The wigan period was a golden era for watching the game..88-94 is the last time we really truly got close to the Aussies It made everyone else lift up a level even though they couldn't really stop them winning the silver. I say that as a Leeds fan who were one of the also rans of that period.

Oh yeah and just about bankrupt the sport, causing the shift to summer rugby, let's go down that path all over again.
Toronto seem to be running their business model on a similar style.

We’ve rarely had a problem getting close to the Aussies. It’s beating them that's the problem.

I see that era, the 80’s and 90’s, as utterly disastrous for the sport. And I don’t really blame Wigan for it, I blame the sport as a whole. They all spent way beyond their means, spent on players, not on youth production, not on marketing, not on facilities, not on club infrastructure. The sport bankrupted itself in that era and has been scrabbling around desperately searching for short term cash ever since.

The sport got almost everything wrong in that era in my opinion.

Not only does the poll not work, the linky thing doesn't work either!
Anyway, I voted Fev, I like my little jaunts to West Yorkshire on a Sunday.
As an aside, I was quite impressed with Mark Wilson as main Sky commentator for the Toulouse/Fev game, I would be happy to see him back next season as a regular.

No doubt Toronto. The game doesn't need another Northern English side in Superleague.

We have enough of those already.

A tough one to call..

If Toronto gain promotion, the troll collective on here will flooding the site with even more expansion guff.

If Fev get promoted, the troll collective will be up in arms about it and will be flooding the site with anti Fev guff.

Sod the Troll collective and lets flood the forum with actual fans of the game


Going to Toronto will be a one off event, whereas going to Fev, especially from Wakefield, will be a breeze.
Travel, Beer and accommodation (should you need it) will all be cheaper in Fev, a club with a rich RL history, in a proper (albeit small) RL town (villiage).

Back in the day the Boxing Day and New Year fixtures against Fev were excellent.
Lots of mates supporting both sides and a few beers afterwards, happy days



I realise that, even if they make it, they may struggle to sustain their place in the top flight but, I'd rather see Fev prosper, than Toronto, all day long.

Can someone explain to me why people wanting Toronto to win aren't real rugby league fans?

C'mon, embarrass yourselves...

Not at all, but I've read plenty of guff from the other side suggesting wanting fev to win is what's holding the game back !

If fev do the job it will be a phenomenal achievement considering the obstacles, not just playing 4 road games, not just going to France and Canada but look at that Toronto team, littered with SL and NRL talent.

I certainly don't wanna sound condescending towards fev, who have achieved many great things in years gone by in RL but this would be a dream come true for maybe 2 generations worth of fans.

Many years ago they were cruelly denied top flight RL, I hope they get their redemption on Saturday.

Everyone is free to support whoever they want.
Toronto being part of a European competition is frankly, a joke and personally, I dont believe it's sustainable in the long term.

One thing I do admire though, is the ability of Perez nd his successors to sell RL to new fans, which Toronto have done, very, very well.
However, travelling halfway round the world for weekly fixtures is just mad - end of story.

Everyone who watches and enjoys the sport are real fans and everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
However, the days of being able to follow a side home and away throughout the season have become nigh on impossible and the game is poorer for it

I want Toronto out of the championship.

Featherstone got where they are due to Leeds dual reg. Although they have a great coach.

Fev don't stand a chance from the match officials though.

I'll enjoy a bet on Fev with a 12 points start on the coupon, and may the best team win, without any referee controversy

On this site, and in seriously media, it is far more the other way in terms of guff being spread.

I won't deny there are some fans of expansion who love to stick the boot in, but there is far less venom in what they say compared to the anti-Toronto groups.

Reading through this thread and some of the bile from so called fans of the game makes it clear what is holding the game back -and it's not a club from the other side of the Atlantic, or wanting a particular club to succeed; it's fans who spread hate within their own sport.

Really ?

Really what?

I think you need an HIA.

Can't wait to read the meltdown on here when Toronto claim their place in Super League. Be even worse next season when the like a of Wakefield & Huddersfield are dragged into a relegation scrap with them too.

Don't think there will be a meltdown because anyone with a brain knows they've lost 1 game all season therefore are massive favourites and expected to get promoted.

Reading through this thread and some of the bile from so called fans of the game makes it clear what is holding the game back -and it's not a club from the other side of the Atlantic, or wanting a particular club to succeed; it's fans who spread hate within their own sport.

While there is always rivalry between fans of different clubs and there are some genuine and serious reservations about the Toronto experiment (and I use "experiment" quite deliberately), you cant seriously blame the existing RL fans holding back the sport.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Toronto have been superb in the way that they have sold RL to virgin RL fans and even allowing for "inflation" on their attendance numbers, someone over there has done a great job of selling the sport and for me, it is the ability to market and promote our sport which is lacking and very little to do with the fans that already watch the game over her.

If anything, our sport has relied to heavily on extracting more and more from the "same" group of fans and has abjectly failed to generate sufficient new interest in the game.

If you go back to the last world cup, where England performed pretty well.
The first international game following this was a mid week game v France at Leigh.

In just about any other sport, this fixture would have been sold out weeks in advance.

However, in RL, you have to be searching like hell to even know that these fixtures are taking place.
Myself and a group of lads were there from Wakefield but the attendance, for a full international was around 5000, which is just pitiful and the tickets were about £15 (I cant remember the exact figure).
The next international was at the Hull FC ground (KC/K Com) and again the crowd was poor.

Until "we" can promote these fixtures (and others) to new fans, the game will remain on it's booty, it's got absolutely zip to do with "bile form some so called fans".

You dont seem able to accept that not everyone buys into having N.American sides in SL, which is your prerogative.
I just dont agree with you.

NOBODY has "sold" the idea very well or, explained what the medium long term strategy is for developing the game over there.
If the "plan" is to, at some point, have a SL of, say 4, N. American sides, plus 2 French sides and only 6 UK sides in SL, I think that the game in the UK will die and despite having watched RL seriously for 30+ years, I would certainly walk away as a Trans Atlantic competition, with Leeds, Hull, Warrington, Wigan, Saints +1 has absolutely no appeal.

Sorry if that makes me bitter or full of bile but, that is MY opinion.

Toronto will get promoted I just don’t see them been around in 5 years time the cracks are already there unpaid suppliers stopping the TV games paying ridiculous money to average players getting no sky money and letting fans in for free it’s not a sustainable business model

I'm hoping Toronto win on Saturday to save us all from having to endure the disgraceful behavior of the Fev fans in 2020. Biggest set of neanderthals to follow RL in the UK ever.

do they throw smoke bombs onto pitches?

Probably.

You are entitled to your opinion. Bitterness would be you lacking reasons behind it, which you have articulated well.
Unfortunately, too many (way too many) don't. It really does hold the game back. It's ok for us who were born and bred it, but try bringing someone from outside the game in to join the sh*tshow online about new clubs.

They are diabolical. They could start a fight in an empty room.

The last fev game I was at they set a fire work off when Leeds were lining up a conversation at 68-10 . It was 4.30pm on a bright August afternoon.



I still want fev to win though.