Players union back calls for central funding to save Toronto : Tue Sep 08, 2020 8:52 am  

Well the ‘nuts finally out of the kernel’ Gareth Carvell has thrown the players union behind the beleaguered Wolfpack.

Asking for central funding to save them, an organisation that haven’t paid their players since June and failed to yet refund tickets bought by UK supporters who wanted to travel to Canada to support their team.

In current times where the RFL has taken a £16 million pound loan to help safeguard the game and a new TV deal has yet to be agreed this seems to be a gamble with what is for Rugby League a large amount of money in excess of £2 million. ( 12.5% of the value of the government loan).

If we were a well funded and rich sport like soccer it would be a low risk investment, however in days when RL clubs including my own are struggling due to Covid and some have already drawn on the £16 million to survive through this period a sum that will have to be paid back this seems like a huge gamble to attract an owner for an ailing club currently losing its players and in reality any bond it offers is really worthless as proved with the current situation with Argyle.

Thus far the Toronto expansion has cost the RFL nothing however that will change if a deal like this is approved.

Without a NATV deal the clubs exposure will be limited to a local area as with Catalans who if we are ‘hand on heart honest’ even with a TV deal have failed to get the exposure in France and strengthen RL on National basis the whole point of inviting them into the league in the first place.

It seems inevitable that the ‘Pack will be back’ but this is an awfully big gamble by the RFL.

Maybe like the Hudds-Sheff and Hull -Gateshead mergers it’s a way to save face and bail out failing clubs.

But wouldn’t it be better for the RFL/Superleague to fund the players wages to the end of the season and then wash their hands of this mess ??

Re: Players union back calls for central funding to save Tor : Tue Sep 08, 2020 9:21 am  

The whole episode is an absolute disgrace and the failure to pay players was the final straw.
There is no way Toronto Wolfpack should be allowed back, even if they had to start again at the bottom.

Re: Players union back calls for central funding to save Tor : Tue Sep 08, 2020 10:28 am  

It was laughable they never got central funding in the first place.

This would be like a new franchise in Perth not getting funds from the NRL. Makes the competition a mockery.

Re: Players union back calls for central funding to save Tor : Tue Sep 08, 2020 10:34 am  

puroresu_boy wrote:

It was laughable they never got central funding in the first place.

This would be like a new franchise in Perth not getting funds from the NRL. Makes the competition a mockery.

Yeah it is pretty funny that they opted not to take the funding and now they find themselves in this position.

Re: Players union back calls for central funding to save Tor : Tue Sep 08, 2020 11:13 am  

puroresu_boy wrote:

It was laughable they never got central funding in the first place.

This would be like a new franchise in Perth not getting funds from the NRL. Makes the competition a mockery.

Toronto saying that they wouldn't take any TV monies as they wanted their own deal in N. America was a definite mistake on their part.
I dont think they were precluded from a share of the Sky monies, it was more a case of them opting out, which no doubt helped their smooth passage into "our" comp.
Mind you, those were the days when they were "awash" with money.
As for the players union stepping in to look after their members interests - what took them so long ??

Re: Players union back calls for central funding to save Tor : Tue Sep 08, 2020 11:30 am  

wrencat1873 wrote:

Toronto saying that they wouldn't take any TV monies as they wanted their own deal in N. America was a definite mistake on their part.
I dont think they were precluded from a share of the Sky monies, it was more a case of them opting out, which no doubt helped their smooth passage into "our" comp.
Mind you, those were the days when they were "awash" with money.
As for the players union stepping in to look after their members interests - what took them so long ??

Players Union should be worried about players as a whole. Sure push for the RFL to pay their wages it’s only right but the Pack doesn’t deserve to survive. PSG/Crusaders went down without help from the RFL.

TW turned the central funding down thinking a NATV deal would be more lucrative and all theirs no ones fault but their own.

My point is now after pulling out the deserve nowt...

Re: Players union back calls for central funding to save Tor : Tue Sep 08, 2020 12:12 pm  

fartown since 1961 wrote:

Players Union should be worried about players as a whole. Sure push for the RFL to pay their wages it’s only right but the Pack doesn’t deserve to survive. PSG/Crusaders went down without help from the RFL.

TW turned the central funding down thinking a NATV deal would be more lucrative and all theirs no ones fault but their own.

My point is now after pulling out the deserve nowt...

If they come back into super league we will be a bigger joke then what we allredey are if and it’s a big if they are allowed back only in the bottom league not any other

Re: Players union back calls for central funding to save Tor : Tue Sep 08, 2020 1:59 pm  

Somehow the players union is trying to make me feel sorry for the mercenaries that went over for the big bucks, after reading McDermott's cringe worthy statement burnt bridges indeed

Re: Players union back calls for central funding to save Tor : Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:32 pm  

snowie wrote:

Somehow the players union is trying to make me feel sorry for the mercenaries that went over for the big bucks, after reading McDermott's cringe worthy statement burnt bridges indeed

"Mercenaries"? Give it a rest they are players who have a short career.

The players that can't get other clubs should be helped out to keep them in the game and because its the right thing to do. In the past they've been able to pay players by advancing sky money when clubs have got into bother but obviously that's not possible with the Wolfpack.

That should be the end of them competing in England.

Does anyone know how the Aussie players stuck over here are getting on? Have they been able to get back or have they been able to avoid eviction?

Re: Players union back calls for central funding to save Tor : Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:43 pm  

Maccbull_BigBullyBooaza wrote: "Mercenaries"? Give it a rest they are players who have a short career. The players that can't get other clubs should be helped out to keep them in the game and because its the right thing to do. In the past they've been able to pay players by advancing sky money when clubs have got into bother but obviously that's not possible with the Wolfpack. That should be the end of them competing in England. Does anyone know how the Aussie players stuck over here are getting on? Have they been able to get back or have they been able to avoid eviction? These two didn't wait long to jump ship did they https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/toronto- ... tre-22625/ https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... all-blacks And you wonder why it didn't work

Maccbull_BigBullyBooaza wrote: "Mercenaries"? Give it a rest they are players who have a short career. The players that can't get other clubs should be helped out to keep them in the game and because its the right thing to do. In the past they've been able to pay players by advancing sky money when clubs have got into bother but obviously that's not possible with the Wolfpack. That should be the end of them competing in England. Does anyone know how the Aussie players stuck over here are getting on? Have they been able to get back or have they been able to avoid eviction? These two didn't wait long to jump ship did they https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/toronto- ... tre-22625/ https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... all-blacks And you wonder why it didn't work