What support as any club brought to wakefield in the form of head count from any named club from the London region ? Or any other northern based club? Then ask yourself what number of supporters would have Bradford brought over to a game at our place?

Also mentions mergers that old chestnut

THe solution to the North American clubs wanting to play RL and promote the game in a new country is to help them get the game off the ground and if necessary, temporarily, increase SL to allow this to happen, with a long term view for the game to stand alone in a North American League or, something along those lines.
It should not be as a direct detriment to the "domestic" game.
So, why not ad one or two new clubs to SL, it doesn't seem that difficult but, there MUST be additional revenue, from either TV or other external sponsorship, to make it worthwhile for everyone, if not, we are burdening all SL clubs with additional cost and with nothing in return.
Of course there are significant logistical issues, especially at the end of the season with play offs etc.
However, IF RL could establish itself in Canada and/or the US, it could be huge for the game, huge and let's face it, RL could do with a boost.
The key is not to move forward with the "experiment" for free, there has to be some significant financial benefit to the game and not just crossed fingers.

Have Toronto got any Canadian players in their ranks? Or are they just another Catalans, only really far away?

Some good points there Wrencat

Do you ever want nations outside the North of England, 2 provinces of Australia and a small part of France to play RL ?
Without some help. it will NEVER happen.
There may be a different way but, nobody seems to be aware of one ??

If the sport doesnt grow and increase it's profile, it will disappear into the ether and will be like shove 'appeny, played in pubs and clubs up north, not really enough to get us on tv and generate enough cash to pay professional athletes, in the toughest of all sports, something close to what they deserve.

AS I say, there may be another way but, we're certainly not blessed with options.

I find Toronto exciting. 8K watching League one rugby league? What will it be like when the decent teams start playing there?

It's also the perfect slot for rugby league. NFL finishes at the end of January. Rugby league begins early February. Absolutely perfectly poised to provide much needed biff for the NFL fans.

The away support won't count for much, but then again, neither does it from Salford. Imagine if it attracted real interest financially in North America? There'll be plenty of college wide receivers who aren't going to make the NFL who'll fancy a go.

My gut feeling, however, is that they'll have their eye on the NRL, not the Super League. That's where the money is, the razzmattazz, and I suspect any rugby league following is through watching NRL on Fox, not from watching Eddie commentate on a Widnes-v-Leigh game.

I'm with you on all counts; I think a temporary increase in SL numbers to support the development of these new teams is fairly easily done, and seems like a good idea - but you can bet your backside that if it looks like working, the NRL will prove a much bigger draw, and the amateurs who run SL will be left high and dry, wondering where their new BFF's have gone.

Although you are right, that the NRL is a far bigger draw for anyone wanting to "pull" big money from RL, it's 21 hours + from Toronto to Sydney, compared with 8 hours from Toronto to Manchester, which would mean significantly more issues with travel and jet lag etc.
Everything comes back to risk vs reward and good planning and these issues make you feel nervous.

Let them start their own bloody league instead of invading ours!!!!!!

Great post with many good points,
A proper league in the states can do nothing but good for the game, if we needed to help nurture that by having a couple of teams in the league I would be all for it, as longs as it was adding them and not at the expense oh heart land teams

The talent pool and sponsorship over there could be almost endless which would benefit us as well as America, we need to embrace this

Our sport really deserves a break, maybe this is what we have all being waiting for

My position exactly; if we can support the development of a genuine North American league, we should - and if that means fast-tracking some teams into SL, why wouldn't we do that - provided it's *in addition* to existing clubs rather than instead of?

I couldn't agree more! Is this expansion or a takeover? Some people need to be careful what they wish as if this does take off, my small town mentality has a real bad feeling.

Would that be such a bad thing? This Perez guy has vision, resources and a strategic eye; all of which appear to be lacking aboard the Red Hall gravy train...

Vision, resources and a strategic eye just aren't lacking at Red Hall, they IMO non-existent! If it took off with the number of North American teams suggested plus Toulouse, you'd have to look at a two tier SL, but that would be offset as quoted by an increase in TV revenue.

