Slugger McBatt wrote:
Spreading the game is good. Whether eventually having three overseas clubs (Catalans, Toronto and Ottawa) in a league of twelve is sustainable is a moot point. If they expand, they need to expand the league, because you have got to retain your existing support as well. Would I be interested in a Toronto versus Ottawa game? Played in Canada, if well-supported, possibly, out of interest. Played in Bradford because neither can play until April? Probably not.
The playing in Bradford would be very interesting.
It's almost as though the RFL are looking for a tenant to play in their empty stadium
Even though the geography and logistics are utterly crazy (just as they are for Toronto), the idea of having a new club over there, using the existing UK/Aus playing pool, isn't actually expanding the game.
They HAVE to be in a position to develop AND FIELD some Canadian players.
It's only a few years ago that some of the bigger clubs in SL were advocating a cut in league numbers to 10, most notable Leeds and in particular Jamie Peacock, although he quickly changed his mind when he moved to KR
and now, we are trying to swap our UK clubs for pseudo Canadian clubs, it's utter bloody madness.
The thought of genuinely expanding RL into a new country should be applauded but, while the new clubs will indeed be Canadian / N. American, it's in name only and I have been told that, in a cruel twist of irony, Toronto (and maybe Ottowa) struggle to field Canadian players because they are based in the UK, making it nigh on impossible for Canadians to get a work permit to work in England. How utterly daft can it get
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