Specifically, do you mind if Toulouse, Toronto,and Montreal join Super League under promotion and relegation, which means at the expense of a traditional heartland club?

I would prefer licensing to be reinstated, with non-English clubs and London Broncos, if they can make it to the tier of top 4 clubs in the Championship, and have a solid business plan, be added to the existing roster of Super League clubs.

However if we retain promotion and relegation, I would want that the new non-English clubs be appointed to Super League, as add-ons to the existing roster, and given at least five years exemption from relegation.

Nevertheless if Toulouse, Toronto, Montreal and London can make it under the existing rules of promotion and relegation, then it will be a brilliant achievement.

Where's the option - I couldn't give two hoots either way?

The three options are spelled out in the poll.

Not cost effective and damaging to English player participation.

Have you picked Montreal at random? Why not Madrid, Rome, or Casablanca??

simple answer, if they're good enough they will make it. If not they won't, this isn't the cash rich NRL whereby teams from far afield can be parachuted in and supported by the governing body. Most Fans and Owners put their own clubs above anything else so hardly going to see turkeys voting for xmas

Well said

Good topic Jeanette - I think all three would be an improvement on Catalans.

I didn't pick Montreal at random. I was basing it on the comments of Eric Perez -- the power behind Toronto -- who has stated that Montreal will follow Toronto at some point in the future. Perez is the sports business whiz who could well revolutionise rugby league in the northern hemisphere.

I am shocked at the poll results so far. As of now 32% of voters don't want Toulouse, Toronto and Montreal in Super League at all.

It is a minority but it is a disturbing "Little Englander" minority.

Quality of Rugby League is dropping why fragment it even further. If its a long term objective we are probably talking 25 to 50 years with the current funding to our sport. https://www.the-newshub.com/other-sport ... -wont-work

Quality of Rugby League is dropping why fragment it even further. If its a long term objective we are probably talking 25 to 50 years with the current funding to our sport. https://www.the-newshub.com/other-sport ... -wont-work

We still come back to what it is that the sport wants over the next 5,10 or 20 years.

There is loads of merit in getting a stronger French opposition and having a new playing nation (which sounds like it has some excellent potential)

If they join the current league structure, there is every chance that the "new" clubs will yo-yo between The Championship (when they get there) and SL and that will put the skids under their progress, just as it would for any current English club.

If the game is serious about helping The French and Canadian game then a sensible Franchise system is the only way that it could succeed.

Of course, in an ideal world, an independent competition in both countries would be a much better option but, this would be impossible in anything like the short or even the medium term.

Equally, IF we are serious about this, then there should be a renegotiation of the sky deal and lets at least get some decent income from the TV rights.

At the moment it just looks like a mish mash of ideas that The RFL are hoping will work but, it needs proper planning and serious thought given to how the game would be structured.

Can you imagine how playing a French club(s) and Toronto would work if they (along with Catalan) were in the Middle 8's (or Super 8's).
The travelling for the players and the fans (who seem less and less important) would be an absolute nightmare.

would the RFL be as happy if say either of Leeds, Wigan, Saints, Wire etc approached the NRL and had an agreement to play there if a wealthy benefactor covered the NRL teams travel costs to UK... They could play the games in blocks ie 6 home games, then 6 away during the period when the Origin is being played...etc etc....it's no more an absurd idea than travelling to Canada and back.....

YOU should know you little Englander

Other than Europe having a fully professional league already, and Canada being a lot closer to Europe than Australia.

Little Englander

Bit of a difference in Canads (7 1/2 hours) and Aus (22 hours) plus, increased jet lag etc.

Chorley voted 56.8% to leave the EU, you would think he would be used to 'it' by now.

Leave Chorley out of this. I am sitting here in bloody Europe, not Chorley.

Chorley is in Europe. So, correct you are sitting in Bloody Europe.

There wasn't an option, " Toulouse OK but not the North Americans"

I am sitting in continental Europe, not on an offshore island.

Of course you are ...

42% think that if a foreign team gets promoted into super league they shouldn't be allowed in?

Really? (Can't see the poll results on my iPad for some reason). Surely if they win they have as much right to be in super league as anyone else.

I agree very much with wrencats post on the previous page. It depends very much what the long term plan is, but the worst possible structure for aspiring clubs is the one we currently have.

If we were committed to expansion, or even just getting some teams out of the championship we would be better off tearing the whole thing up and going back to franchising but doing it properly in terms of teams meeting the criteria.

I can't be the only one that thinks for example if franchising had been administered properly Leigh would probably be in SL right now, in the place of Wakey or Salford.

In either system it is a case of if you are good enough you get in, but if done properly franchising is equally about how well a club goes off the field, which for the game, but maybe not for some fans, is the most important thing.

I'm a little torn on the subject. Expansion is vital for the future of the sport, but I don't think parachuting random worldwide teams into the English structure is the best way. I have no issue with the likes of Toronto. But the long term plan has to be for them to be participating in a strong Canadian league. The same goes for the French teams.

I don't think a "World League" works on any level.