The other side of the coin though is thats its not a perception, when people see Toronto full of ex pit village UK players and OZ/NZ rejects the reality is thats its a Deception. Grass roots need to be put in place so that they can grow progressively, its no good throwing them into the top end they will wither and struggle for identity with its fan base.

Do we really want to be a nomadic global sport all on the basis that it looks good. By all means we can promote the sport to other countries but giving them a place at the top table is fundamentally fallacious.

I think on that one you're looking for an issue where there isn't one there. Owen Farrell is from the same poor Northern ex pit village as Joel Tompkins, but one gets global endorsement deals and the other spends his spare time abusing bar staff in Wigan.

Pro sport is many things and one of those things is a form of advertising. What matters is not who is wearing the sandwich board, but where that sandwich board is and who is looking at it.

Toronto and North America represents a risk, but the bigger risk is hoping that we can keep doing what we're doing and that things will change.

People going on about Hetherington having a dummy spit but it was the 3 owners (and others) that have clearly had a dummy spit because they've come out with this announcement when talks are still ongoing and they haven't got their way yet.

Thing is if Leeds and GH wanted to look after themselves they'd have been sat right there next to the other owners. If the objective is of giving more money to SL clubs how does that hurt Leeds? They'd do as well out of as any of the big clubs especially with the new stadium work (which more money would help us pay for even better)

People go on about Leeds getting their way currently but what is it currently that is giving us an advantage over others especially the big clubs that we wouldn't have if things went the way those owners want it to go?

WHAT....LIKE GRIDIRON.....jesus wept.....when will anyone see that the EMPEROR IS NAKED?

All we are asking for is to give us a FAIR chance...let us have a go...we are more than up to the task! More than up to it AND SO MUCH MORE!

Congratulations on taking a comment out of context.

Look at the parts of the sport that get people excited - that go viral - it's not the big bruising plays, but the flair, the skills and the trick plays. That's what gets people talking about any sport - be that Gridiron, basketball, RL or soccer. It's the Ronaldos and Messis of this world that kids aspire to be, not Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier.

And not withstanding any of that, the NFL reaches hundreds of millions of people in some of the world's biggest media markets. They can afford to be slightly more resistant to change than we can.

Super League clubs are worried as 4 could go down and the championship as become strong this is what the issue is

Certainly one or two will go down this year....maybe more.

At the moment, if we went into the middle 8's like they stand now.

Catalans and Huddersfield definitlye have enough to take care of Toronto, Toulouse, Featherstone and Halifax. Hull KR and Widnes would be difficult, it would be close in most games however I would probably still put my money on the SL outfit.

Actually... I take that back. In each game where the SL team meet Toronto - it would be like taking a paddle from a Canoeboy.

RUN WITH THE PACK - Oh... thats right, there isn't one.

It's a tough one, as both us ( KR ) and widnes have had a real bad run with injuries and are now on the verge of getting people back, aided with some recruitment could come in looking good at the right time. Catalans I think will nick 8th, and huddersfield have proven to be rocks and diamonds. I've watched them be both impressive, and down right awful.

Salford I think could be the worry - starting 17 is decent, but the lack of depth is starting to bite and a few more injuries and signing people like shorrocks as starters could be a recipe for disaster

Not a bloody chance



Toronto look like they will be a genuine challenge but Toulouse & co wont be anywhere near.
Of the other contenders, Leigh probably have the best chance but, they're not yet in a top 4 place.

Halifax & Fev, not a chance and London seem to be struggling.

Widnes are the only vulnerable side but, you would have to expect them to make a couple of signings.
Even with Toronto busting a gut, it could still be "as you were", when we start next season - unless there is a format change, in which case all bets are off.

The fixture scheduling is a little unknown at present and this could be THE major factor in deciding the MPG contestants.

Halifax beat leigh at home heavily and lost at leigh last week by a try in the last 2 mins but ok Leigh are far better than fax

and Wakefield hammered Wigan last week. Does that make us better than them overall?

They may of but the league table does not lie does it wigan are second so your point is invalid

where fax are 4th and leigh are 6th

Genuine question.
Do you really think that Fax are ready for or, actually want to be in SL at present ?

My reason behind suggesting Leigh is that, as a club, they have plenty of experience in the Middle 8's and they know what it takes to get through.
Halifax have made zero impact during the middle 8's and seem to have little ambition or, ability to actually gain promotion through this format.
There are some things that they have done exceptionally well though and they should be applauded for how they go about their business, I just think they are too far behind Toronto and the current SL clubs who they are likely to be up against.