I just can't get a Maurice Lindsey quote out of my head from 1995, 'of course there is a place for Wakefield v Featherstone, just at the appropriate level!'

Exactly my fear. I’m certain the goal is a largely franchised based, two-tier superleague of around 10 teams each by the end of the next tv deal. I’d bet the grand plan doesn’t have us at the top table.

It would be interesting to know whether a Super League consisting of say, Leeds, Wigan, Saints, Warrington, Hull plus Catalan, Toulouse, Toronto, New York and Boston (or whoever) would have the "draw" that some in the game think it should and what would happen to the rest AND what the longer term plan would be.
Personally, while I@m in favour of expansion and "helping" the game break new ground, I dont see how a league made up of the above, or similar, would work.

Even in football, which is light years ahead of RL in every department, would struggle with such a diverse competition.

Although it would be superb for RL to actually succeed in somewhere new, it really does need some though to get this right.

Part of supporting your club is being able to watch them play as often as possible (every game would be the primary option)). However, if the season was 24 games, with 5 or 6 opposition clubs bringing 0 fans and it not being possible to make half of the away games, fans would find something else to do with their time.

THere is a really delicate balance to be done here and it is imperative that the domestic game is not wrecked by chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The expansion things been on the agenda for donkeys The RFL got taken years ago by a guy in the states wanting to build his own comp.
The Rfl don't have a clue how to develop the game in Wales Scotland , the Midlands or the north east I think we can still sleep at night while any development remains in the hands of that organisation.
I can however see mergers back on the agenda in the not too distant.

Think he was called Mike Meyer or something like that.

The RFL need to go learn some lessons from the RFU... lots of support for grassroot clubs, lots of work done on ways to get people engaged with the game. Yes they have show piece events but at the end of the day they don't neglect to build from the bottom up. To me the RFL seem to concerned with vanity projects that Sky can squak about rather than doing some graft at grassroots level.

thing is nobody give a toss about little clubs like us, first time the sport effects my club from competing at the highest level then I'll turn my back on the game, they can shove it I can stand being relegated and fight to regain top level but if thee doors shut then I'm afraid that will be it, gawd knows how other clubs felt when we had franchise league, I don't give me that e about players having to pay for their mortgages when their relegated, I've had few times where I had to go out and find work

The sport as you call it, closed the door on us when super league opened and here we are.
You seem very depressed or angry as many Trinity and RFL fans seem to be. RL needs another 6 money men to stir the waters in Red Hall.
Change is coming. It has to.
Somebody said RL is a northern game. Not in Aus, France, New Zealand, Canada, Samoa, Fiji, Papua, Tonga etc it isn't.
They don't have our crazy hang ups.
I bet many Trinity and Cas fans would share a shiny new 15000 seater stadium now. 10 years ago I wouldn't but now....

I understand what you are saying and as you say, we were "relegated" when SL was formed and I was one of the many that "disappeared", until a pal of mine persuaded me to come and watch a cup match at Bradford, which we lost) but, I was hooked again instantly and I've had a season ticket ever since etc, etc.

It would be helpful if Big Nige and his cronies at Red Hall would share their "vision" of where they are trying to take the game.
Personally, I could live with a couple of N. American clubs in an expanded top flight but, I'd have little interest in a 10/12 team SL, half of which were overseas.
Trinity have had a great season and look as though we are finally making progress towards a new (upgraded) stadium but, IF there are plans to axe a number of heartland clubs just to replace them with new franchises then, like you, I would be looking for something different to do on Sunday (Friday, Saturday and Thursday) evenings.

certainly not depressed, angry no, more frustrated as I feel it could just all be taken away from us.
the further afield teams are will make game days at home with no away support just bland, you only have to experience the catalan game at wakefield to know what its like, every one take their home games as a chance for an holiday,
ok for them that can afford it bring in more long distant teams and then that would reduce our away support to each game

I will never understand why some people want to prefer to shoe horn in foreign teams nearly 4,000 miles away yet we had a Fev fan on here asking for players for Fev Lions u14 so how exactly is the latest cash cow going to solve the problems HERE. It's a combination of sticking head into sand and pound signs in the eyes.