I agree FA. Bring it on. While they're funding it all themselves then I can't see any issues. Good luck to them.

Feee - liii - ix
Feee - liii - ix
Feee - liii - ix

I can hear the chants now

so my views on building up slowly are with that in mind and purely in their interest.

They won't care, of course, they're doing what they want, so probably won't even know what any of us have put anyway, but hey, what the hell, I'm a bolshie sod and I've done it anyway!

..and I still wish them all the best.

What happens when we lose more players from the British game when we can ill afford to lose scrum halves etc - will you still be so enthusiastic?

You don't need a scrum half these days. Mr Ferres says so.

I think any increase in jobs for rugby players will automatically increase the number of professional players. Short term they will take players from here there and everywhere - if it works out they will attract their own eventually. Am I bothered about more jobs for rugby players? Well, only in as much as I'm basically in favour.

The introduction to the club was on Premier Sports free view last night with the owners, Mayor of Toronto, Nigel Wood and the coach. They all came over very well. The press got straight to the point asking about travel costs and the owner said the direct flight to Manchester is the same price as flying to some places in Canada so that isn't a problem. The last RL game in Toronto got 7k crowd. Even the mayor pointed out that Toronto people are sport mad and will love seeing such as London, Cambridge and French and Welch teams coming to play there.

I was dubious about it but now I am all for it. I like FA will go down to Keighley when they fly in.
Rowley was also saying that they have organised a series of trials in Canada and across North America. He said they will sigh British players but they will also build a group of home grown players from Canada, America, Union and NFL. They have a target of one player very quickly.
The owner said Canadians will love the aggression and contact nature of the game.

It is also a long trip for Brisbane and NZ warriors to get to games and staying over when they do it. Us getting to Catalan's isn't a walk in the park either - in the days we did that!

I say well done to everyone involved and hope all fans get behind the idea and wouldn't we like to see them in our league.

Ive got friends that play in championship 1 and they are buzzing at the thought of it! The players are the first people whos opinions matter not people behind a keyboard saying why it wont work! Why dont we look at the reasons it will work I guarantee its the first fixture the players will be looking for next year great team bonding exercise. And although they dont get masses they are still actually getting played to go to another country to play the game of rugby league! No downside whatsoever

When did I say anyone can't express an opinion? No, all you need do is to change your opinion, if you disagree with mine, to the correct one. That's where I come in.

And I serve you all for free, ungrateful though some can appear

Lord, in the unlikely event that you do exist, send us a sign: send us an away fixture in Toronto in the Challenge Cup, and everyone on RAB will start going to church

All this talk of buying tickets to see them at Keighley is pessimistic. They may be coming to Odsal next year.(and I don't mean in the cup)

I think there is a greater chance they'll be shoved up into SL, myself..

No, you never said that FA. I think it may be the forensic dissection, of even the most anodyne posts, using multiple quotes which gives an impression of both your disagreement and displeasure.

Of course, I know your remarks are always on a pro bono basis, for which you are rarely thanked...



So, I'll not start now!

A single quote, from one Jamie Peacock on the Beeb, with which I am most pleased:

I think it's great and the sport isn't losing anything. If it fails, so what? The sports not lost anything.

Quote ="Budgiezilla"NO salary cap for Toronto Invaders.... 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. nicked from www.sportinglife.com'" Wow - that will be some jet lag by the time they get back. Then the part timers who have to go to work the following day won't know if they are Toronto or downtown Todmorden.

Quote ="Budgiezilla"NO salary cap for Toronto Invaders.... 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. nicked from www.sportinglife.com'" Wow - that will be some jet lag by the time they get back. Then the part timers who have to go to work the following day won't know if they are Toronto or downtown Todmorden.

Not so

With a time difference of 5 hrs and a flight of 8 hrs
Take off UK 12 noon Thursday, land Toronto 3pm.
All you've done is stretched your daylight by hours. Stay up until tired and then go to bed. Maybe catch up another couple of hours on Friday night.
Play Saturday
On Sunday, catch plane eg 6am Toronto, land Manchester 7pm
Go home, supper and a nightcap, go to bed, fresh as a bobbin Monday morning.

It's Toronto, not Sydney.

Do they not have any holiday entitlement?

I guess they will have to have 'full time' contracts to attract any players, can't be 'part time' with other employment, when you're living in Canada for 4 weeks, then England for 4 weeks etc...

The actual issue may not be Monday but Thursday/ Friday, if some of the players work in schools it's a difficult thing to manage.
I know it'll only be once a season but not all jobs can take time when they want.

They'll have to make sure that they play in the UK over Easter

I'm sure the vast majority of part-tiimers in League1 will be chompin' at the bit to have an exotic weekend away in Canada and will come to some agreement about hours worked. I'm certain that, in the same position, I would. Best team bonding exercise of the year and paid for by someone else. Not much to dislike, imo.

I'd be amazed if the same vast majority don't already have loose arrangements with outside employers about non regular rugby commitments and the Canada trip would fall under that. Surely, very few employers would make sanctions against a valued employee for the [very odd day off.

If someone told me that if I used 2-3 days of my holiday entitlement at work, I could have an all expenses paid few days trip to Toronto, I'd bite their bloody hand off.

Look, it's a done deal. The Canadians - and to their credit the RFL and the C1 clubs - have done it. All done with a can-do attitude.

Not sure what's to be gained by pointing out potential snaggles and niggles after the event, and its not as if the away fixture will be on short notice, when do the fixtures come out, January? But the ship has sailed. Move on.

Understanding of how things work by us, the fans, who have an interest?