Re: Ottawa aces : Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:07 pm  

1315trinity wrote:

Spreading the game is good but done in the proper way. Just creating a team from what will probably be non Canadian players, is in my view, the wrong way to do it. Why don't they start their own league ?- ok wouldn't happen overnight but what's the alternative? Like Toronto signing players obviously on big contracts and out of their depth in SL. Their only hope of survival is more non Canadian signings.
Might come good eventually but god forbid the day,if it ever comes, where there are a mixture of American teams, French teams and perhaps a couple of British teams in SL - one of which in all probability won't be WT - would you be happy with that?

I don't disagree with any of that. Last thing I want is to see the top flight consisting of overseas clubs and a smattering of English clubs. I was talking about a broad approval of spreading the game, but it has to be done differently, and is perhaps the weakness of one-up, one-down P&R, because we can end up in that situation by big money backers buying their way in.

The hardcore expanionists bemoan the M62 corridor, but let's face it, that's where the excitement is. Sport is built on rivalry. There are many issues facing the game, but I don't think that two small industrial towns, Castleford and Warrington, serving up a great game for the TV audience is one of them.

We need to reconsider franchising, BUT not limit it to twelve teams. If another club can make a business case to be in, and that it will benefit the game, you don't look at which club to throw out to accomodate it, but look at how to include the club by expanding the league. The downsides to franchising as it existed before was the three-year cycle and keeping it interesting near the bottom.

Promotion and relegation weakens the league because you can't expand the league just because, say, Ottawa are about to get promoted, but when Featherstone are, you leave it at twelve. There is a risk that league's attraction becomes its downfall, because a few money-men in North America want to expand it, but end up doing so by creating a league that people aren't interested in as much.

Re: Ottawa aces : Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:10 pm  

And New York and what about Valencia, it could be an interesting cup run potentially. Don't think my Metro card will cope

Re: Ottawa aces : Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:30 pm  

Manuel wrote:

And New York and what about Valencia, it could be an interesting cup run potentially. Don't think my Metro card will cope

It's ok, the new sides will probably be able to cherry pick which competitions they take part in.
Mind you, if they are based in far away Bradford, there shouldn't be too many problems in them (Ottawa) taking part

Re: Ottawa aces : Tue Mar 10, 2020 12:08 am  

I'd rather see the RFL/SL/whoever is running things these days expand out gradually. Doncaster have a decent base, help them improve and get better. Work on Donny, Sheffield, York then get into Cumbria and build up Newcastle.

After that hit the Midlands etc.

Re: Ottawa aces : Tue Mar 10, 2020 7:38 am  

charlie wrote:

I'd rather see the RFL/SL/whoever is running things these days expand out gradually. Doncaster have a decent base, help them improve and get better. Work on Donny, Sheffield, York then get into Cumbria and build up Newcastle.

After that hit the Midlands etc.

Now there's an idea......!
You're right the place to try and expand is here first and foremost, but it would have to be done in a better way than previous attempts because clubs in Kent, Cardiff, Mansfield and Carlisle struggled from the beginning and folded Probably because they didn't get enough help.
It can be done though because London have survived!

Re: Ottawa aces : Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:06 am  

Give it a rest . Spend time and money developing the game in regions within the uk and Ireland.
Belfast Dublin Glasgow Edinburgh for starters.
New clubs that can be given assistance in development and not rushed in to forming a club based on media headlines. The international game could also threive with home internationals in a few years time.
The rfl seem to think the games got an endless stream of players who can not waite to pull on a shirt and start playing.
Our international games not acheiving anything productive.

Re: Ottawa aces : Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:17 am  

1315trinity wrote:

Spreading the game is good but done in the proper way. Just creating a team from what will probably be non Canadian players, is in my view, the wrong way to do it. Why don't they start their own league ?- ok wouldn't happen overnight but what's the alternative? Like Toronto signing players obviously on big contracts and out of their depth in SL. Their only hope of survival is more non Canadian signings.
Might come good eventually but god forbid the day,if it ever comes, where there are a mixture of American teams, French teams and perhaps a couple of British teams in SL - one of which in all probability won't be WT - would you be happy with that?

I'm all for expansion, but only if done in the right way. I think if we want bigger and better coverage, we have to.

Having said that, I'm not convinced that having foreign sides in our leagues is healthy. Given all the money that America pumps into sport, I think the likes of TW and Ottawa would serve the sport better, headlining an American super league. I also think the same with the likes of Catalan and Toulouse etc. Maybe a continental super league. Could maybe have a four way world club challenge.

As for expansion through the UK, I think the RFL have been guilty in the past of rushing new clubs along, and moving on to new projects without helping the new clubs to become stable both on and off the pitch. Maybe the RFL should employ a team of people that specialise in such as finance, marketing and coaching etc, and this team are based in the development areas, and move about,but not until their current area is stable.

Re: Ottawa aces : Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:43 am  

Eastern Wildcat wrote:

I'm all for expansion, but only if done in the right way. I think if we want bigger and better coverage, we have to.

Having said that, I'm not convinced that having foreign sides in our leagues is healthy. Given all the money that America pumps into sport, I think the likes of TW and Ottawa would serve the sport better, headlining an American super league. I also think the same with the likes of Catalan and Toulouse etc. Maybe a continental super league. Could maybe have a four way world club challenge.

As for expansion through the UK, I think the RFL have been guilty in the past of rushing new clubs along, and moving on to new projects without helping the new clubs to become stable both on and off the pitch. Maybe the RFL should employ a team of people that specialise in such as finance, marketing and coaching etc, and this team are based in the development areas, and move about,but not until their current area is stable.

Absolutely.
Rugby League and it's quest for the silver bullet

There is potential to do something in N .America and Toronto's efforts in getting decent numbers through the turnstiles has been very, very good.
However, now that they are spending only marginally more than the other sides in their league (as opposed to 3,4,5 times as much, they have been found wanting.
Their squad is way too small in number and there is literally nothing underneath.
If they continue to pick up a few more injuries, they may actually struggle to name a 21 man squad

I'd love to know what the long term vision is for all of this - assuming that those running the sport actually have a (long term) plan ??

Re: Ottawa aces : Tue Mar 10, 2020 10:26 am  

Getting fed up of the R L waisting £ on Canada They are giving them so many advantages ,beside the one when they play at home ,were teams will have to travel thousands of miles in a week play over there then be ask to play a week later again or maybe less. Why are they on the TV every week .And if they are going to charge 30 £ to watch them at York ,I think it's disgusting .Get the money pumped into the game over here A SL team from Barrow, Whitehaven ,Ext .Would be a start

Re: Ottawa aces : Tue Mar 10, 2020 10:43 am  

Unfortunately, there are not millionaire and billionaire backers in Belfast, Dublin and Glasgow etc wanting to expand the game. We need Marwan Coolcash back in the game for a start. It was the fat controller who put him in Salford when there was a chance to expand.
It's impossible to please everyone as we have a small core and plenty of insular views.