixtures more keenly after some poor attendances during the competition's end-of-season finale.

Crowds at the Four Nations, particularly the paltry 23,000 that watched England play Australia at Wigan, also brought concern given the national side's ability during the 1990s to attract upwards of 60,000 for such fixtures.

But Lewis said: "I think we were hurt by what happened in last year's World Cup.

"If we could guarantee that first 60 minutes performance we showed in the Four Nations final for 80, or the performance versus New Zealand at the Galpharm, we could attract crowds of 60 or 70,000.

"That as a product is something we would have to sell but we know we're just not confident we can deliver that yet.

"If England go really well in Australia and New Zealand next year, I think we've really got something to sell in 2011."

The process for awarding Super League licences for 2012-15 will begin next year and will be "broadly similar" to the previous procedure. The RFL have already pledged one club from the Championship will be elevated provided they meet criteria but a decision will be made earlier than last time to allow longer preparation time.