Reputation Points: 5 Rep Position: 30th / 76,797 Quiz Score: 236 Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 10:55 am Posts: 1962
Fully agree there, regarding not being fast tracked.
I mentioned yesterday that their squad is a competetive championship squad at best. On top of that, there is a big proportion of their squad would be 32 or 33 come next season. Not being ageist but they would have to change their squad.
Is it me or have some of these ageing players just gone over for a final pay day.
Someone on that thread, a kiwi, was having a proper go, saying how bad or game is, and it isnt just the RFL thats ruining the sport, it was narrow minded fans. What an idiot.
The issue that the RFL will face if they do indeed fast track Toronto to Super League, is that they then set a precedent that all other future expansion teams will expect to be followed. Hypothetically, lets say a team in New York are created in 2020. They would expect the same treatment as Toronto receive should they indeed be fast tracked to super league. And if they don't then fast track the hypothetical New York, this is going to create issues.
My gut tells me that they will not bring in Toronto through fear of backlash... However, see how Toulouse perform in the middle 8's, they are more likely to be in Super League next year if the league expands to 14 alongside HKR.
For what it's worth, i am all for promotion/ relegation in a less complicated format.
Same as big lad. I'm all for them moving up but do it properly.
There is an interesting thought here. The fact that a team of "all stars" have joined in the 3rd tier, has possibly prevented a "heart land" club from gaining promotion. Without the inclusion of Toronto, spending huge amounts of cash, there would be a possibility that both Whitehaven and Barrow would both gain promotion. As it stands, one of these clubs will be consigned to another season in a "feeder" league. Although something needs to change in league 1 anyway as we have "serious" clubs playing low ranking "expansion" clubs. Toronto should either be fully supported or binned off. They cannot survive long term without being in SL and their sole purpose is to try and ply their trade in the top flight.
IF the game wants to expand into North America and is serious about doing so, they should put Toronto in SL and ensure that we negotiate a substantially better TV deal on the back of them being there and if this isnt going to happen, everyone is wasting their time with that project.
There is no point in having them involved at all.
There are plenty of down sides to having Toronto involved, especially the travel and all of the costs and disruption that this will bring. However, if(and it's a very big if). they can be the catalyst to RL gaining a foothold in North America, surely, it would be well worth the pain ?
The issue that the RFL will face if they do indeed fast track Toronto to Super League, is that they then set a precedent that all other future expansion teams will expect to be followed. Hypothetically, lets say a team in New York are created in 2020. They would expect the same treatment as Toronto receive should they indeed be fast tracked to super league. And if they don't then fast track the hypothetical New York, this is going to create issues.
My gut tells me that they will not bring in Toronto through fear of backlash... However, see how Toulouse perform in the middle 8's, they are more likely to be in Super League next year if the league expands to 14 alongside HKR.
For what it's worth, i am all for promotion/ relegation in a less complicated format.
Hopefully better than against Dewsbury last week or another season in th championship
Reputation Points: 5 Rep Position: 30th / 76,797 Quiz Score: 236 Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 10:55 am Posts: 1962
IMO, in the leagues current format, Toronto doesnt bring anything positive to our sport.
To me, I was introduced to the sport at the beginning of the 80s, and at that time, the Cumbrian sides were all competetive and they are doing well this year. Toronto are suffocating their efforts. On top of this, heavy one sided games dont have entertainment value.
The third tier is at the moment a feeder tier mainly made up of new clubs formed. Maybe a change of structure is required. Increase number of teams in championship maybe and bring in a couple more new sides for the third tier
Would it be more beneficial to bring in more American sides long term for an American based super league. With the money in American sport that could potentially be massive for the sport long term.