In my opinion they should have done it in a complete different way instead of tacking Toronto onto the championship/super league.

It should have been a combined effort from the RFL/NRL/South Sea Islands to create a 6 team comp in Canada with an even distribution of overseas players 10 per team the rest being the best of what Canadian players available.

That would be a 10 match comp with the top 3 teams coming over for 3 weeks to compete in a mini comp with the top 3 of the championship. That way you would have around 7 or 8 local players playing every week on a steeper learning curve.

At the moment Toronto are getting quite a lot of players near there sell by date which in turn means a large turnover of players, stability is required so the local fans can become associate identity with there team.

Feel free to come on over here and have a go.



Wolfpack went from League 1 to Championship in one season and have a reasonable chance to reach Super League after two. That's a huge step up for skill level and talent. We were not surprised by player turnover going into the 2018 season (although we were disappointed to lose some fan favourites) and fans fully expect more changes if we reach SL in 2019 - it's necessary to be competitive.

Craig Hall will be here on Saturday, he'll get a warm welcome.

He's not in the 19 man squad though.

No he won't, not in the 19 to travel !

My perspective is Toronto get into super league and I travel 3400 miles for our away game, when I get there I find my team are playing against a lot of ex Leigh and ex Salford players with a couple of Aussies thrown in and only get to see 1 or 2 Canadians playing the game.
How long would that situation transform into home grown talent with one team in isolation..........20+ years maybe.

That is very disappointing. He was well liked here, and not just for his ability to kick the ball onto the trams on King Street.

It's a good question and depends what route Wolfpack take and how the sport in general evolves across the country.

Locally, it took Toronto FC six years. Club was founded in 2005 and set up the academy in 2008 under the leadership of that fine bloke Danny Dichio. TFC signed its first academy graduate in 2011 and now there are seven homegrown in the squad. It's a good model.

Hey, we like those ex-Leigh players. We call them "Wolfpack" now.

You don’t have the Salary Cap to match the wages. The whole point of expansion is to develop. If you don’t do that,you simply don’t expand.

That’s the failings within the current game which has been exploited and abused. The game survives on youth, without it you have no game. All the money in the world may buy you a squad but it won’t develop the sport.

Whilst I agree with the centimente behind your post.

Toronto are a slightly special case. In that they were never going to do anything with regards youth straight away. Given that it's a totally new enterprise.
Now if in 5 years it's still the same situation and have only 1 or 2 canadian players in there squad. Then we can complain about it.

https://barrowrlfc.com/2018/06/statemen ... -the-club/

https://barrowrlfc.com/2018/06/statemen ... -the-club/

Blimey ! Another Cumbrian club struggling to 'make ends meet'.
"Barrowvians" never heard their fans callled that before, I like it !

That statement answers a few of the critics questions regarding Barrow not having a full team to put out , the RFL will ignore the position they are in at the expense of others.

This bit is confusing, how does them needing a cash boost equate to avoiding breaking the salary cap?
Also not surprised to read further down that the club offered two year deals to many players - some with increased wages if promotion was obtained.
This was always going to happen as soon as this league structure was voted in, as a Bradford fan I know this only too well.

Thats Whitehaven and Barrow that could go out of existence despite being a hot bed of players at grass roots level, while the RFL have there sights fully focussed across the Atlantic.

This is were Dr Kookypoo comes in.

Already involved at Bradford is Koukash.

It’s not the RFL’s fault that neither Barrow nor Whitehaven can add up.

Super League fan, you can now add Keighley to that list....



KEIGHLEY COUGARS CLUB STATEMENT:

We are releasing this statement to inform all involved with the Keighley Cougars that we recently came within hours of going out of existence.

This would have meant Keighley Rugby League, a staple of the Keighley community for 117 years and a place that has brought so much joy to those who have been involved with our great club, would have been consigned to nothing more than memory and the history book.

The borough of Keighley has a population of over 90,000 people and our average attendances are in the 600 region meaning that only 0.7% of our community support the club on a regular basis.

The reason behind this is our now former Chairman, Gary Fawcett, is currently reluctant to sell his shares in the club thus blocking any proposed takeover of Keighley Cougars and causing the club financial hardship.

As of the 29th June 2018 after paying players contract payments, the club bank balance currently stands at a sum of £34.23.

Let me guess, it's the RFL's fault that only 600 people care about Keighley Cougars?

Rugby League Club Chairman is an incompetent fool. Hardly breaking news. Nor is it the RFL’s fault.

who said it was ?

At least they have a reserves team.

Correct Terry, nobody has blamed the rfl, he keeps making it up.

Nero (RFL) fiddled whilst Rome burned comes to mind. Does anybody know what Brian Barwick does to promote and increase participation in our game.

Toronto have received absolutely no financial assistance from the RFL, they are the only club who don’t receive any central funding and pay for away teams travel and accommodation. I don’t see what Barrow’s Whitehaven’s and Keighley’s financial problems have to do with Toronto. In fact when those clubs hosted The Wolfpack, they got their highest attendance in years,