Confirmed by the BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/53474508

Confirmed by the BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/53474508

I would have a bit of sympathy, but they can’t claim poverty after the contracts they have given out to players.
You can’t just decide when and when you don’t want to take part.
They should now be the relegated team (as they will have 0 points at the end of the year). They can’t expect to come back into SL for 2021.

So they will pull out this season, but they say they still "fully intend to field a team in the 2021 season". As Tommy Cooper would say " Just Like That" Charming!!

So who gets the 12th spot in SL if not Toronto in 2021. Championship unlikely to play this season.

Presumably the SL will not relegate their Canadian branch but what penalty will they have imposed on them. It must be a points deduction at the very least. Makes you wonder if any other SL teams will now decide they can't afford to play the rest of the season.

Agrred, if Salford can manage it, then Toronto surely could, they just don't want to.

Well nobody as it's most likely a few clubs may volunteer to take their place then how do you decide?

There was a suggestion SKY are furious about this, They pay for an Elite League and a full competition.

The players have a case that they were not contracted to a charade nor will they allow their own player welfare to be thrown to one side.

Sure someone can pick up the pieces if someone bankrolls it but how would a squad of say 24 championship players go, masquerading as TWP?

Like I say they probably need expunging like Streatham & Mitcham were in 1937. The game survived that. It would be big news then chip paper the day later.

After all the bluff and bluster, and ridiculous pretence from the American dream it's probaby time to take it on the chin and stop it all now and that includes Perez, and Wilby - but I dunno if there will be a cost.

Toronto Wolfpack "fully intend to field a team in the 2021 season"


If the championship does not resume the 2020 season then the only fair outcome for Toronto in the 2021 season is League One with a twenty point deduction.

The TW situation is hightly embarrassing, Canada is just too far IMO; the PRO 14 have 2 S African sides in, but they are based in S Africa, and there's only a couple of hours time difference, 5 hours it too many, 3 should be the maximum. Also just to say again, IMO we should bring back continuous live rucks, and get rid of the scrum, call the ruck a loose-scrum most of the time, and the tackle area or ruck on occasions. Ban being able to kick the ball in a forwards direction. IMO bring Leigh or Fev into SL next season, and bring back licensing.

That's because the SKY deal goes to the end of the 2021 season but come 2022 there will be no American clubs. Not after all this nonsense. Having said this there aren't any now.



Please don't suggest real clubs in Championship one have to put up with what is left of them? Or the phoney Ottawa and New York.

Not sure what is left of TWP? A load of snake oil and T-Shirts with Wolfpack written on them? A load of unpaid bills.

Featherstone Rovers lost the million pound game last year. They should be invited to take Toronto’s place in 2020 and relegation should be scrapped, allowing them to build for 2021. Toronto cannot pick and choose when they want to play. If that’s the case, many clubs would be better financially by refusing to play in 2020 and coming back in 2021.

Mate - a good honest solution, if it's OK with the other good honest clubs, but to both our disappointment it seems those in charge want to make the charade into a full blown pantomime.

As much as I’m anti-Toronto, it just wouldn’t be cricket to relegate them especially as it’s looking like the Championship isn’t restarting and rumours of scrapping P+R for this year anyway.

A 12 point deduction and a suspended fine is the way to go.

Mate, the sole owner and bankroller is gone and so are his cronies - and the contracted players who actually did their job want out on a breach of contract so there isn't anything left to "punish" is there?......

Club doles our massive contracts to high-profile players.
Club complains about salary cap.
Club complains about not being allowed to break salary cap.
Club asks for money from other clubs, despite said massive contracts to players who other clubs might have wanted to sign.
Club doesn’t pay suppliers.
Club doesn’t pay players.
Club decides they don’t want to play this season.

Relegation to the Championship would be a mild sanction.

There needs to be swift action and a severe punishment or other clubs will take the same option as TW.

Leigh are the only Championship club with a stadium suitable for Super League and should replace Toronto.

Widnes have a 14,000 all seater stadium more than capable of holding rugby in what is becoming a farce of a competition, not to mention one of the most competitive academies year in year out, despite being a league below

I don’t know what route the rfl will go down. There needs to be severe punishment or what’s stopping other clubs stepping forward doing the exact same, to save costs.

The team I feel for is Fev, having worked their off all year to get into a final, to get beat by a non sustainable franchise.

I’m not a Toronto fan but once they were in SL, i wanted it to work. I wanted them to bring quality over to the super league, sign some super stars and put on a show. But if you want to hand stupid contracts out to sonny bill and Leutele hoping for short term success, but when hits the fan you don’t want to bank roll it, move on. I believe they should be booted from super league but how they go about replacing them, is anyone’s guess right now

The problem with Widnes is do they have a stable financial situation, and do they have a team capable of being competitive in SL? The same questions also apply to Leigh, but I think the answers are better.

I think TWP have gone and burnt their bridges with SL and the RFL and they won't be coming back from this. The hubris of the Sonny Bill Williams signing has come back to bite them in a massive way.

Could the league go ahead without them, giving each team a 'by' for the upcoming games? That way, the Championship could continue as is, and whoever win that is promoted. IF Toronto do not come back, so be it. Itv was always likely that they wold have been relegated in any case.

It is likely that they may continue, as the main reasons that they cannot continue are COVID19 restrictions and as a consequences VISA restrictions. Unless of course they get dispensation from the Home Office?

I think going part time has done Widnes the world of good. We’re still facing issues from the pandemic like every club right now, but we will come out of it fine. Over the years I’ve actually like Derek Beaumont’s contribution towards Leigh, take my hat off to him. But at the same he has also been very hot and cold. All in/all out approach. Kind of spat his dummy out and wrote a season or two off until Toronto we’re out the way.

I believe both Widnes and Leigh would be up there as top contenders, possibly even Toulouse if the rfl want to continue down the expansion route and gamble with two French teams, why not

Yeah I’d say Toronto definitely have to be relegated. Based on current issues and standings, giving them a 12 point deduction next season for me is a pointless exercise only to prolong the inevitable

Fingers crossed they find a way to restart the championship and the GF final rightfully should take TWP place. Otherwise it would come down to cherry picking your best suitable team from the leagues below.

Oh dear oh dear . well i am not going to be one of those who says i told you so (but i did

) . Obviously the Virus has speeded things up but it was never going to work long term . Do i feel sorry for the players involved , not really , most were looking at easy money or topping up their pensions . We need to get over this as quick as possible and that means none of this oh we will be back next year rubbish . Just throw them out now , organize a small comp with clubs in the championship even a knock out cup and promote the winners for 2021

The plastic pitch at Widnes is unsuitable for super league rugby.

Leigh were competitive during their recent season in Super league when they did not finish bottom.
They won six matches including putting fifty points on Wigan and beating St Helens, Warrington, Huddersfield, Salford and Hull.

The pitch is fine. Especially since it has been upgraded and resurfaced.

Definitely a pointless argument going off previous super league campaigns. If a team does replace Toronto, they’ll be odds on to finish bottom and in the relegation spot, regardless of who it is

More worrying thing is, they had a game against Hull KR in two weeks. The season needs addressing and fast.

Owner throws toy away
Owner looks to buy in at Melbourne storm instead.