Regards

King James

I think this is potentially all reward and no risk for the RFL, the backers also seem like the sort of people we want in our sport.

My biggest question, and one which I have been thinking about in terms of Catalan, is what is the long term plan. While on one hand it's great to be welcoming new teams and markets (and in Catalans case it finally seems like new contenders) should we be happy with just the odd team from here and the odd team from there?

Imo the goal has to be to get them involved with our structure, make sure their competitive and well run, then send them back in a couple of years with all the information and infrastructure they've gained to set up a competitive professional league.

That should be the long term goal.

100% correct.
yet unfortunately our system puts teams in Super League based solely on on field results.

wouldnt suprise me if superleague ended up like the super 15s southern hemisphere union in 10 years time

clubs in 3 or 4 countries, we'll have uk, france, canada maybe usa

Seen an irate Warrington fan who thinks it's "ridiculous" that they've been allowed to have the name Wolfpack and the RFL should've made them change it as its too similar to Warrington's Wolves name.

Can't wait to see a picture of 3 Toronto fans stood next to a wall with the name "Wolvepack" written on it

"it's a cracker" !

Does Richard 'Geek' Lewis still work at the RFL ?

God help one of the SL clubs in the mid 8s next year. They'll probably be sacrificial lambs to the great god SKY.

No, having put the game on a path towards more than a decade of growth, tired of the internecine struggles and vested interests, Richard Lewis left for more pay, prestige and to run a competition with a world wide profile.

But what do we do with the likes of Oxford, Hemel, South Wales, Coventry, Gloucester, & Newcastle. Try and find those clubs a 'multi-millionaire' backer like Toronto have, and let them exceed the salary cap so they can go full-time, sign decent players etc ? IT'S NOT WORKING WITH THOSE TEAMS (where none of the fans wear flat caps), where should we try next, I know, Canada ! FANTASTIC IDEA.

its not working with the flat cap sides either.

There is more point in trying and failing with Toronto or Toulouse than trying and failing again with Leigh or Halifax or Oldham

If you or anyone else can find those clubs a millionaire backer or even any kind of backer then that would be great.

Newcastle has one, he just spends his money on the union team!

very funny. Personally I think the RFL should target Africa next, how about Chad ? Always wanted to go there, imagine (for example) Chad Invincibles v Leigh Centurions....BRING IT ON !

Quote ="Budgiezilla"very funny. Personally I think the RFL should target Africa next, how about Chad ? Always wanted to go there, imagine (for example) Chad Invincibles v Leigh Centurions....BRING IT ON ! '" The RFL do not 'target' anywhere outside of the UK, or indeed inside the UK, as they are the governing body for the sport in England. The RLEF in fact are targeting Africa as part of their Commonwealth development strategy, Burundi being the latest African nation to take up the sport. www.rlef.eu.com/news/article/122 ... joins-rlef

Quote ="Budgiezilla"very funny. Personally I think the RFL should target Africa next, how about Chad ? Always wanted to go there, imagine (for example) Chad Invincibles v Leigh Centurions....BRING IT ON ! '" The RFL do not 'target' anywhere outside of the UK, or indeed inside the UK, as they are the governing body for the sport in England. The RLEF in fact are targeting Africa as part of their Commonwealth development strategy, Burundi being the latest African nation to take up the sport. www.rlef.eu.com/news/article/122 ... joins-rlef

Prime example of one of the Luddites spotted on social media this evening.

Coincidentally, they're often fans of a 'flatcap' club, languishing in the Championship/League 1. It must be fear. How dare a new club be better funded, better run, be more ambitious and contribute more than a 'flatcap' club. How dare they? Don't they realise this is Rugby League, where we keep having to undersell ourselves in order for those small time flatcap clubs to keep up?

The RFL didn't "target" Toronto. Toronto targeted the RFL and their competitions, so your analogy of the RFL targeting Chad is misplaced. Although it wouldn't take too much for Chad Invincibles to contribute more to the table than Leigh do currently.

