Some clubs don't want Sooper Dooper League. Hunslet & Dewsbury won 'league one/play off final' (as it was back then), and doubt Batley want it either.

Take a bow, Sir!

What an exercise in futility it is though. The scorelines will likely be higher when Toronto play at home, and could conceivably hit 3 figures. There could be a few thousand fans there who won't actually get to see a proper game of rugby, just an annihilation - will they return?

You could argue that they have achieved in 1 year what it took Leeds,Wigan,Saints,Giants and all the rest a hundred years to achieve

Daft argument

Happy for you to provide a sensible answer to accomadate the whole sport ?

Not really, I doubt Toronto could claim to be on the same level as those clubs yet, although they would probably be able to outspend some SL clubs who still don't spend the full cap. But that's not the point, the point is that in less than one year they have clearly been able to surpass to a ludicrous extent clubs with 60+ years history. And you can't blame Toronto or the RFL for that.

The best answer is one where the strongest clubs are in the highest division. Which is what we had, but people didn't like it. So now we have a system where meek part time clubs are being toweled and nobody can complain about it IMO because this is what they wanted.

a lot of finger pointing at the RFL and Toronto

most people expected blow out scores, it wasnt going to be difficult to see that! but they are abiding by the rules of the game, starting from the bottom and spending what they are allowed too, sanctioned and pushed by other clubs chairman irrc


just a side point, why isnt anybody questioning keighley then? gave the wolfpack a game the other week yet went 2 points better than them on the pitch this weekend beating hemel 6-84!

As others have said, it's a pointless year and must be boring to play in and it certainly isn't great to watch, I suppose a bit like Rovers, but not sure what choice the RFL had.

Agree with the posters above questioning why they are still signing players, would be better playing 2/3 young players each week, they would still win easily, but would help future development.

I imagine that this year is more about them learning about the issues they have off the field than on it, mainly about the logistics of being a transatlantic team.

Hemel shouldn't be in this league for the completely opposite reason. They are currently conceding an average of 66 points per game so far this year so it's no surprise Keighley put 84 on them, just as Barrow put 82 past them recently. God knows how many Toronto will beat them by especially as the game is in Canada.

I was hoping someone would mention Keighley!

League 1 is in transition. It always will be a mix of old clubs struggling, new clubs struggling, ambitious new clubs, ambitious old clubs, sleeping giants, etc. That's what you'll get down there.

It feels like people want to complain when a new club come in for any reason they can find...
They're too rich
They're not rich enough
They're too far away
There's a club close enough
They shouldn't be in this league
They should be in that league
They've got to prove themselves
They're too good for this league
They should have to field locals
They aren't strong enough with locals.

Seriously, what do people want?!

Shame on the teams being hammered. But it's the fairest way. Judging how Bradford are doing, it would be a shame if Bradford were put in League 1 and their place went to Toronto.

Cant for the life of me think why Wolfpack are wasting money on players coming to the end of their careers and are not needed.
If they go the season undefeated, isnt that far more of a turn off to a fan than games that least pretend to be competitive?

Typical Rugby League, you can give people Utopia and they'd complain about the colour of the curtains.

Blowouts in League 1 aren't uncommon, it's just where the club is based that some folk clearly don't like. Toronto now has 4 pubs showing the games live throughout the city and the closest to Lamport, the Brazen Head, is getting busier each week. There is a significant buzz about Toronto having a winning team for a change when you're used to the Leafs ;o)

People know this year will likely be an easy start, but many are appreciating that start from the bottom, playing smaller clubs with histories, they are learning the game and appreciate the smaller, community game for what it is as the base for the whole sport. Let the new fans grow too, show a little patience. Should more North American teams enter with more funds coming from more lucrative TV deals over here, should more fans over here demand Rugby League be shown the better off all of Rugby League will be.

As far as travel goes, with costs covered for the next 3 years, it comes down to arranging with employers which, in reality, shouldn't be much of an issue as it's a chance to promote themselves as well if it's viewed that way. Take a leaf out of Toronto's playbook and create some buzz about it.

^^^^^ This, this and thrice this!

yet they chose to play in the league still, so will expect these results

It's shock and awe tactics. Plus, I suppose it could be argued that there is little point in putting novice North Americans in there and then getting rid of them all next season when they won't be good enough for the Championship. Still, you would think the squad they had was already big enough and more than good enough.

Like Oxford, Hemel, South Wales Ironmen, Skolars, Gloucestershire, Newcastle and Coventry?

Hemel and Skolars have been going over 20 years, Coventry nearly that long, and Newcastle is a former SL club with one of the most interesting histories in the entire sport.

Won't be any trouble with baldness in your house with that hair splitting talent…

Yes really , it took those clubs 100 years to become full time proffessional ,so having a pop at Doncaster is pathetic

Toronto haven't actually played a match in Toronto yet , but you claim them to be a ' strong club '

What most people want is a SL consisting of big city clubs playing to packed out crowds in modern stadia , as long as their particular club is part of it , and winning it regularly in some cases

Other than that they couldn't care less how else or where else RL is played

Paul Rowley , he likes having lots of players to choose from and loves battering opposition teams , makes his ' stats ' look really impressive

So when do you think we might actually see a genuine real Canadian/American in the 17 ?

Then following your reasoning these clubs are all pi55 poor excuses for RL clubs then , 20 years and they've achieved absolutely ZILCH

Ryan Burroughs has already had game time

It is a conundrum , or are you suggesting we have to ignore the clubs we do have , but put structures in place to suit non existent clubs that might just one day turn up ?

Toronto Wolfpack RL Club didn't exist when the current structure was decided

That is legitimately one of the dumbest arguments I've seen from you. That's like saying it took humans millions of years to generate electricity, yeah it did but if someone is living in a house without electricity now, in 2017, then they are probably struggling in some way. The point is that there was nothing stopping Doncaster from doing everything Toronto did over the past year and being equally as strong as Toronto are now. They just didn't do it. And yeah, I think it is fair to say that Toronto probably are stronger than Doncaster considering they won 82-6 and we have a bunch of people talking about how it's unfair that they even have to try and compete.