To have a shot at the MPG, they need to beat the 3 Championship contenders and at least 1 SL club.
Do you think they can/will do that ??

Of course, it's the same for Leigh but, as I said previously, only Toronto look good enough to trouble the SL sides and POSSIBLY Leigh, if they can find their best form.

As for Fax having beaten Leigh already, yippee, get the flags out but, it means rock all in terms of their push for promotion.

Fax are a part time team. Along with Fev, the intensity required in the middle eights is too much to raise a realistic challenge. Toronto, Toulouse and Leigh may cause problems if SL clubs have injuries to key personnel, an element of luck and a fair ref.

Gary Hetherington has really shown himself to be a clown through all of this. Calling it a ‘power grab’ was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve seen when you consider the power that he and Wood have had for so long. It’s thanks to himself and Wood that we are in this position so for him to come out with the rubbish he did was pathetic. He’s only bothered about himself and Leeds and through that he’s helped to bring Super League on its backside. Eamonn McManus’ statement today more than shuts down his heartfelt ‘concerns’. An idiot and if I was a Leeds fan I’d be embarrassed. However , it’s great to finally see the demise of him.

Yes, Super League is on its backside because of the chief executive of the sports only commercially profitable club and the summer era's most successful club. Seriously give your head a shake.

Wood and GH have not presided over the demise of Super League. It is the twelve Super League chairmen that have done that (admittedly with various degrees of culpability) - including the three men who sad beside Elstone.

I also suspect that you're mistaken if you think that this is the demise of Hetherington. None of this works without Leeds. McMannus knows it, [url=http://www.totalrl.com/elstone-hopeful-super-league-can-convince-leeds-to-back-new-era/Elstone knows it[/url and, most importantly, Hetherington knows it

Leeds are in a strong position because they can both afford to take a broader view of the overall sport (Caddick is happy for them to just break even and not need his funding but Hetherington keeps posting profits). Plus, obviously, SL can't exactly ignore them not only because they are the largest club but also many of the key Super League corporate contacts and sponsors tend to start at Leeds before moving onto the wider sport (Tetleys, Engage etc).

The problems in Rugby League are very little to do with the clubs in the Championship - they are a convenient smoke screen, as to a degree are the RFL who have for the past few years provided central funding greater than ever before to the SL clubs but most of them still can't make their figures add up. Local factors are always much more important than what the RFL is up to in terms of club performance. Wigan lose hundreds of thousands of pounds each year because they have ever-falling crowds and a poor infrastructure which isn't helping them generate profits - that's not the RFL's fault and it's not Batley's fault. This lot talk about taking responsibility but will any of them admit to why their crowds are poor or why their clubs lose money?

Super league does need Leeds but nowhere near as much as Leeds need SL. SL would survive if the other 11 clubs wandered off...Toronto (or whoever) would join in taking the few half decent remaining Leeds players with them. Hetherington could then spend the entire summer putting bombs up to Golding in an empty revamped Headingley. Sure the Leeds fans would love Uncle Gary then. Be interesting to see how he reacts tomorrow to McManus when Leeds get sixty put on them.

Actually the way things are going the scrapping of the middle 8s might come too late for Leeds....now that would be funny.

It's a moot point as no-one is suggesting a league without Leeds but I don't imagine the other clubs would enjoy the effect on their TV deal if the best-rated club wasn't on every second week.

Guess we'll find out when Leeds get relegated in September.

Although it’s obviously sarcastic, with that first paragraph you’ve, rather stupidly, backed up my point. The point is Hetherington only cares about Leeds and himself, he couldn’t care less about Super League or the game in general.

So you’re suggesting that McManus, Lenagan and Moran are at fault for the demise of SL when they aren’t even in charge of the game? You’re just as much of a fool as Hetherington. Wood, Hetherington and the rest of them have all have presided over the demise of SL considering its collapsed under their watch.

I don’t even know what to say about that third paragraph. Are you seriously suggesting Leeds could break away from Super League? If true and clubs are 11vs1 on key issues then Leeds don’t have a leg to stand on. Hetherington’s power is diminishing, now his mate has been ousted, and he can’t handle it. You are well and truly deluded if you think that he had a big tantrum for any other reason.

Except you just have.