Toronto Wolfpack : Wed Apr 27, 2016 3:28 pm  

So they today confirmed Toronto will enter League 1 next season. A very ambitious move but they certainly seem to have some people willing to make it happen, with Rowley and Noble already on board. I just dont know what the long term plan is here though, theyre entering a league which regularly attracts below 300 fans, and even if they reached SL in 2/3 years, can they really become self-sufficient taking into account the travelling? Interestingly, a reality TV show in North America will aid their recruitment. http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_21751-canadian-team-unveiled.html

So they today confirmed Toronto will enter League 1 next season. A very ambitious move but they certainly seem to have some people willing to make it happen, with Rowley and Noble already on board. I just dont know what the long term plan is here though, theyre entering a league which regularly attracts below 300 fans, and even if they reached SL in 2/3 years, can they really become self-sufficient taking into account the travelling? Interestingly, a reality TV show in North America will aid their recruitment. http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_21751-canadian-team-unveiled.html

Re: Toronto Wolfpack : Wed Apr 27, 2016 3:37 pm  

January friendley away please...saves Shay pitch hassle too...

Re: Toronto Wolfpack : Wed Apr 27, 2016 4:37 pm  

Well if nothing else the programme should help raise the profile of rugby league, unless it's on some non-entity cable channel.

Re: Toronto Wolfpack : Wed Apr 27, 2016 4:52 pm  

It's a joke. Nothing more. The lads in these 2 divisions have other jobs. What if half your squad can't have time off work. They would have been better introducing another French team or even better another British team to expand the game here. The RFL talk about expanding from the home land of RL in Britain then go an do this.

Re: Toronto Wolfpack : Wed Apr 27, 2016 6:01 pm  

mr t hall wrote:

January friendley away please...saves Shay pitch hassle too...

It can be a bit more nippy in Toronto than Halifax.

Re: Toronto Wolfpack : Wed Apr 27, 2016 6:06 pm  

I've just watched the Fury Klitscho 2 press conference, this PR seems tame in comparison

'You must have come on...... an hour long taxi journey, airport conveyor, international flight, internal connecting flight, followed by a taxi to the Hotel, then perhaps.......... Come on a skateboard.....if you got it through customs'

Welcome on board Toronto.... Good grief..

I wonder if someone said Halifax play in the league above, and they got all anti Nova Scotia.

Re: Toronto Wolfpack : Wed Apr 27, 2016 9:35 pm  

Good grief, will they never learn?

Re: Toronto Wolfpack : Wed Apr 27, 2016 9:59 pm  

Blimey another PR stunt and lets face it probably an excuse to go on a jolly to Canada for the Fat Controller and his cronies, why did they not just throw some money at helping them develop the game over there rather than wasting money on air fares and celebs like Nobby and Paul Rowley helping them out which they must be getting paid for surely?
The annoying thing is some people fall in love with this as it appears to them that we can grow the game outside the 'heartlands' sod the cost and it sounds good a Canadian team doesn't it? Yet traditional heartland clubs like us are busting a gut to get to the top yet a club like Toulouse or Toronto can come along and some people go gaga and want them at the top table and sod us, Leigh or Fev we are nobodies to them old hat, yet we are the backbone of RL with a long history in the sport, a loyal fan base, a strong local amateur game but this counts for nowt!
It will be another barm pot idea and they will be like numerous others who have come and gone.

Re: Toronto Wolfpack : Thu Apr 28, 2016 5:44 am  

Quote "The club will not receive central funding from the RFL but are likely to get special dispensation to exceed the salary cap to enable them to run a full-time team and have pledged to cover all costs of visiting teams, who will fly out on a Thursday, play on Saturday and return the following day."

That's Fair! ...not. The RFL allow a full time team into a 3rd division semi-pro league. My god they do want this team to progress quickly through the leagues. If I was a Championship 1 team like Oxford or Hemel etc who worked so hard to get where they are and then the RFL show them this type of contempt I would be fuming.

Re: Toronto Wolfpack : Thu Apr 28, 2016 6:11 am  

According to the radio this morning they are to be based in that well known centre of Canadian people? Bradford West Yorkshire.


However, if this is not the case the RFL or the club should offer assisted travel to the supporters as well.
If the RFL want to bring these clubs in (I have no objection to Toulouse) then they should be prepared to help with our travelling costs. For some Toulouse away is out of the question financially, possibly the only game many supporters will miss in a season.
The clubs don't get much help either, I believe I am right in saying that on the occasions we have played at Toulouse the number of players and staff payed for is severely limited.