BBC rugby league podcast puts Trinity down again : Mon May 22, 2017 10:07 pm  

After an episode a couple of weeks ago almost entirely devoted to the idea that we should give our superleague place to Coventry, this week we are told the gulf between teams like ours and teams like St Helens and Warrington is greater than ever! When it was pointed out to that rugby league guru Iestyn Harris that we were in the top six ( they failed to mention we are 5th ) we are told it is because of the poor opposition we face. Maybe the people at the BBC use a different table to everyone else but last time I looked we were above warrington and st helens and the points difference between top and bottom was less than previous years, When are we ever going to get any credit for what we do on and off the field ? Do the BBC and SKY really want a league made of Toronto Toulouse Newcastle and Coventry playing to empty stadia with every player an NRL reject?

Re: BBC rugby league podcast puts Trinity down again : Mon May 22, 2017 11:02 pm  

ball-in-hand wrote:

After an episode a couple of weeks ago almost entirely devoted to the idea that we should give our superleague place to Coventry, this week we are told the gulf between teams like ours and teams like St Helens and Warrington is greater than ever! When it was pointed out to that rugby league guru Iestyn Harris that we were in the top six ( they failed to mention we are 5th ) we are told it is because of the poor opposition we face. Maybe the people at the BBC use a different table to everyone else but last time I looked we were above warrington and st helens and the points difference between top and bottom was less than previous years, When are we ever going to get any credit for what we do on and off the field ? Do the BBC and SKY really want a league made of Toronto Toulouse Newcastle and Coventry playing to empty stadia with every player an NRL reject?

A short answer to the last line of your post, yes, and more so Sky than the BBC.

Re: BBC rugby league podcast puts Trinity down again : Tue May 23, 2017 2:37 am  

If the Toronto home crowd figures are to believed, they got 6000 and 7000 for their 1st 2 home games

Re: BBC rugby league podcast puts Trinity down again : Tue May 23, 2017 6:01 am  

History suggests transplanting a team in to an area with no tradition of the game never works eg paris kent invicta crusaders

Re: BBC rugby league podcast puts Trinity down again : Tue May 23, 2017 6:44 am  

ball-in-hand wrote:

History suggests transplanting a team in to an area with no tradition of the game never works eg paris kent invicta crusaders

Although there are many issues with the Toronto situation, not least that they are across the other side of the Atlantic, you only have to listen to Eric Perez to know that this has a very, very good chance of being a "goer".
The guy has more drive and certainly more vision than all of the RFL folk put together.

Should Toronto be allowed to play in "our" league, I dont know but, if this gets RL a decent foothold on the other side of the pond, it would be phenomenal for the sport.

It would be excellent if they could build their own league.
However, if they were to become like Catalan (but slightly more successful) that would massively raise the profile of the sport and increase revenue into the game.
Pro sport is all about money, something that RL has relatively little of.

If we still had "franchising" they would be in SL.

Perhaps with better vision and certainly better support, some of the "failed" clubs would still be going, including those that have disappeared from the heartlands ?

Re: BBC rugby league podcast puts Trinity down again : Tue May 23, 2017 7:49 am  

Mark my words it will fold within 18 month, ta totally unsustainable on every level.

Re: BBC rugby league podcast puts Trinity down again : Tue May 23, 2017 8:33 am  

vastman wrote:

Mark my words it will fold within 18 month, ta totally unsustainable on every level.

No way, more likely that they will be challenging for a SL spot at the end of next season.

One thing that has to happen is an improved TV deal or, the whole thing just adds an extra layer of cost for every club who travels over there.

Re: BBC rugby league podcast puts Trinity down again : Tue May 23, 2017 12:53 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

No way, more likely that they will be challenging for a SL spot at the end of next season.

One thing that has to happen is an improved TV deal or, the whole thing just adds an extra layer of cost for every club who travels over there.

Loved to be proved wrong, but not a chance.

Re: BBC rugby league podcast puts Trinity down again : Tue May 23, 2017 3:52 pm  

vastman wrote:

Loved to be proved wrong, but not a chance.

So, with the 5 year plan, to attain a SL spot, that Perez and his group have set out, you are saying that they will only get half way through ? seriously ?

Their sponsorship deals, marketing and vision put most of SL, maybe all, to shame.
The only reason that it would fall flat is if they were ineligible for SL, which would see them hit a dead end.
Maybe you know something that the rest of us dont ?

Re: BBC rugby league podcast puts Trinity down again : Tue May 23, 2017 4:31 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

So, with the 5 year plan, to attain a SL spot, that Perez and his group have set out, you are saying that they will only get half way through ? seriously ?

Their sponsorship deals, marketing and vision put most of SL, maybe all, to shame.
The only reason that it would fall flat is if they were ineligible for SL, which would see them hit a dead end.
Maybe you know something that the rest of us dont ?

I do, I've heard and seen all this before. Oh and by the way who is we? There are plenty of people who don't think it will work, rather an assumption on your part.

However what it all boils down to as is the case with all expansion clubs is the fan base and a genuine interest in the game. I see neither. No fan base, no player base, no domestic league - all the things that the only ever successful expansion team has - that's Catalan.

If it captures the publics imagination and it's a huge if long term i.e. a couple of seasons then fine maybe - however the sponsors will soon turn off the money tap if it doesn't - it's called reality.

For some reason we assume the people of Toronto want RL, they may be curious for now but want it, where's your proof? Nobody and I mean nobody will financially support a sport nobody wants certainly not in North America.

They couldn't do it in London - a far richer city and bigger city than Toronto with a population many of whom are very familiar with the game. They had Richard Branson backing for a while but he soon backed out when he realised what a money pit it was.All the sponsorships in the world won't make something work if there is no market for it, RL is rapidly becoming the Sinclair C5 of sport.

I honestly don't get your optimism, your clearly ignoring all recent history. I'm a great believer in being positive but not foolhardy. Sorry.