No need to be bitchy ! So if Hull FC were based in a small town, owned their own goround (imagine that) attracted around 700 fans, but had no backer, and were in championship one, you'd be 'all for' WORLD EXPANSION wouldn't you! Folk like you make me laugh, all the 'expansion lovers' are 95% fans of teams who have only ever been in Super League...."we're alright jack, and all that !" How many other UK Sports 'FEEL THE NEED' to have overseas teams in their domestic leagues ? It's not ground breaking, it's pathetic. Catalan Dragons are having an amazing season so far, but when France play England next time around, they will have no chance of winning (as per usual)'. That's progress for you. Hopefully in a few years, Canada will be able to beat the Chad 'national team'!

Quote ="Budgiezilla"No need to be bitchy ! So if Hull FC were based in a small town, owned their own goround (imagine that) attracted around 700 fans, but had no backer, and were in championship one, you'd be 'all for' WORLD EXPANSION wouldn't you! Folk like you make me laugh, all the 'expansion lovers' are 95% fans of teams who have only ever been in Super League...."we're alright jack, and all that !" How many other UK Sports 'FEEL THE NEED' to have overseas teams in their domestic leagues ? It's not ground breaking, it's pathetic. Catalan Dragons are having an amazing season so far, yet when they England next time around, the French team will still get 'thrashed'. That's progress for you. Hopefully in a few years, Canada will be able to beat the Chad 'national team'!'" Chad do not have a 'national team' but last year Canada were able to draw with a Jamaica side that had a large number of Championship players such as Omari Caro, Joel Farrell and Wayne Reittie. www.rlef.eu.com/wcq/report?RLE00000665 BTW the Toronto team was unanimously voted in by the rest of the League One clubs.

Quote ="Budgiezilla"No need to be bitchy ! So if Hull FC were based in a small town, owned their own goround (imagine that) attracted around 700 fans, but had no backer, and were in championship one, you'd be 'all for' WORLD EXPANSION wouldn't you! Folk like you make me laugh, all the 'expansion lovers' are 95% fans of teams who have only ever been in Super League...."we're alright jack, and all that !" How many other UK Sports 'FEEL THE NEED' to have overseas teams in their domestic leagues ? It's not ground breaking, it's pathetic. Catalan Dragons are having an amazing season so far, yet when they England next time around, the French team will still get 'thrashed'. That's progress for you. Hopefully in a few years, Canada will be able to beat the Chad 'national team'!'" Chad do not have a 'national team' but last year Canada were able to draw with a Jamaica side that had a large number of Championship players such as Omari Caro, Joel Farrell and Wayne Reittie. www.rlef.eu.com/wcq/report?RLE00000665 BTW the Toronto team was unanimously voted in by the rest of the League One clubs.

There is a club in Hull which fits my description perfectly. Like Leigh, they're small time and contribute the square root of fk all to the sport. And Hull FC haven't always been in Superleague. 1997 was one of my most memorable seasons in fact.

The sport has to at some point move forward, and they wont do with badly run, small clubs holding the good ones back. If Leigh or any other club feel threatened by it, then it's time to up their game.

So what you're really saying is that your scared that Toronto or another expansion team is going to overtake your team and make it harder for your club to reach SL?

Wouldn't that be an "as long as we're alright Jack!" attitude?

Most just want to see the sport do well and become bigger and IF Toronto can be a success then North America offers so much potential and money to make the game bigger that RL should at least try and give this a chance. Nothing in reality is lost if it doesn't work, but if it does then the sport can gain potentially quite a lot.

Being Bitchy once again (re Hull KR). OK Einstein, where do the RFL 'draw the line'. Their are probably nearly 20 clubs in the bottom 2 leagues who average under gates of a 1000 speccys, and produce bugger all talent for Sooper League clubs (unlike Leigh of course). Do they gradually replace them with any City in Europe with a financial backer....and see how it goes.
p.s. How can Leigh Centurions 'up their game' expert ?

Finishing higher than 8th in the Middle 8 would be a good start.

Who are Toronto replacing? If any cities come along with a financial backer and a viable business plan then they should be accepted, and if that means we get a league full of bigger and better teams than Leigh then that's great news for the sport and everyone involved.

You realise that Toronto aren't 'replacing' anyone don't you? They're being added to League 1, to compete with existing clubs.

You've just completely nailed the argument. 20 clubs attracting less than 1000 speccies to games (to use your figures), yet you'd turn one away that could attract thousands, open the sport to a new market, produce players, attract investment? Bizarre logic.

This venture will fall flat on its ars3 within the first six months.

Good thing you support a wholly sustainable club that has never run into instability or financial problems.