"Siri - show me an oxymoron."

must of been another SBW that played league before how silly of me

It just means that either Lussick or Leutele will no longer be classed as a marquee player and their full salary will count against the cap. No rule breaking at all providing they don’t overspend.

Leutele has got a million quid contract himself

Been told his salary

Christ almighty.

He'll only count as £75k on the cap.

Maybe it’s just me, but I find it pretty distasteful that a club that was born three years ago can spend $3 million a year on a player when historic and proper clubs have gone to the wall (Widnes and Bradford for example).

Screw Toronto, and screw the expansionists.

That's the spirit!

Pretty much the biggest name signing I can ever remember comes to a brand new team getting our sport loads of column inches all round the world and 'fans' of the sport like you just want to moan. Sadly, we get the sport we deserve......

I for one hope Toronto make a success of it and I can't wait to see SBW play and hopefully I can find a way to get to Canada for our game there.

So I’m not a fan of the sport because I don’t have $$$ in my eyes...

#savetheheartlands

How's that? because he's moved from RU - i wouldn't have thought it'd have mattered with him playing League a few years ago.

how they deal with the marquee issue is going to be interesting; they already have the most expensive in Rugby and unless they can get Lussick to make a wage drop, they're gonna have to get rid of one , unless they're suddenly allowed 3/4/5.

Absolutely agree with this

No, not under the RU dispensation. There's also one for players returning to league after a gap of 5 years or more. 50% of their cap value (which for marquee players is £150k) is offset in year 1 of their contract. This drops to 25% in year 2.

Don't think they're allowed more than two so like you say they'll have to drop one of the others. I think we've done that with either Merrin or Hurrell so we could give one of the spots to Gale.

You come across to me as bitter, jealous and with a chip on your shoulder. Why else would any genuine rugby league fan want Toronto to fail? I have no idea if they will be a success but I really hope they will be cos one thing's for sure in my opinion, the game as it stands is dying a slow death.

The much vaunted 'grass roots' game in the heartlands is swamped with dinosaurs who refuse point blank to change and are more happy to cut off their nose to spite their face than accept there might be a better way of doing things for the greater good. There are lots of good people in the amateur and junior game but sadly in my experience they are outnumbered by those more interested in furthering their own agendas or more commonly massaging their own egos by forming all conquering junior super teams, turning blind eyes to violence, letting their touchlines resemble the wild west and doing little to stamp out referee and player abuse regardless of the ages of those involved.

Slightly off topic I appreciate......

I know I shouldn't have but that made me chuckle a bit because you could have been describing when I played in the 80's and early 90's.

Sounds like he’s fighting Paul Gallen maybe next October, got a clause in his 10 million dollar contract, pity it wasn’t in August and Gallen gives him a good hiding. Talk about chasing money.

What has Widnes and Bradford’s demise got to do with Toronto?

Toronto have generated more interest in rugby league in 1 week than Wakefield have in 50 years. That’s why they are good for the game

As you say TD slightly off topic but oh so true regarding the amateur and junior game. I've experienced it so many times especially the building of super teams at junior level but we must all keep going for the good of the game.

Sad but so true NGBW, I have nothing but admiration for the coaches at junior level who struggle for numbers week in week out, I’m sure Sonny will create a mad rush of kids into the game

Not sure why SBW is getting so much grief, its not his fault they offered him so much money?

Don’t think it’s SBW getting grief and he’s not bothered one bit about the game, I think its SL fans thinking it’s the second coming of the messiah who’s coming to save our great game. It’s a money thing I’m afraid and you can’t blame him but next better offer he’s gone.

The heartlands would all be replaced by major European city clubs funded by millionaires if a lot of people got their way. British Rugby league would die as a result. They don't understand that to grow the sport you have to make it more appealing at grassroots as opposed to chucking money at a 35 year old to attract fans who already like Rugby to more games.

But no one in the heartlands has that money.
It isn't stopping anyone in the North of England doing anything they like.

Absolutely. Nowt stopping us from signing him or his ilk - other than the fact we haven't got a pot to in.

Pretending that signing SBW is anything other huge for various reasons just smacks of jealousy and insecurity from some fans. Let's be right here, if we had just announced him signing for us then we'd all be over the moon and there'd be crusty socks everywhere.

Ultimately, if Toronto have got their plan wrong and they flop on the field then they'll be in a dog fight at the bottom of the league with, most probably, a few other teams. After all, we want matters to be decided on the park don't we? They've come through the leagues and earned their shot and I accept I'll be in a minority here but I hope they do really well.